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Why is this code throwing a ConcurrentModificationException?

Below is the code, I am getting a ConcurrentModificationException in the subiter.next() call even though I am not modifying the underlying collection and its running as a single thread.
Tree tree=partition.getTreeofThisPartition();
Set<DzExpressionHostTupel> oldSubtupels=tree.getSubscribers();
Iterator<DzExpressionHostTupel> subiter=oldSubtupels.iterator();
while (subiter.hasNext()){
DzExpressionHostTupel subtupel=subiter.next();
tree.removeSubscriber(subtupel);
}

If you read https://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/util/ConcurrentModificationException.html, it says:
For example, it is not generally permissible for one thread to modify a Collection while another thread is iterating over it. In general, the results of the iteration are undefined under these circumstances. Some Iterator implementations (including those of all the general purpose collection implementations provided by the JRE) may choose to throw this exception if this behavior is detected. Iterators that do this are known as fail-fast iterators, as they fail quickly and cleanly, rather that risking arbitrary, non-deterministic behavior at an undetermined time in the future.
Note that this exception does not always indicate that an object has been concurrently modified by a different thread. If a single thread issues a sequence of method invocations that violates the contract of an object, the object may throw this exception. For example, if a thread modifies a collection directly while it is iterating over the collection with a fail-fast iterator, the iterator will throw this exception.
(emphasis added).
I'm guessing tree.removeSubscriber(subtupel); is modifying its subscribers set.

Whether there is ConcurrentModificationException or not in loop

I have a snippet code below. I have 2 threads A and B running at the same time.
List<String> listPeople = new ArrayList<>();
// Add more item
.....
Thread A
for (String item : listPeople) {
System.out.println("Name is: " + item.name);
}
Thread B
- add/remove item to list people
With this form of for loop, it loops via iterator of List. So Will it crash with the ConcurrentModificationException?

From the ConcurrentModificationException Javadoc:
Note that this exception does not always indicate that an object has been concurrently modified by a different thread. [...]
Note that fail-fast behavior cannot be guaranteed as it is, generally speaking, impossible to make any hard guarantees in the presence of unsynchronized concurrent modification. Fail-fast operations throw ConcurrentModificationException on a best-effort basis. Therefore, it would be wrong to write a program that depended on this exception for its correctness: ConcurrentModificationException should be used only to detect bugs.

Reason for ConcurrentModificationException on ArrayLists iterator.next()

I have no idea why a ConcurrentModificationException occurs when i iterate over an ArrayList. The ArrayList is methode scoped, so it should not be visible by other threads which execute the same code. At least if i understodd multi threading and variable scopes correctly.
Caused by: java.util.ConcurrentModificationException
at java.util.AbstractList$SimpleListIterator.next(AbstractList.java:64)
at com....StrategyHandler.applyStrategy(StrategyHandler.java:184)
private List<Order> applyStrategy(StorageObjectTree storageObjectTree) {
...
List<OrderHeader> finalList = new ArrayList<Order>();
for (StorageObject storageObject : storageObjectTree.getStorageObjects()) {
List<Order> currentOrders = strategy.process(storageObject);
...
if (currentOrders != null) {
Iterator<Order> iterator = currentOrders.iterator();
while (iterator.hasNext()) {
Order order = (Order) iterator.next(); // line 64
// read some values from order
}
finalList.addAll(currentOrders);
}
}
return finalList;
}
Can anybody give me an hint what could be the source of the problem?

If You have read the Java Doc for ConcurrentModifcationException :
It clearly states the condition in which it occurs:
This exception may be thrown by methods that have detected concurrent
modification of an object when such modification is not permissible.
For example, it is not generally permissible for one thread to modify
a Collection while another thread is iterating over it. In general,
the results of the iteration are undefined under these circumstances.
Some Iterator implementations (including those of all the general
purpose collection implementations provided by the JRE) may choose to
throw this exception if this behavior is detected. Iterators that do
this are known as fail-fast iterators, as they fail quickly and
cleanly, rather that risking arbitrary, non-deterministic behavior at
an undetermined time in the future.
Note that this exception does not always indicate that an object has
been concurrently modified by a different thread. If a single thread
issues a sequence of method invocations that violates the contract of
an object, the object may throw this exception. For example, if a
thread modifies a collection directly while it is iterating over the
collection with a fail-fast iterator, the iterator will throw this
exception.
Note that fail-fast behavior cannot be guaranteed as it is, generally
speaking, impossible to make any hard guarantees in the presence of
unsynchronized concurrent modification. Fail-fast operations throw
ConcurrentModificationException on a best-effort basis. Therefore, it
would be wrong to write a program that depended on this exception for
its correctness: ConcurrentModificationException should be used only
to detect bugs.
In your case as you said, you do not have multiple threads accessing this list. it might still be possible as per second paragraph above if your single thread that is reading from iterator might be trying to write to it as well.
Hope this helps.

This exception occurred when you changing/adding/removing values from your list and in the same time you are iterating it. And if you use many threads at the same time...
Try to surround your if by synchronized(currentOrders) { /* YOUR LAST CODE */ }.
I'm not sure of this but try it.

