German police arrested a 37-year-old Afghan national on Thursday on suspicion of attempting to set fire to a synagogue in the western city of Wuppertal, authorities told AFP.
Police said the suspect allegedly poured a flammable liquid on the steps outside the synagogue before “setting it alight." He "apparently attempted to set a secondary entrance on fire", but "the fire quickly extinguished afterwards by members of the synagogue".
No injuries were reported and the damage was described as minimal. The suspect, who police said was "known to the police and of Afghan nationality", was detained near the synagogue immediately after the incident.
Investigators believe he acted alone based on their initial findings.
Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, condemned the incident, saying it demonstrates "the progressive normalization of hatred towards Jews" in the country.
The suspected attack comes amid a series of antisemitic incidents in Germany involving alleged jihadist or far-right motives.
Police recently opened an investigation into death threats against 93-year-old Holocaust survivor Charlotte Knobloch, a prominent Jewish leader, after she criticized the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
The threats were discovered on September 9, when a witness reported white graffiti on a park bench and a trash bin in Munich’s English Garden containing threats against Knobloch. She subsequently canceled plans to attend a public event as an audience member after learning of the threats. Knobloch is chair of the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria.
Another antisemitic incident was reported in Berlin earlier this month. A 43-year-old Jewish woman was attacked in central Berlin after two young people noticed the Star of David she was wearing. The attackers allegedly hurled antisemitic insults at her before assaulting her with a broken glass bottle.