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German Court Overturns Ban on Annual ‘Quds Day’ March in Frankfurt Despite Authorities’ Antisemitism Concerns
Quds Day march in Hannover, Germany in 2024. Photo: Screenshot
A demonstration calling for Israel’s destruction will be allowed to take place in the German city of Frankfurt this weekend after an administrative court overturned the city’s ban on the rally, which had been put in place due to expected displays of antisemitism.
The Frankfurt Administrative Court on Friday ruled that the ban on the march, which was scheduled to take place on Saturday, was unlawful.
German authorities on Thursday had banned the annual “Quds Day” rally in Frankfurt, citing public safety concerns and its antisemitic symbolism, local media reported.
According to the city’s assembly authority, the decision was based on the “high probability” that the gathering “would serve as an openly visible symbol of antisemitism related to Israel” and that public safety would be immediately at risk.
Sponsored by the Iranian regime, the annual Quds Day commemorations event is held in Tehran and several other cities, where Iran and its allies organize marches in support of the Palestinians and call for Israel’s annihilation.
“The end of Ramadan is actually a celebration of inner contemplation and also of hope,” Josef Schuster, the president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, said in a statement, as reported by German media. “It is almost tragic that Muslim fanatics – incited by Iran – repeatedly use this occasion to propagate hatred against Israel and Jews.”
He called on Muslim groups to “actively position themselves against this abuse of their faith,” adding, “Everyone knows what to expect from Al-Quds marches. They should be banned.”
Iran is the chief international backer of Hamas, providing the Palestinian terrorist group with weapons, funding, and training. According to media reports based on documents seized by the Israeli military in Gaza last year, Iran had been informed about Hamas’s plan to invade and perpetrate a massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, months in advance.
Since 2015, demonstrations have been held on the streets of Frankfurt every year during the last weekend of Ramadan, marking the so-called “Al-Quds [Arabic name for Jerusalem] Day.” The event was introduced by Iran’s then-nascent Islamist regime in 1979 as the “Day of the Liberation of the Holy City of Jerusalem from Zionist Occupation.”
Frankfurt’s Public Order office said that between 500 and 1,000 people were expected to participate in the events this weekend.
Since last year, the official slogan of the event has been “Stop the War” — referring to the Gaza war, which began after the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of and massacre across southern Israel, during which Palestinian terrorists murdered 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 hostages.
Quds Day march in Frankfurt, Germany#gaza #GazaGenocide #FreePalestine #GenocideJoe #isisrael #GazaHolocaust #rafah #yemen #redsead #Iran #lebonan #Hezbollah #jordon pic.twitter.com/zAr5KTEDV1
— IMAM REZA SOLDIERS (@thelightwiz1) April 8, 2024
Frankfurt’s mayor, Nargess Eskandari-Grünberg, criticized the event last year as a “propaganda day for the [Iranian] regime,” stating that demonstrations with “clearly antisemitic slogans” and the display of images of terrorists should be banned.
During the rally last year, participants chanted slogans such as “Israel, child killer” and “Germany finances, Israel bombs.”
“Demonstrations that deny a state’s right to exist and call for its destruction cannot be peaceful,” Frankfurt’s Commissioner of Public Order, Annette Rinn, said in a statement. “Therefore, the decision to officially ban this year’s Al-Quds Day in Frankfurt is the only appropriate action.”
Rinn later said she accepted the court’s decision to overturn the ban, adding, “Our goal is now to ensure an orderly course of the assembly through appropriate conditions, especially with regard to possible counter-demonstrations.”
In 2021, Berlin became the first jurisdiction in Germany to allow the prohibition of gatherings promoting hate speech. It is one of eight federal states that have adopted this measure.
In recent years, “Al-Quds” demonstrations in the German capital have been canceled.
Ulrike Becker, director of research at the Berlin Middle East Freedom Forum, has called for a general ban on “this celebration of antisemitism.”
“It is a mistake to allow demonstrations that call for the destruction of Israel on the streets of Germany, whether in Frankfurt, Berlin, or anywhere else,” Becker said.
It is not “a peaceful protest,” but rather “a call for the destruction of the Jewish state,” a demand that “cannot be protected by the right to freedom of expression or the right to protest,” Becker added.
She also said the event is “not a legitimate expression of opinion” but “an instrument of the Islamist regime [of Iran] to spread hatred and hostile imagery.”
The post German Court Overturns Ban on Annual ‘Quds Day’ March in Frankfurt Despite Authorities’ Antisemitism Concerns first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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South Africa Distances Itself From Army Chief’s Pledges of Military, Political Support to Iran
Iranian Major General Amir Hatami and South African General Rudzani Maphwanya meet in Tehran to discuss strengthening military cooperation and strategic ties. Photo: Screenshot
South Africa’s army chief has faced domestic backlash after pledging military and political support to Iran during a recent visit, prompting government officials to distance themselves from his remarks over concerns they could harm Pretoria’s efforts to strengthen ties with the United States.
Members of South Africa’s governing coalition have denounced Gen. Rudzani Maphwanya, chief of the South African National Defense Force (SANDF), for his trip to Tehran earlier this week, describing his remarks as “reckless grandstanding.”
The Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa’s second-largest party in the governing coalition, has called for Maphwanya to be court-martialed for breaking neutrality and violating military law, saying his comments had gone “beyond military-to-military discussions and entered the realm of foreign policy.”
“This reckless grandstanding comes at a time when South Africa’s relations with key democratic partners, especially the United States, are already under severe strain,” DA defense spokesperson Chris Hattingh said in a statement.
“The SANDF’s job is to lead and manage the defense forces, not to act as an unsanctioned political envoy. Allowing our most senior military officer to make partisan foreign policy pronouncements is strategically reckless, diplomatically irresponsible, and economically self-defeating,” he continued.
