German antisemitism czar targeted in arson attack: ‘I will not be intimidated by this’
An inverted red triangle, a symbol often associated with Hamas, was also spray-painted on Andreas Büttner’s property
Andreas Büttner photographed during the state parliament session in Brandenburg on June 19, 2024. Photo by Soeren Stache/picture alliance via Getty Images
(JTA) — A property belonging to the antisemitism commissioner for the German state of Brandenburg was targeted in a suspected arson attack on Sunday.
Andreas Büttner, the state’s commissioner of combatting antisemitism, wrote in a post on X that his family was home at the time of the attack, which targeted a shed on his property in Templin, a small town in Brandenburg. He said that no one was injured during the attack.
“This attack represents a massive escalation,” wrote Büttner. “It is directed against me personally, against my family, and against my home. At the same time, it is an expression of hatred and intimidation. I will not be intimidated by this.”
An inverted red triangle, a symbol Hamas uses to mark its targets in propaganda videos, was also spray-painted on the front door of a house adjacent to the shed.
The home of Germany’s antisemitism commissioner, Andreas Büttner, was set on fire overnight in a targeted attack.
His family was inside the house at the time.
This is the second attack against Büttner in the past 16 months. His car was previously vandalized with swastikas. This… pic.twitter.com/cAbFnMIwQ7
— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) January 5, 2026
Following the attack, Büttner told Jüdische Allgemeine, Germany’s weekly Jewish newspaper, that while he wouldn’t speculate about the perpetrators, he believed “the symbol speaks volumes.”
“The red Hamas triangle is an internationally recognized symbol of jihadist violence and antisemitic incitement,” said Büttner. “Anyone who uses something like that wants to intimidate and glorify terror. This isn’t a protest—it’s a threat.”
The suspected arson, which is being investigated by police, marked the second recent attack against Büttner, whose car was defaced with swastikas in August 2024.
Büttner, who is not Jewish, serves as one of 15 state antisemitism czars in Germany, which also has a federal antisemitism commissioner, Felix Klein. The country’s only Jewish antisemitism commissioner, Stefan Hensel of Hamburg, stepped down from his role in December amid rising threats.
“The attack on Andreas Büttner’s house is a cowardly and deeply alarming expression of antisemitism, which we as a state and society must resolutely oppose with all available means,” Klein told the Berliner Morgenpost. “Whether it hides behind swastikas, Hamas triangles, or other dehumanizing symbols – antisemitism remains antisemitism.”
The suspected arson comes amid a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents in Germany over the course of the war in Gaza. In April, the country ordered the deportation of three European nationals and one U.S. citizen over their alleged activity at pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
Ron Prosor, Ambassador of Israel to Germany, wrote in a post on X that he believed Büttner will “only stand up even more resolutely against antisemitism” following the attack.
“For the radical part of the ‘Palestine solidarity’ movement is not only antisemitic, but terrorist,” wrote Prosor. “Attacks on those who think differently and attempted murder: That is what the Hamas triangle stands for—in Gaza as in Brandenburg. And the hatred of Israel goes hand in hand with hatred of our democracy.”
The incident was also condemned by Brandenburg’s Minister-President Dietmar Woidke and Interior Minister Rene Wilke, who are both members of the social-democratic SPD party.
“Extremism in any form has no place in Brandenburg,” said Woidke in a statement. “Violence against people or property is and remains absolutely unacceptable. The police have launched an investigation, and I hope that the perpetrator(s) will be apprehended quickly.”
