Article author:
Associated Press
BERLIN (AP) — Berlin police have launched a preliminary investigation into Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas over comments this week about Israel committing a "50 Holocaust" against the Palestinian people.
Remarks at a press conference in Berlin alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz sparked outrage in Germany, Israel and other countries.
Police said Germany daily Bild reported on Friday that Abbas is being investigated for possible incitement to hatred after receiving formal criminal charges. Neglecting the Holocaust is a crime in Germany, but starting a preliminary investigation does not automatically mean a full investigation.
The German Foreign Ministry said Abbas would be exempt from prosecution because he was visiting the country on official business as a representative of the Palestinian authorities.
Germany does not recognize the Palestinian Territory as a sovereign state, Scholz reaffirmed Tuesday.
