The Berlin police have launched a preliminary investigation against the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, regarding comments that Israel had committed “50 holocausts” against the Palestinians.
The remarks, during a press conference in Berlin alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, sparked outrage in Germany, Israel and beyond.
Police confirmed reports that Abbas was being investigated for possible incitement to hatred after receiving a formal criminal complaint.
Comparing the Holocaust is a criminal offense in Germany, but the opening of a preliminary investigation does not automatically require a full investigation.
Germany’s foreign ministry said Abbas – as a representative of the Palestinian Authority – would enjoy immunity from prosecution because he was visiting the country in an official capacity.
Germany does not recognize the Palestinian territories as a sovereign state, a position Scholz reaffirmed on Tuesday.