Germany has announced a ban on all Hamas activities and the Samidoun Network, which is affiliated with the Palestinian terrorist group PFLP. The ban means that their gatherings and activities are no longer permitted, nor can their logos be used, and organizational assets may also be confiscated.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser also intends to take action against other supporters and sympathizers of Hamas in Germany, including people who collect donations for the organization. The possibility of deporting offenders from the Islamist scene is also being examined. Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that whoever supports terror organizations like Hamas commits a criminal offense.
Around 450 people in Germany support Hamas, with many being German citizens, according to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. While there is no official branch of the group in Germany, there are supporters and sympathizers.
The number of people in the supporter scene is estimated to be in the thousands, while sympathizers are even more widespread. Supporters take concrete action in support of Hamas, while sympathizers often do not figure publicly at all.
Bans on terrorist organizations are one of the most important instruments a democracy has to prevent money flowing to them. However, investigations by authorities such as the Office for the Protection of the Constitution are limited when it comes to finances due to associations and non-profit organizations enjoying a certain degree of protection in Germany. The line is crossed when violence is openly called for or endorsed. Suspects usually pay close attention to what they say so as not to attract attention from authorities.
Germany has banned several organizations closely aligned with Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organization by many countries. The ban was put in place because Hamas used Western countries like Germany as a safe haven to collect donations, recruit new followers, and spread propaganda. One of the organizations banned, Samidoun, belongs to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which also advocates taking up arms against Israel. Another organization, Palestinian Community in Germany, is mostly comprised of Hamas supporters. However, fundraising initiatives from Germany and Europe are not the main financier of Hamas; instead, Qatar provides most of its funding.
