Germany has revoked the citizenship of a Palestinian man who publicly praised Hamas just one day after receiving his German passport , a rare and politically charged move that underscores Berlin’s zero-tolerance policy toward expressions of support for the militant group.
The man, identified only as Abdallah, had recently completed his naturalisation process and celebrated being granted German citizenship. But within 24 hours, he posted an image on Instagram depicting Hamas fighters alongside the caption “heroes of Palestine.”
According to the German newspaper Bild, the post prompted swift action from authorities. Abdallah soon received an official letter from the Federal Interior Ministry informing him that his newly issued citizenship had been revoked.
Berlin takes hard line on Hamas sympathies
Germany has gone further than most European countries in punishing expressions of support for Hamas and in curbing pro-Palestinian demonstrations, citing its historic responsibility to protect Jewish life and its moral obligation to Israel following the Holocaust.
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In 2024, Germany introduced tougher citizenship laws requiring applicants to demonstrate loyalty to the country’s free-democratic order and to affirm Germany’s “special historical responsibility” toward the Jewish people.
The updated citizenship test now includes questions about Jewish life in Germany and Israel’s right to exist. In several eastern states, applicants must even sign a written declaration affirming Israel’s right to exist as a “refuge for all people of Jewish faith.”
Authorities in Saxony-Anhalt confirmed that at least ten applicants were denied citizenship last year after failing to complete this section of the form.
While Germany has previously denied citizenship applications on political or ideological grounds, Abdallah’s case is one of the first known instances where citizenship has been stripped after being granted.
It remains unclear whether Abdallah will face deportation, as Germany does not recognise Palestine as a state, raising complex legal questions about his status and destination.
Legal experts said the decision highlights the tension between Germany’s constitutional protections for freedom of expression and its broader efforts to combat antisemitism and extremist propaganda.
Historical and political backdrop
Germany is among Israel’s strongest allies in Europe and one of its largest arms suppliers, accounting for roughly one-third of Israel’s weapons imports. Berlin has also blocked EU sanctions on Israel, despite mounting criticism over civilian casualties in Gaza.
Since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, the German government has maintained that its support for Israel is a “Staatsräson” , a matter of national identity and moral duty.
However, Germany also hosts Europe’s largest Palestinian diaspora, leading to growing domestic tensions. Pro-Palestinian protests in Berlin and other cities have been met with heavy policing and accusations of overreach by human rights groups.
“We are concerned by videos and reports of excessive use of force by police against protesters at a Palestine solidarity demonstration in Berlin,” Amnesty International said in a statement last year, calling for an independent investigation into the police response.
The case of Abdallah illustrates the fine line German authorities are treading between safeguarding democratic values and policing political expression.
Supporters of the government’s stance argue that public endorsement of Hamas — designated a terrorist organisation by the EU — has no place in German public life.
Critics, however, warn that the state’s increasingly aggressive approach risks criminalising dissent and alienating parts of its immigrant population.
For Abdallah, whose celebration of citizenship turned into a legal nightmare within a day, Germany’s message is unambiguous: in the post–October 7 world, even symbolic support for Hamas carries the heaviest of consequences.
