By Isi Leibler
In the aftermath of the Holocaust, successive German governments have meticulously upheld their obligations to the Jewish people. Study of the Holocaust is a mandatory component of the German state education curriculum, Holocaust denial is classified as a crime and restitution commitments were honored and even exceeded.
Chancellor Angela Merkel is a genuine friend of the Jews and despite intense political pressures and occasional minor vacillations, has consistently supported Israel, describing its security as “part of my country’s raison d’etre.” However in recent years, as in other European countries, German public opinion has turned against Israel, perceiving it as the principal threat to global stability and peace. This hostility has increasingly assumed overt anti-Semitic tones.
There is growing resentment against Jews, who are blamed for imposing excessive emphasis on collective German national guilt for the Holocaust.
Anti-Jewish hostility is often expressed in the more “politically respectable” demonization of the Jewish nation state, allegedly not related to anti-Semitism, although the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) explicitly defines such behavior as anti-Semitic.
The German Left has accused Israel of war crimes, occupation and racism and also engages in inverse Holocaust imagery, enthusiastically condemning Israel for allegedly behaving toward the Palestinians as its Nazi forebears did to the Jews.
When reproached for engaging in anti-Semitism, the Left condemns the “global Zionist propaganda machine” for seeking to deny Germans the right to criticize Israeli government policies.
These trends are fortified by the sizable Islamic migrant community — now numbering over four million — which aggressively agitates against Israel, utilizing obscene placards at demonstrations and chanting “gas the Jews” or “death to the Jews.” Muslims are at the forefront of violence directed at identifiable Jews in urban areas, especially in Berlin, where some Jewish community leaders are now advising Jews not to wear kippot in public.
Yet the government has welcomed the immigration of almost 200,000 former Soviet Jews and invested major funds in resurrecting a vigorous Jewish community and in fostering Jewish education.
Despite receiving state subsidies, the Jewish leadership displays its independence and frequently speaks out if it feels that the government is not fulfilling its obligations to the Jewish community or not being evenhanded toward Israel.
However, the intensification of extreme anti-Israeli hostility, combined with a recent spate of disconcerting incidents, has created angst within the Jewish community.
Last year, there was a traumatic national debate which assumed ugly anti-Semitic overtones after a judgment in Cologne ruled that male circumcision causes “bodily harm” and declared the practice illegal. The matter was only resolved following the direct intervention of Chancellor Merkel who initiated the passage of legislation legalizing circumcision.
In April 2012, in a provocative outburst, 84 year old Nobel Prize laureate Gunter Grass bitterly accused the Israeli government of seeking to obliterate the Iranian population. He warned that the Jewish state, which he considers “insane and unscrupulous,” represents the principal obstacle to peace in the region and called on his government to cancel delivery to Israel of the last German Dolphin submarine.
Despite being discredited for having initially concealed that he had served as a member of the Nazi Waffen SS, Grass’s vicious attack on Israel, while condemned by numerous politicians and journalists, was enthusiastically endorsed by many Germans.
Shortly after that incident, the state-sponsored Berlin Jewish Museum invited Judith Butler, a notorious Jewish promoter of BDS against Israel, as a guest lecturer. Butler received enthusiastic applause from the 700-strong audience when, purporting to act in accordance with the highest Jewish moral values, she renewed calls to boycott Israel and “abolish political Zionism” in order to create a bi-national Palestinian state.
To provide a platform for such an outspoken anti-Israeli activist at a state-sponsored Jewish Museum in Berlin is surely obscene, but not unprecedented. Former Israeli communist Felicia Langer lives in Germany where she condemns the German government for supporting Israel, constantly equates Israelis with Nazis, calls for Israeli leaders to be tried as war criminals, describes Israel as an apartheid regime and even praises Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In Aug. 2009, German President Horst Kohler, who four years earlier had addressed the Knesset, shocked the Jewish community by honoring Langer with the Federal Cross of Merit, Germany’s most prestigious award.