Depending on the implementation of strategy.process(..) it could be that this implementation has still a reference to the List it passed back as a result. If there are multiple Threads involved in this implementation it might be possible that the List is modified by one of these threads even after it is passed back as a result.
(If you know the "Future" pattern, you could perhaps imagine an implementation where a method immediately returns an empty List and adds the actual results later using another Thread)
You could try to create a new ArrayList "around" the result list and iterate over this copied list.

You might want to read this SO post. Basically switch and use CopyOnWriteArrayList if you can't see where the problem is coming from.

How to deal with ConcurrentModificationException

I am getting the a ConcurrentModificationException from my cooldown timer. I use a thread to reduce the values every second like this:
public class CoolDownTimer implements Runnable {
#Override
public void run() {
for (String s : playerCooldowns.keySet()) {
playerCooldowns.put(s, playerCooldowns.get(s) - 20);
if (playerCooldowns.get(s) <= 0) {
playerCooldowns.remove(s);
}
}
}
}
So every second it should reduce every players cooldown by 20, but the problem is that I a getting the CME every couple hours while running the program, especially when lots of people are online. How do I make it so that if it is still modifying the list, it will wait until the current operation is done and create a sort of modification queue? Thanks! Here is the stack trace:
2012-06-18 20:59:05 [WARNING] Task of 'SurvivorsClasses' generated an exception
java.util.ConcurrentModificationException
at java.util.HashMap$HashIterator.nextEntry(HashMap.java:839)
at java.util.HashMap$KeyIterator.next(HashMap.java:874)
at me.zachoooo.survivorclasses.CoolDownManager$CoolDownTimer.run(CoolDownManager.java:13)
at org.bukkit.craftbukkit.scheduler.CraftScheduler.mainThreadHeartbeat(CraftScheduler.java:126)
at net.minecraft.server.MinecraftServer.w(MinecraftServer.java:533)
at net.minecraft.server.MinecraftServer.run(MinecraftServer.java:459)
Line 13 is the start of the for loop...

You can't modify collections when using a foreach loop.
You can however iterate over the Map.entrySet() and do everything you need:
public void run() {
for (Iterator<Map.Entry<String,Integer>> i = playerCooldowns.entrySet().iterator(); i.hasNext();) {
Map.Entry<String,Integer> entry = i.next();
entry.setValue(entry.getValue() - 20); // update via the Map.Entry
if (entry.getValue() <= 0) {
i.remove(); // remove via the iterator
}
}
}

A ConcurrentModificationException is thrown while you try to modify the contents of your Collection, at the same time while Iterating through it.
Read this and this for more discussion on it.
The reason why sometimes it might work out for you is clearly mentioned in the documentation.
The iterators returned by all of this class's "collection view methods" are fail-fast: if
the map is structurally modified at any time after the iterator is created, in any way
except through the iterator's own remove method, the iterator will throw a
ConcurrentModificationException. Thus, in the face of concurrent modification, the
iterator fails quickly and cleanly, rather than risking arbitrary, non-deterministic
behavior at an undetermined time in the future.
Note that the fail-fast behavior of an iterator cannot be guaranteed as it is, generally
speaking, impossible to make any hard guarantees in the presence of unsynchronized
concurrent modification. Fail-fast iterators throw ConcurrentModificationException on a
best-effort basis.

Unlike Array, Collections are Checked only during the Compilation time, NOT during the run time, thats the reason you cannot modify the Collection like put() or remove() in the loop.

Iterator Concurrent Modifiction Exception

This code will throw Concurrent Modification Exception if the list is modified in doSomething(). Is it possible to avoid it by enclosing the code in some synchronized block?
List l = Collections.synchronizedList(new ArrayList());
// normal iteration -- can throw ConcurrentModificationException
// may require external synchronization
for (Iterator i=list.iterator(); i.hasNext(); ) {
doSomething(i.next());
}

if you are removing an item from the list, you can do it by calling iterator.remove() instead of list.remove(iterator.next())
if you are adding an item - well, create a copy of the iterated list and add it there
if the code snippet above is part of the same method, then you don't need a synchronized list or synchronized blocks - no other thread can access the local list.

You can modify a Collection while iterating over it if you do so through the Iterator interface. You can use Iterator.remove() to remove elements.

You cannot modify it while you are iterating over it. Synchronizing won't help here.
EDIT : I forgot iterator does have the remove method. So it is possible to remove.

I agree with others about Iterator and remove().
About synchronization, I wanted to add that synchronization is designed to control interactions between different threads.
It is typical for an object to have several methods synchronized, and that one would call another. So the language designers decided that the same thread would not be blocked by himself on a synchronized.
Also, thinking about it, it a thread is blocked waiting for himself, you have a magnificent starvation perspective! ;-)
So this answers one of your questions: it is not possible to avoid the problem by synchronizing your code.

Use CopyOnWriteArrayList instead of synchronized Array List

List l = Collections.synchronizedList(new ArrayList());
synchronized(l) {
// normal iteration -- can throw ConcurrentModificationException
// may require external synchronization
for (Iterator i=list.iterator(); i.hasNext(); ) {
doSomething(i.next());
}
}