German Chancellor Points to Iranian Responsibility in Hamas Attack on Israel

October 12, 2023

1 min read

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told legislators on October 12 that “without Iranian support in recent years, Hamas would not have been capable of these unprecedented attacks on Israeli territory"

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said that the Islamic Republic of Iran bears responsibility for allowing the Palestinian militant group Hamas to grow to the point where it launched a weekend surprise attack on Israel.

“We have no tangible evidence that Iran gave concrete and operative support to this cowardly attack by Hamas,” Scholz told legislators on October 12. “But it is clear to us all that, without Iranian support in recent years, Hamas would not have been capable of these unprecedented attacks on Israeli territory.”

Scholz noted that thousands of people have demonstrated in support of Israel in recent days, but said that “there were also other, shameful pictures from Germany last weekend.”

On October 7, a small group handed out pastries in a Berlin street and dozens of people demonstrated to celebrate the Hamas assault.

Scholz said that Germany will formally ban o activities by or in support of Hamas, which is listed by the European Union as a terror group.

The chancellor said Samidoun, an international activist group which was behind the weekend pastry action, will be banned. Samidoun says it supports Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Scholz said there will be “zero tolerance for antisemitism.”