A suspected arson attack struck the property of Brandenburg’s antisemitism commissioner over the weekend, in what authorities and officials are treating as
a serious act of intimidation linked to extremist symbolism.
Andreas Büttner, who serves as the German state’s commissioner for combating antisemitism, said a shed on his property in the town of Templin was set on fire on Sunday while his family was at home. No one was injured.
“This was a massive escalation,” Büttner wrote in a statement posted on X. “It was aimed not only at me, but at my family and our home. It is meant to intimidate. That will not succeed.”
In addition to the attempted arson, an inverted red triangle was spray-painted near the building. The symbol has become widely associated with Hamas propaganda, where it is used to mark targets.
Speaking to the Jewish weekly ‘Jüdische Allgemeine’, Büttner said he would not speculate about who carried out the attack but described the symbolism as unmistakable.
“The red Hamas triangle is internationally recognized as a sign of jihadist violence and antisemitic incitement,” he said. “Whoever uses it is glorifying terror and issuing a threat. This is not protest—it is intimidation.”
Police have opened an investigation into the incident, which marks the second attack against Büttner in recent months. In August 2024, his car was vandalized with swastikas.
Büttner, who is not Jewish, is one of 15 antisemitism commissioners serving at the state level in Germany, alongside a federal commissioner. The country’s only Jewish antisemitism commissioner, Stefan Hensel of Hamburg, resigned from his post in December, citing mounting threats.
Felix Klein, Germany’s federal antisemitism commissioner, condemned the attack in strong terms, warning of the growing danger posed by extremist ideologies.
“The attack on Andreas Büttner’s home is cowardly and deeply alarming,” Klein told the ‘Berliner Morgenpost’. “Whether antisemitism appears in the form of swastikas, Hamas symbols, or other dehumanizing imagery, it remains antisemitism—and it must be confronted decisively.”
The incident comes amid a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents across Germany since the outbreak of the war in Gaza. Authorities have responded with heightened scrutiny of extremist activity, including the recent deportation of several foreign nationals accused of incitement at pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
Israel’s ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, also weighed in, saying the attack would only strengthen Büttner’s resolve.
“The radical fringe of the so-called ‘Palestine solidarity’ movement is not only antisemitic, but terror-supporting,” Prosor wrote on X. “The Hamas triangle stands for violence and intimidation—whether in Gaza or in Brandenburg. Hatred of Israel goes hand in hand with hatred of democracy.”
Brandenburg’s Minister-President Dietmar Woidke and Interior Minister René Wilke, both members of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), issued statements condemning the attack and pledging a thorough investigation.
“Extremism has no place in Brandenburg,” Woidke said. “Violence against people or property is completely unacceptable. The police are investigating, and those responsible must be brought to justice quickly.” Photo by Hans G. Oberlack, Wikimedia commons.