Antisemitic Attack on Israeli Restaurant in Munich Sparks State Security Investigation

Unknown perpetrators attacked an Israeli restaurant in Munich's Maxvorstadt district in the early hours of Friday, April 10, 2026, smashing windows in three places and throwing pyrotechnic objects inside. Police received a call at around 0:45 AM after witnesses reported three loud banging noises at the establishment, according to police spokesperson Tobias Schenk. A patrol arriving at the scene confirmed that window panes were damaged in three locations. No one was injured in the attack, but police estimated property damage at several thousand euros. The perpetrators fled and had not been identified as of Friday morning. Both police and the restaurant operator suspected an antisemitic motive behind the assault.

Bavarian judiciary's antisemitism commissioner takes over probe The Staatsschutz, the police unit responsible for politically motivated crimes, launched an investigation immediately after the attack. The Munich General Public Prosecutor's Office subsequently announced that the central Antisemitism Commissioner of the Bavarian judiciary had taken over the investigation. Police confirmed that the exact type of pyrotechnic objects thrown into the restaurant remained under investigation. Ludwig Spaenle, the Antisemitism Commissioner of the Bavarian state government and a member of the CSU party, condemned the incident in strong terms. „cowardly assault on a wonderful place of encounter” — Ludwig Spaenle via ZEIT ONLINE A solidarity rally organized together with the restaurant's operators was scheduled to take place in front of the establishment during the late afternoon of April 10.

Restaurant employee vows to reopen, recalls years of feeling safe Grigori Dratva, an employee of the restaurant and brother-in-law of its operator, said the attack came without any prior warning. „There were no direct threats. We actually always felt very safe in Munich.” — Grigori Dratva via Deutsche Presse-Agentur The 70-seat restaurant has been operating since 2007, and Dratva said staff taped over the broken windows provisionally while repairs were being arranged. He confirmed the establishment intended to reopen on Friday itself, the same day as the attack. Dratva also said he suspected a political motive, noting the restaurant's visible identity as an Israeli establishment, while stopping short of making a direct accusation. „We will not be intimidated. We are opening.” — Grigori Dratva via Deutsche Presse-Agentur Dratva also recalled that following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, someone had once placed a pro-Palestinian sticker on a window of the restaurant, though the background of that incident remained unclear after police involvement.

Jewish leaders warn of rising antisemitism since October 7 Gady Gronich, Secretary General of the Munich-based Conference of European Rabbis, placed the attack within a broader pattern of rising hostility toward Jewish communities across Europe. „This attack is not an isolated case, but part of a dangerous trend that we have seen since October 7, 2023: growing hatred against Jews — open, aggressive, uninhibited. An attack on a Jewish restaurant is cowardly and an attack on our coexistence. Until now, Munich was a safe place for Jews and it must remain so.” — Gady Gronich via ZEIT ONLINE According to the RIAS, the number of antisemitic incidents in Bavaria rose sharply following the Hamas massacre of more than 1,000 Israelis on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent Gaza war, which has caused thousands of civilian Palestinian casualties. Sources also noted that antisemitism exists independently of Middle East conflicts, including in far-right extremist circles in Germany. Israel's ongoing military involvement in the war against Iran and its operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon have kept the country in the public spotlight in recent weeks, with Israeli forces conducting heavy strikes against the Shiite militia as recently as Wednesday, according to Lebanese reports that indicated civilian casualties.