In 2010, despite protests from the Israeli Embassy, Frankfurt’s Mayor Petra Roth invited Alfred Grosser, a German-born Jew known to be frenziedly hostile to Israel, to give the annual Kristallnacht oration at the city’s St. Paul’s Church. He used the occasion to draw parallels between the behavior of Israelis and Nazis and was lauded by the media.
Another ongoing scandal prevails at the German Center on anti-Semitism in Berlin, considered the most important German institute engaged with the subject. Until last year it was headed by Professor Wolfgang Benz, who received his PhD from Professor Karl Bosl, a former Nazi stormtrooper who maintains an ongoing association with right wing extremist groups. To this day, Benz continues defending his mentor.
Benz equates Islamophobia with anti-Semitism, alleging that critics of Islamic practice are reminiscent of Nazi anti-Semites attacking the Talmud. He recently challenged that the Muslim terrorist murders in Toulouse had an “anti-Semitic dimension.” He dismisses concerns about the Muslim Brotherhood as being reminiscent of anti-Semitic phobias like the Protocols of the Elders of Zion and bizarrely complains that drawing attention to the fact that Muslims comprise 70 percent of Berlin prison inmates is comparable to Hitler’s ravings over “the fact that 89% of Berlin pediatricians in the 1930s were Jews.”
The Center focuses on right-wing extremism and largely ignores or understates left-wing and Islamic anti-Semitism. Yet, despite protests, no effort has been made to redirect the activities of this government funded institute.
The most recent upheaval erupted in response to a list compiled by the U.S.-based Simon Wiesenthal Center, purporting to identify the ten worst anti-Semitic statements of 2012. It included Ahmadinejad, the Muslim Brotherhood, Nation of Islam founder, Louis Farrakhan and European anti-Semites. Ninth on the list was Jakob Augstein, publisher of the magazine Der Freitag, who also provides columns to Der Spiegel, Germany’s leading weekly, founded by his father.
I have an aversion to simplistic lists prioritizing bigots and having reviewed some of Augstein’s outbursts, I consider that bracketing him with Ahmadinejad or Farrakhan absurdly magnifies his standing and impact. But nevertheless, his outbursts, by any benchmark, warrant describing him as an anti-Semite.
Augstein alleged that when “Jerusalem calls, Berlin bows its will”; that U.S. presidents were obliged to “secure the support of Jewish lobby groups”; that American Republicans and the Israeli government profited from violence in Libya, Sudan and Yemen; that “the Netanyahu government keeps the world on a leash with an ever-swelling war chant”; that “Israel incubates its opponents in Gaza”; that the recent Prophet Muhammad video that provoked worldwide riots was initiated by Israel; that ultra-Orthodox Jews are like Islamic fundamentalist terrorists who “follow the law of revenge.”
Even the broadest interpretation of the OSCE definition would qualify such demonization of Israel and allusions to Jewish global power as anti-Semitic.
In response, Augstein shamelessly claimed that being opposed to Jew hatred and “deeply respecting” the Simon Wiesenthal Center, he was distressed to be defamed as an anti-Semite.
Prominent German Jewish writer and commentator Henryk Broder was sufficiently outraged to describe Augstein as “a pure anti-Semite … who only missed the opportunity to make his career with the Gestapo because he was born after the war.”
President of the Jewish Central Council of Jews Dieter Graumann, while condemning Augstein’s “horrible, hideous” articles on Israel, criticized his placement on such a list. His vice president, Salomon Korn, went further and foolishly defended Augstein against charges of anti-Semitism.
Juliane Wetzel from the German Center on anti-Semitism was amongst those who rejected suggestions that Augstein was disseminating hatred of Jews. Overall, the bulk of the German media, as well as both leftist and CDU politicians, defended him, insisting that he was merely expressing legitimate criticism of Israel.
It was significant that in 2010, two Bundestag leftist representatives were aboard the Turkish Marvi Marmara and that for the first time, the Left and the Right united in parliament to carry a unanimous resolution censuring Israel for the Gaza flotilla episode. This in itself may not represent anti-Semitism, but reflects the atmosphere of increasing hostility against Israel which would have been inconceivable in Germany only a few years ago.
