Merkel condemns synagogue attacks - spokesman

Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned attacks on synagogues and other Jewish cultural institutions in Germany, her spokesman said on Friday.

German police on Wednesday detained more than a dozen men in three cities suspected of damaging a synagogue, burning Israeli flags and starting a fire at a Jewish memorial site, with authorities warning there could be further protests over the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza. 

"Our democracy cannot tolerate such displays of anti-Semitism," government spokesman Steffen Seibert said, adding that Israel enjoyed the German government's full solidarity.

Earlier on Friday, Israel's Ambassador in Berlin, Jeremy Issacharoff, called on Germany to protect the Jewish community.

"The conflict in the Middle East has nothing to do with the Jewish community here. I would urge the German authorities to do all they can to ensure the safety of the community," he told broadcaster ARD.