German ambassador attacked by Palestinian mob during Ramallah visit

German Representative to the Palestinian Authority Oliver Owcza was heckled and his vehicle was attacked by students during his visit to Birzeit University near Ramallah in the West Bank on Tuesday.

Social media clips showed him walking quickly to his car as protesters followed him.

Shots also showed how a mob surrounded the vehicle, threw objects at it, kicked it and broke off a side mirror to show their anger at Germany’s support for Israel in the war against Hamas.

Owcza was one of a group of envoys who were attacked at the meeting of European Union heads of missions to the PA at the National Museum.

Statement by the German representative

Before the incident, Palestinian students called on Facebook calling for a protest against the presence of the German representative over his country’s support for Israel in the war.

Palestinian students disrupted the EU meeting and attacked a number of envoys’ vehicles with stones, smashing the back window of one, witnesses said.

One diplomat present told Reuters they were in a meeting when a crowd appeared outside telling them to leave and, after attempts at dialog were unsuccessful, the diplomats left. The experience was unpleasant, but there was no serious threat to any of them, he said.

Amr Kayed, a student from Birzeit University, said they forced the EU diplomats to leave to send a message that “anyone complicit in genocide and the offensive on Gaza” was not welcome.

Owcza downplayed the incident in a post on X, stating, “Peaceful protest [and] dialogue always has its place. We regret that today’s meeting of EU Heads of Missions at the National Museum in Birzeit was unduly interrupted by protesters.”