“South Africa cannot afford to have its international standing further sabotaged by political adventurism from the military’s top brass,” Hattingh said.
Iran and South Africa held high-level military talks earlier this week as both nations seek to deepen cooperation and strengthen their partnership against what officials called “global arrogance and aggressive colonial approaches.”
During a joint press conference with Iranian Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami, Maphwanya called for deeper ties between the two nations, especially in defense cooperation, affirming that “the Republic of South Africa and the Islamic Republic of Iran have common goals.”
“We always stand alongside the oppressed and defenseless people of the world,” the South African general said.
He also criticized Israel over the ongoing war in Gaza, expressed support for the Palestinian people, and told Iranian officials that his visit “conveys a political message” on behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration.
However, shortly after Maphwanya’s remarks drew media attention, the South African government moved to distance itself from his comments, with the Foreign Affairs Ministry stating that his comments “do not represent the government’s official foreign policy stance.”
The Defense Department, which described Maphwanya’s comments as “unfortunate,” confirmed that he is now expected to meet with the Minister of Defense and Military Veterans, Angie Motshekga, upon his return to provide explanations.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, clarified that the president was neither aware of the trip nor had he sanctioned it.
“The visit was ill-advised and more so, the expectation is that the general should have been a lot more circumspect with the comments he makes,” Magwenya told reporters during a press conference on Thursday.
“It is crucial to clarify that the implementation of South Africa’s foreign policy is a function of the presidency,” he continued. “Any statements made by an individual, or a department other than those responsible for foreign policy, should not be misinterpreted as the official position of the South African government.”
Maphwanya’s trip to Iran came after the Middle East Africa Research Institute (MEARI) released a recent report detailing how South Africa’s deepening ties with Tehran have led the country to compromise its democratic foundations and constitutional principles by aligning itself with a regime internationally condemned for terrorism, repression, and human rights abuses.
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Democrat Pete Buttigieg Toughens Stance on Israel, Says He Backs Arms Embargo Following Left-Wing Pressure
Former US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaks during an appearance on the “Pod Save America” podcast on Aug. 10, 2025. Photo: Screenshot
Former US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a Democrat considered by many observers to be a potential 2028 presidential candidate, has recalibrated his stance on Israel, moving from cautious language to a far more critical position after facing backlash over recent comments on the popular “Pod Save America” podcast.
In his podcast interview on Sunday, Buttigieg called Israel “a friend” and said the United States should “put your arm around” the country during difficult times. He also sidestepped a direct answer on whether the US should recognize a Palestinian state, describing the question as “profound” but offering little elaboration beyond calls for peace.
That measured approach drew sharp criticism from progressives and foreign policy voices who argued that his words were too vague amid the ongoing war in Gaza and a shifting sentiment within the Democratic party base regarding Israel. Evolving fault lines within the Democratic Party over US policy toward its staunch Middle Eastern ally signal that the issue could loom large in the 2028 presidential primary.
Following Sunday’s interview, US Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) urged Buttigieg to show “moral clarity,” while Ben Rhodes, former White House aide to President Barack Obama, said he was left uncertain where the Cabinet official stood. Social media critics accused Buttigieg of offering platitudes that dodged hard policy commitments.
In a follow-up interview with Politico published on Thursday, Buttigieg took a decidedly tougher line. He said he supports recognizing a Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution and ending the decades-long practice of providing military aid to the Jewish state through sweeping, multi-year packages. Instead, he called for a case-by-case review of assistance, while emphasizing the need to stop civilian deaths, release hostages, and ensure unimpeded humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Perhaps most significantly, Buttigieg indicated support for a US arms embargo on Israel, saying he would have signed on to Sen. Bernie Sanders’s recently proposed resolution to prohibit arms sales to the Jewish state.
The shift places Buttigieg closer to the party’s progressive flank on foreign policy, a notable change for a figure often viewed as a bridge between the Democratic establishment and younger, more liberal voters. For a likely 2028 contender, the move reflects both the political risks of appearing out of step with an increasingly skeptical base and the growing influence of voices calling for sharper limits on US support for Israel.
Recent polling shows a generational divide on the issue, with younger Democrats far more likely to back conditioning aid to Israel and recognizing Palestinian statehood.
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Former Algemeiner Correspondent Gidon Ben-Zvi Dies at 51
Gidon Ben-Zvi. Photo: Screenshot
Gidon Ben-Zvi, former Jerusalem Correspondent for The Algemeiner, has died at the age of 51 after a fight with cancer.
Ben-Zvi continued to write op-eds for The Algemeiner even after he left as a correspondent, including in the aftermath of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel.
An accomplished writer, Ben-Zvi left Hollywood for Jerusalem in 2009, moving back to Israel after spending 12 years in the United States. From 1994-1997, Gidon served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), in an infantry unit.
In addition to writing for The Algemeiner, Ben-Zvi contributed to the Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post, CiF Watch, and blogged at Jerusalem State of Mind.
Ben-Zvi joined HonestReporting as a senior editor in June 2020, becoming an integral part of the editorial department and writing dozens of articles and media critiques for the watchdog group exposing anti-Israel bias. He moved with his family to Haifa at the end of 2022.
Ben-Zvi’s final article for HonestReporting was published in January 2025, before he took a leave of absence for health reasons. HonestReporting said in a newly published obituary that staff believed he would eventually return, noting the positivity and perseverance he exuded. The advocacy group said it learned of Ben-Zvi’s passing late last month.
Ben-Zvi leaves behind his wife, Debbie, and four young children.
All Ben-Zvi’s articles for The Algemeiner can be found here.
May his memory be a blessing.