For Jews, the positive side of Germany is the evident abundance of pro-Israeli and even philo-Semitic rank-and-file Germans in all walks of life. Yet, simultaneously the intensifying efforts by left-wing activists uniting with Muslim extremists and occasionally even Nazis, to demonize Israel and promote anti-Semitism, provide valid grounds for concern about a future for Jews in Germany.
The situation is likely to further deteriorate drastically after the culmination of Angela Merkel’s term as chancellor.
@ yamit82:
Its because Jewish Woman are so beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
yamit82 Said:
Ur last paragraph makes my point.
They come with a multitude of excuses to hate us! At the core it is jealousy because we are different and refuse to “give in”.
Comment was zapped by spammer??? What Now?
steven l Said:
Jealousy may apply to some but not others. For much if not most of historical antisemitic attitudes towards Jews there seems to be no reason for jealousy. The Jews of 17th- 20th century Poland and Russia were dirt poor, had no influence and yet they were hated. Assimilated German Jews, Eastern European Jewish paupers, and cosmopolitan socialist Jews are all hated and murdered on occasion. Traits like visible wealth, exploitation, and misanthropy play a role in the development of hatred, but they are neither necessary nor sufficient. Poor, non-exploitative, and outgoing Gypsies are universally detested. Wealthy Swiss and swaggering French are universally respected. The difference in the treatment of Jews under pagan, Christian, and Muslim rule provides a clue as to the source of anti-Semitism.
Ancient Greek sources are somewhat respectful of Jews, while most Roman authors deride us. Both Greeks and Romans were religiously tolerant polytheists. Both staked their culture above others. Rome, unlike Greece, had an imperial ideology of totalitarian strength and cultural messianism. That mix, characteristic of Russia, now permeates the United States.
Common enemies cement nations unity and the same for religions. Jews were to be found everywhere and not threatening so thy were easy targets and victims, especially in the Christian world. Jews never originally settled where hey were unwelcome but only those lands that were welcoming to them. What happened later happened but not due primarily to Jealousy.
Antisemitism is “”quasi”” genetically inherited. It is also easily transmitted.
The promotion of the culture of ignorance/brain washing of history plays against the Jews as well as perceived self-interest. This has one major exception: the knowledgeable antisemitic Jews. Here comes the “guilt factor”. Then we have the universalist Jew who wishes to eradicate the “universe” and replace it by “universal equality”! Some consider this utopic!!!! I think this is MADNESS.
I hate to repeat myself but “Jealousy” is a major factor in the hate for the Jews. A fundamental flaw in the human construct! Even animals do not hate Jews!!!!!!(Including apes & pigs).
No amount of education/reeducation can change a jealous individual.
yamit82 Said:
Perhaps the problem is that they are separated by ideology and need to unite over their condition: go beyond ideology. If they are in Yesha dont they want to remain there? Uniting with others who wish to settle there and/or remain there should be a non ideological commonality similar to wanting to stay alive and survive the european holocaust. Jews always differ in ideologies.
yamit82 Said:
Are these anti zionist Haredi, are they inside the fence or outside? do these Haredi unite with other Jews or do they consider them to be gentiles unworthy of unity?
yamit82 Said:
Isn’t their presence in Yesha a commonality? why don’t they form associatons outside the govt based on the commonality that they wish to remain in Yesha? If their ideologies divide them and prevent them from unity then their problem is greater than funding.
yamit82 Said:
It sounds to me that it is not the fence or the funding that divides the jews as much as self-interest. the Jews of Yesha should not compete with each other but should unite. withou unity fuggeddaboutit. Jews have seen divided by oceans but could unite. Jews have raised funds from other jews without being dependent on govt in the past.
