A man wears a kippah at a May 2021 “No to Antisemitism” demonstration outside the synagogue in the German city of Gelsenkirchen. Photo: Reuters/Fabian Strauch/dpa

A 20-year-old woman who participated in an antisemitic demonstration in Germany during the May 2021 war between Israel and Hamas has been convicted for hate speech.

The woman, named in the German press as Rabije B., took part in a demonstration on May 12 in the western city of Gelsenkirchen that became emblematic of the antisemitic invective heard at “Free Palestine” demonstrations in Germany and around the world.

Dozens of demonstrators waving Palestinian and Turkish flags launched into a loud, rhythmic chant of “Scheiß Jude! Scheiß Jude! Scheiß Jude!” (“Shitty Jew”) as they rallied outside a synagogue.

Footage of the demonstration on social media that was shared by the Central Council of Jews in Germany showed a crowd of nearly 200 protestors facing off with police as they shouted antisemitic slogans.

“The time in which Jews could be insulted in the street should have past long ago,” the Council commented. “This is pure antisemitism, nothing else!”

Passing sentence on Rabije B. on Wednesday, Judge Elke Winter noted that the defendant had been born in Germany to an immigrant family from Kosovo. She said that the defendant had been raised to be tolerant and had performed well at school. However, she cast doubt on the young woman’s claim that she had fallen into the demonstration because of peer pressure and had not understood the antisemitic nature of the gathering.

“If you wanted to demonstrate against Israel, you would have stood outside the Israeli embassy, and not in front of a synagogue,” Judge Winter told her. “You knew what this demonstration was about.”

The defendant was sentenced to a week in a juvenile detention facility and a fine of 500 euros to be paid to the local Jewish community.