According to a report in the "Bild" newspaper, the Berlin police are investigating Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas because of his statement at a press conference in the Federal Chancellery that Israel had committed "50 holocausts" against Palestinians since 1947 of the initial suspicion of incitement to hatred, said a spokeswoman for the Berlin police according to "Bild".
According to "Bild", the Federal Foreign Office assumes that Abbas enjoys immunity from prosecution because he was in Germany as part of an "official visit".
According to the criminal law professor Michael Kubiciel quoted by the newspaper, this assessment is disputed.
Abbas can only enjoy immunity if he was in Germany “as a representative of another state”.
The question "whether Palestine is a state or not" is therefore "of crucial importance" in this matter.
Germany has not yet recognized Palestine as a state, but maintains diplomatic relations with the Palestinian territories.
After a meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in the Chancellery, Abbas told journalists on Tuesday that Israel had committed "50 massacres, 50 holocausts" on Palestinians since 1947. Scholz made no further comments and shook Abbas' hand in farewell. Later the Chancellor then condemned the statements made by the Palestinian President.