German police are investigating the stoning of a Jewish dance group trying to perform on the street in the city of Hanover. Youths reportedly shouted "Juden Raus" (Jews Out) as they attacked the dancers of the Chaverim ("Friends" in Hebrew) dance troupe last weekend. Police said several Muslim immigrant youths were among the attackers and two youths were being questioned. A German Jewish leader said she feared growing anti-Israeli sentiment.
'So awful'
The group was trying to perform in Hanover's Sahlkamp district, which has a large immigrant community. One of the dancers was injured in the leg and the troupe cancelled the performance after the attack. Police said one German suspect aged 14 and a 19-year-old of North African origin were being questioned. Alla Volodarska, of the Progressive Jewish community of Hanover, told Associated Press news agency she had spoken to the dancers involved. "What happened is just so awful. The teenagers started throwing stones the moment our dance group was announced, even before they started dancing." Charlotte Knobloch, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, told the Die Welt newspaper that anti-Semitic feelings were widespread in both far-right and Muslim communities in the country. "It particularly saddens me that those anti-Semitic views can already be seen with such vehemence among children and youths," she said.
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