Attack against German-Jewish leader not anti-Semitism, prosecutor says

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BERLIN (JTA) — German-Jewish leader Stephan Kramer is mulling an appeal after the state prosecutor determined that a verbal attack against him was not a case of anti-Semitism.

Kramer, general secretary of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, said on his Facebook page that he would ask his attorney to inspect the case files to see if an appeal is possible.

The state prosecutor in Berlin determined that the incident was not of an anti-Semitic nature, according to news reports. Martin Steltner, a spokesman for the prosecutor, told reporters that the investigation has been discontinued.

Kramer brought charges last fall in connection with the Sept. 27 incident in which he alleged that a man verbally abused him as he was walking to synagogue with his two daughters. According to reports, Kramer, who was carrying a prayer book, said the man told him several times to "get out of here" in a threatening manner. Kramer told the French news agency AFP at the time that he revealed a gun in its holster to get the man to back off.

On Wednesday, Kramer told reporters that he could not understand the prosecutor’s decision. He said the incident also had been perceived as threatening by passers-by, who called the police on his behalf.

The alleged abuser also filed charges against Kramer, but the prosecutor dropped its investigation into his charges last fall.

The September incident occurred weeks after a rabbi in Berlin, Daniel Alter, suffered injuries in an anti-Semitic attack.
 

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