The German ambassador to the Palestinian Authority has been hounded by an angry mob and forced to flee during a visit to Birzeit University in the West Bank. Media reports suggest students targeted the diplomat because of his country’s support for Israel in the war against Hamas.
Video footage of the incident posted on social media shows Ambassador Oliver Owcza walking quickly to his vehicle as protestors follow and heckle him on Tuesday. Another clip shows a mob surrounding Owcza’s sport-utility vehicle, kicking it, ripping off a side mirror and throwing objects as it drives away.
Owcza was among a group of European envoys who were “attacked” while attending a meeting at the Palestinian National Museum, located on the Birzeit University campus north of Ramallah, according to the Jerusalem Post. Several of the ambassadors’ vehicles were damaged, including at least one that had the back window broken out.
One diplomat told Reuters that a crowd appeared outside the meeting, demanding that the envoys leave. He said attempts at speaking with the protestors were unsuccessful, and the visitors had to flee. No one was injured or seriously threatened, he added.