German Police Foil Attack on Israeli Consulate in Munich
In a dramatic shootout, German police shot and killed an 18-year-old Austrian man who opened fire on them with a vintage rifle near the Israeli consulate in Munich on Thursday. The authorities treated the incident as a foiled attack on the diplomatic mission.
The gunman, who was killed in a hail of police bullets, had been investigated last year for allegedly spreading Islamic State group propaganda, but the case was dropped. While the motive behind the attack is still unknown, Bavarian state premier Markus Soeder said there is a "terrible suspicion" that it was linked to the anniversary of the deadly 1972 attack on Israeli athletes at the Olympic Games in Munich.
The shootout occurred around 9:00 am (0700 GMT) and sparked a mass mobilization of about 500 police in downtown Munich. Residents and office workers huddled indoors as sirens wailed and a helicopter flew above. Video footage showed dramatic scenes of police commandos taking cover from gunshots and then unleashing a barrage of bullets.
Police said five police officers fired at the man, who died on the spot with his weapon beside him – a rifle fitted with a bayonet. German authorities are treating the incident as a "possible attack on an Israeli institution," said Bavarian state interior minister Joachim Herrmann.
The attack occurred on the 52nd anniversary of the 1972 Munich Olympics, where 11 Israeli athletes and a German police officer were killed by Palestinian militants. Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned the attack, saying it was a "hate-fuelled terrorist" act that sought to murder innocent people.
The incident sparked panic and a widespread police lockdown in a central area of the Bavarian state capital, near the Documentation Center for the History of National Socialism. After securing the scene, Munich police reported that there were no other suspects and no one else was wounded.
German authorities have expressed concern about the rise in anti-Semitic crimes in the country. Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, many Jewish communities worldwide have been targeted in attacks and hate crimes. In Germany, a record number of 5,164 anti-Semitic crimes were recorded in 2023, up from 2,641 the year before.
The Central Council of Jews in Germany estimates that there are around 100,000 practising Jews in the country and around 100 synagogues. The incident highlights the importance of protecting Jewish institutions, which is a central priority for German authorities.