It has always blown my mind as to why so many are against Israel. My husband and I visited Israel a number of years ago, and I couldn’t stop crying. After all, that is the land where my Savior was born. I (obviously) am not a writer, but I pray for the Peace of Jerusalem very often. I would love to visit again, but my husband and I are edging up towards 80 years of age, and money is also a problem. I just can’t understand why so many are against this little country. We all need to understand that we will stand before God Almighty and have to give an account to Him. May God Almighty keep His hand on Israel. This is my prayer.
Eric R. Said:
That’s the rationalization that Jews who have no intention of making Aliyah always make. That argument or excuse presupposes that Jews exist to exist with no higher purpose. One could make a counter argument that had the Jews immigrated to Palestine in mass earlier in history most of the travails of the Jews and especially the holocaust would not have occurred. Our borders would extend eastward to Iraq and southward to the Suez, none today would be talking about nuking the Jews but the other way around.
The Jews of Europe for the most part turned their back on the nationalist aspect of being Jewish making Judaism a copycat religion to christianity and they turned their collective backs to the Land of Israel. Of the over 50,000 German Jews who made it to Palestine before the White Paper, none died at the hands of the Nazis. Rommel was stopped short of Palestine and the Germans never made it to tranquil Palestine.
The above is quite beside the point, Jews should live in Israel for only one reason. G-d told us to.
Lech lecha, “Hashem said to Abram, “Go for yourself from your land, from your relatives, and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation; I will bless you, and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and all the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you.” (Gen. 12:1-3)”
Passover is approaching, do you believe G-d freed the Jews so they could live anywhere else but the Land of Israel? Jews need to understand our greatness. We are not like all the nations. Being like all the nations means fearing their power more than fear of The G-d of Israel. A Jew who fears G-d fears no mortal.
UPDATE – There were 42,500 Nazi concentration camps – not 7,000 as previously believed.
Full shocking scale of the Holocaust revealed as researchers find Nazis created 42,500 camps and ghettos to persecute the Jews across Europe
Researchers at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum have been documenting all of the Nazi concentration camps, ghettos, slave labour sites and killing factories which had been set up across Europe. When they first started the project, the team expected to find about 7,000 camps and ghettos. Shockingly, they discovered 42,500 camps across large swathes of German-controlled Europe. The researchers predict that up to 20 million people died or were imprisoned in the sites. – http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2287071/Full-shocking-scale-Holocaust-revealed-researchers-Nazis-created-42-500-camps-ghettos-persecute-Jews-Europe.html
@ yamit82:
Thank you, Yamit, for the clarification.
Settler’s diversity – They should realize it’s only superficial. They are all on the same boat. If partition takes place, those within the separation fence will have to uproot themselves anyway due to terror by “rogue factions,” which will commence their work as soon as the IDF surrenders to Nazi Arabs.
Govt manipulation through money prevents unity. ~~~ To start with, those communities most vulnerable to the bulldozer could form a democratic and independent association. They don’t need a lot of members to do this, or tons of money. They could rent or borrow an office, ask for donated furniture, laptops, and supplies, and voila’. Where there’s a will there’s a way. Success builds on success. And so on. ~~~ As long as they keep their message focused and clear and act within the law, they could at least use the experience as a learning phase towards something bigger – and to inspire others. You say that principles precede movement. Sometimes people don’t know what they believe in or what is possible until someone points it out to them. They could become “The democratic voice of Yesha” – the one that foreign supporters never hear.
The Jewish people has been snookered for decaades abit many “ishuvniks” actions and reasons to so do.
From the “partition” decision, to the Ben Gurion arrangement with Konrad Adenauer, to the Oslo disgrace, the attemted “Geneva agreements”, etc, to the recend Peres declaration in his usua; bambastic tones that there is no anti-semitism in France, they falsified reality. Since 1974 onwards I visited Europe numerous times and in depth.
My last visit as invited participant to various technology exchange meetings, particularly in Germany and France. I drove to the German interior and many key cities such as Berlin, Frankfurt, Metz, Staufen, and then Paris, etc.
I reported to our group that the storm was brewing again there and that Jews that believed otherwise would find themselves trapped.
The rest is now clear.
