A group of students at Birzeit University in the West Bank attacked German Ambassador to the Palestinian Authority Oliver Owcza on Tuesday. The students were furious about Germany’s support for Israel and chased Owcza off campus, surrounded his vehicle, and pelted it with rocks.
Owcza was visiting the university for a meeting of European Union (EU) diplomats at the Palestinian Museum, located near Ramallah. The students harassed all the EU heads of mission until they left the campus, protesting against their positions on the situation in Gaza.
The mob focused their anger on Owcza, chanting for him to leave and attacking his vehicle. German Ambassador to Israel Steffen Seibert was also targeted by students, who threw their shoes at him and broke the windshield of his car as he drove away from the museum.
The Palestinian Museum distanced itself from the mob’s actions and the presence of the EU diplomats, stating they did not invite them and would have refused if they had known. The German government has not released a statement, but Owcza responded to the attack on social media, expressing regret that the meeting had been disrupted and reaffirming commitment to working with Palestinian partners.
The students’ anger may have been fueled by news that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled against ordering Germany to stop sending weapons and assistance to Israel, dismissing claims of supporting genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Germany asserted its commitment to a two-state solution and being a significant donor of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.
