To implement the ban and locate additional evidence, searches have been underway since the early hours of the morning, pursuant to court orders, at five properties in Hesse and one property in Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg. Thirty-five police officers from the Frankfurt Police Headquarters, the Hesse Police Directorate for Operations, and the Hesse State Criminal Police Office are participating in the searches in Hesse.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the ban on the association \u2018Pal\u00e4stina e.V.,\u2019 Hesse is sending a clear signal in favor of decisive action by the rule of law and against the rise of antisemitism,” said Interior Minister Roman Poseck.<\/p>\n
“Through its antisemitic propaganda, the association crossed the boundaries of permissible political expression. The association\u2019s activities were aimed at spreading antisemitic stereotypes, deepening social tensions, and seriously undermining the principle of international understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n
People march to commemorate the 78th anniversary of the Nakba on May 16, 2026 in Berlin, Germany. (credit: Michele Tantussi\/Getty Images)What is Pal\u00e4stina e.V.?<\/p>\n
Pal\u00e4stina e.V. was founded on January 22, 2022, with the purpose of anti-Israel activity. Particularly since the Hamas<\/a> attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the group has become increasingly active in public and explicitly endorsed the Hamas terrorist attack, the ministry said.\u00a0<\/p>\n This did not change even after the association allegedly dissolved itself, which it announced via social media on November 16, 2024. The Ministry said that, in reality, the association continued its activities and persistently continued spreading its antisemitic propaganda unchanged.<\/p>\n Tuesday’s ban followed extensive investigative measures. As early as January 22, 2025, authorities searched the homes\/premises of leading members of Pal\u00e4stina e.V. The group’s activities, public statements, and events were also thoroughly examined.<\/p>\n The findings confirmed that, over an extended period, the association had “spread antisemitic positions, denied the right of the State of Israel to exist, and disseminated corresponding propaganda publicly,” adding that “Its events and publications repeatedly served to fuel antisemitic resentment and spread anti-Israel narratives.”<\/p>\n The stated objective of Pal\u00e4stina e.V. is the \u201cliberation of all of historical Palestine from Zionist occupation, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.\u201d The association\u2019s statutes state that it is to be \u201cin solidarity with all forms of Palestinian resistance,” including that of Hamas.<\/p>\n A leading member of the group described Hamas’s actions as \u201ca successful act of resistance\u201d and stated: \u201cThere is no Hamas terrorism. There is also no terrorism by the PFLP<\/a> (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine). Armed resistance is not terrorism.\u201d<\/p>\n Members of Pal\u00e4stina e.V. repeatedly also used slogans like \u201cPalestine has the right to defend itself, including with stones and guns\u201d and \u201cPalestine has shown that it can liberate itself; it blew up its prison – now it is our task to stand alongside our brothers and sisters and bring their struggle onto the streets.”<\/p>\n Ban important in light of increased hate crimes, interior minister says<\/p>\n The ban mandates the dissolution of the group’s organizational structures and the seizure of its assets.<\/p>\n Poseck acknowledged the importance of the ban in light of the increase in antisemitic hate crimes in his state. The number of antisemitic crimes in Hesse increased again in 2025, from 357 cases in 2024 to 374. The Hesse office of the Research and Information Center for Antisemitism (RIAS) also recorded a new high of 1,099 incidents last year.<\/p>\n He said associations such as Pal\u00e4stina e.V. “contribute to this worrying development through their hatred of Jews.”<\/p>\n