@ yamit82:
I am the spawn of a “mixed marriage”, if it had been in my controll I might have change it,but,sadly, it was not! Although, that Viking blood has made the “piss ant” I am.
@ NormanF:
I was ,taught in Sat. school, to be nice, polite and sweet. Iam none these. I quite Sat school. Over the year I have observed that being accepted is often more to some Jews than G-d.
Gilie Shoshana Said:
The problem is that if all Jews live in one place, there really can be a total final solution to the Jewish problem, with a couple of Iranian nukes. Hitler gets his ultimate victory.
Even in the time of the Temple, most Jews lived outside Eretz Yisroel.
@ Canadian Otter:
The pre-state Jewish Agency led by BenGurion were all working essentially for the British who appointed them. These were never democratically elected representatives but British lackeys who paid their salaries and expenses.
The Yesha Council are also appointed by the Israeli government and even when in the last few years they supposedly did have elections those who ran were Yesha and Likud party hacks.
Until such an opposition group can get equal funding as those on the government payroll which includes most rabbis and all educational and cultural institutions and services, their is not much you can do.
The power of the council is they are funded and allocate those funds. The funds come mostly through the various government ministries.
That’s how the government is always in control. That’s why known Jewish traitors are still openly in their positions.
I say principles precede movements and the Jews of Yesha are diverse and not unified behind any ideology. Even the Land of Israel and settlements.
The fence split the settlers between those who believe they are safe (Those inside the fence) and those outside who will be given up to the enemy in any agreement. There are non observant settlers who went for cheap housing and quality of life style to ideological and religious settlers and settlements. There are large growing Haredi (Black Hat) towns as well.
The commonality between all of these settlers and communities is that they are all dependent on the Israeli government.
It’s the money or funding that gives the government the power, no group not funded or severely underfunded can complete or do much without money. That’s why I ave always been against the fence. It divides not just Arab from Jew but Jew from Jew and not just physically.
So true there is nowhere safe for us outside of Israel. The anti semitism, hopefully will chase many more to come home!!! Well said Yamit.
@ yamit82:
YESHA COUNCIL IN GERMANY TO BEG (yes, to beg!) FOR RECOGNITION FROM GERMAN GOVERNMENT! IT MAKES ME CRINGE IN DISGUST! ~~~~~ “A delegation from the Samaria (Shomron) Regional Council, headed by Deputy Chairman Yossi Dagan, went to Berlin this week to meet with members of the German parliament and other leaders as part of the fight against delegitimization efforts against Jews in Samaria and Judea. The delegation members gave her a letter from the head of the Shomron Regional Council, Gershon Mesika, to relay to Chancellor Merkel. The letter outlined the activities of radical groups funded by European governments, which create provocations in the field and try to bring about a boycott of Jewish enterprises in the area.” http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/165777
Aside from the degradation of begging the German government for recognition of Jews living in their ancestral land of Judea and Samaria – the ones they, the Germans, failed to murder – the real target for the Yesha Council grievances should be the Israeli government that allows anti-Jewish NGOs to operate freely all over the country. ~~~~~ Again – another statement of the obvious: Yesha residents need to form their own independent organization, one that will reflect their voices and their interests.
yamit82 Said:
Jews who live in Germany… I quite could never wrap my head around it. When it comes to self-flagellation, the Jews are world champions.
yamit82 Said:
I have longed maintained that the USA nuked the wrong country in World War II.
Let’s call a spade. Much of the official German support for Israel like subsidizing The 6 dolphin subs built for Israel was at least in part motivated to keep Israel quiet over the Billions Germany sold to Iran.
There is nothing the Germans can do, say or pay for, that can whitewash or absolve them from their collective responsibility to the Jewish People.
I am embarrassed that some sniveling old Jews like Leibler think and even expect Germans to behave differently. They don’t and they won’t. Our chance for national retribution has passed us by and we will continue to pay a high price for not exacting that price when we had the chance and opportunity to do so.
Ultimately there is no future for Jews anywhere except Israel and time is running out.
I would shed not a single tear were Germany to disappear under some Mushroom Clouds