Israeli Restaurant in Munich Targeted in Suspected Antisemitic Attack

An Israeli restaurant in the German city of Munich was attacked on Thursday night when assailants smashed multiple windows and threw pyrotechnic devices inside in what authorities suspected was an antisemitic assault — the latest in a series of incidents unfolding against a backdrop of rising hostility toward Jews and Israelis nationwide.

As of Friday morning, local law enforcement had opened a criminal investigation into the attack in southern Germany, with authorities probing a possible antisemitic motive and reviewing security footage and witness accounts as part of the ongoing inquiry.

The restaurant was closed at the time of the attack, and no one was injured, though the perpetrators caused damage estimated at several thousand euros.

Police said the assailants had not yet been identified, and it remained unclear how many people were involved in the attack.

Munich’s State Security Service, which handles politically motivated crimes, took over the case, as authorities worked to determine the circumstances and identify those involved.

“According to the current state of investigations, the display windows were forcibly damaged, and pyrotechnic devices were thrown into the restaurant,” police said in a statement, adding that the origin and type of the devices had yet to be determined and remained a key line of inquiry.

Opened in 2007, the restaurant is located on Hessstrasse in the Maxvorstadt district, Munich’s central university quarter near the Old Town and the main railway station, an area known for its cultural institutions, student life, and busy pedestrian streets.

Restaurant employee Grigori Dratva, the owner’s brother-in-law, told the German DPA news agency that there had been “no direct threats” ahead of the incident.

“We don’t want to make accusations, but we are a visible Israeli restaurant, so the assumption is obvious,” Dratva said.

Despite the attack, Dratva said the restaurant planned to reopen later the same day after the damaged windows were temporarily secured and scheduled for replacement, adding, “We won’t be intimidated.”

The Munich-based Conference of European Rabbis (CER) strongly denounced the attack, warning it reflected a troubling and escalating pattern of antisemitic incidents, while calling for swift measures to strengthen protections for Jews and prevent further violence.

“This attack is not a one-off, but rather part of a dangerous trend that we have been seeing since Oct. 7, 2023,” CER’s General Secretary Gady Gronich said in a statement, referring to the ongoing surge in antisemitic incidents following Hamas’s invasion of southern Israel over two years ago.

“Until now, Munich was a safe place for Jews, and it must stay that way. What’s needed is a clear line: zero tolerance against antisemitism, with harsh punishments that do not lead to repeat incidents, and no room for those who sow hate in our society,” he continued.

Like most countries across Europe and the broader Western world, Germany has seen a shocking rise in antisemitic incidents over the last two years, in the wake of the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre.

According to recently released figures, the number of antisemitic offenses in the country reached a record high in 2025, totaling 2,267 incidents, including violence, incitement, property damage, and propaganda offenses.

By comparison, officially recorded antisemitic crimes were significantly lower at 1,825 in 2024, 900 in 2023, and fewer than 500 in 2022, prior to the Oct. 7 atrocities.

Officials have warned that the real number of antisemitic crimes is likely much higher, as many incidents go unreported.