Non-Jewish minorities drawn to Berlin anti-racism rally
Kurds, Syrian Christians and Africans protest against anti-Semitism, proclaim solidarity with Israel — and highlight their own struggles
BERLIN — A Jewish
community-organized rally protesting the recent surge of anti-Semitism
throughout Germany saw an eclectic 8,000-strong crowd at Berlin’s
Brandenburg Gate Sunday.
Among
the heterogeneous protesters at the rally, organized by the Central
Council of Jews in Germany, were non-German minorities including Syrian
Christians, Muslims, and Africans seeking recognition of their own
struggles at home and abroad.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel headlined the
event and unequivocally condemned the anti-Semitism that came to
characterize this summer’s demonstrations against Israel and its
offensive in Gaza. She said those who have used criticism of Israel to
veil their anti-Semitism have “abused our dear fundamental right to
freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.”
The theme of lurking anti-Semitism in
anti-Israelism was echoed by current Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit. He
also called on the government to ban the far right nationalist party NPD
(National Democratic Party of Germany).
Comments by Ron Lauder, the president of the World Jewish Congress, were greeted by roaring applause.
“Jews and non-Jews stand together as one
people to say ‘No!’ to intolerance, ‘No!’ to bigotry, and ‘No!’ to
anti-Semitism,’” said Lauder, speaking in both German and English.
Gabriel
Goldberg, a German Jewish leader based in Dusseldorf, came to the rally
under the auspices of the World Jewish Congress. (Micki Weinberg/The
Times of Israel)
Despite the prominent and high-level German
political and religious leaders who spoke at the rally, the fact that it
was organized by Germany’s Central Council of Jews irked some
attendees.
Gabriel Goldberg, a German Jewish leader based
in Dusseldorf, came to the rally under the auspices of the WJC, which
is having a conference in Berlin this week to discuss the rise in
anti-Semitism.
“It would have been better if the non-Jewish
community in Germany would have organized this rally, and not the Jewish
community — but so be it,” said Goldberg.
‘We are against hate’
Among the thousands of non-Jewish activists
who attended the rally was Nigerian immigrant Jeff Okaham, who spent the
night in the Essen Central Train Station to catch an early morning
train. He joined a group of fellow members of the Indigenous People of
Biafra organization to demonstrate at the rally. He stood with his
comrade Ifeanyi Ezeanyim and together the two held aloft a large flag
from the former Republic of Biafra, which received support from Israel
during its war against Nigeria.
Members
of the the Indigenous People of Biafra organization at the Berlin rally
against anti-Semitism, September 14, 2014. (Micki Weinberg/The Times of
Israel)
“We are here today because we want the world
to know about us. The British and Soviets killed 3.5 million people in
Biafra and the world was silent. We have solidarity with Israel as
Biafrans. [Nigerian Islamic fundamentalist group] Boko Haram is like
Hamas,” said Okaham.
Other persecuted minorities took the rally as
an opportunity to show their solidarity with the Jewish people — and
also bring attention to their own struggles.
A women who identified only as Julia said that
she was a refugee in her mid-twenties and had arrived in Berlin last
year from Damascus. She came to the rally with a group of other
Christian Syrians who held large Assyrian flags and posters calling for
an end to the persecution of Christians in the Middle East.
“We have a similar history to the Jews, to
what happened to them in Germany… We want to show our solidarity with
Israel because we have the same values: We are against hate. In Syria
many feel the same way, but cannot say what they feel,” she said.
Mulsim
Benno Bahman from Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan carried a large Kurdish flag
at the September 14, 2014 rally against anti-Semitism in Berlin. (Micki
Weinberg/The Times of Israel)
Among the refugees and immigrants who came to
show their support were also some of Muslim origin, like Benno Bahman
from Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan who carried a large Kurdish flag.
“Almost all of Kurdistan supports Israel,”
said Bahman, emphasizing that “what happened with the Jews is similar to
what happened to my people.”
There were also many native, non-Jewish
Germans who attended to protest. Kay Schweigmann-Greve, of an
progressive organization called the Socialist Youth of Germany-The
Falcons, came with his daughter and other members of the youth movement
from Hannover. The youth wore blue shirts with a red string, similar to
the Israeli HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed movement.
“We came to be with our Jewish and Israeli
comrades… to demonstrate against anti-Semitism,” Schweigmann-Greve said.
He speaks fluent Hebrew and has led trips to Israel that focus on
giving young people “a positive view of Israel.”
‘The government of Israel is not trustworthy’
Schweigmann-Greve’s progressive outlook
on Israel was not shared by another German rally participant, Sebastian
Reichel, an activist for the Social Democrat Party.
The SPD recently provoked ire in the Jewish
community with its controversial politicians such as Achim Post (whose
involvement in the pro-Iran trade organization NUMOV was the subject of a Times of Israel report),
Rolf Muetzenich, who called for exploring financial pressure on Israel,
and SPD Vice Chairman Ralf Stegner, who, in the wake of Hamas’s missile
attacks on Israeli civilian centers, called for Germany to ban arms
exports to Israel.
At the rally Reichel, while
condemning anti-Semitism, said he supported discussions surrounding
imposing sanctions on Israel since “the government of Israel is not
trustworthy enough.”
More punishments, fewer rallies
The strong opposition to anti-Semitism evident
at Sunday’s rally is not typical of the Germany that demonstrator and
Jewish Ukrainian immigrant Vyacheslav Pyorushev has experienced since
his immigration to Erfurt as a boy.
“Even though I’m blond, I’ve had some bad
experiences living in Erfurt, in the former East Germany where there are
many people against Jews and foreigners,” Pyorushev said.
While supportive of the involvement of
high-level politicians in the rally, he felt that there was more to be
done in the battle against anti-Semitism.
“The politicians and government are trying to
do their best, but I wish they would be tougher on combating
anti-Semitism by having more severe punishments for anti-Semitic acts.
Rallies are not enough,” said Pyorushev.
The Berlin rally speakers’ “star power” dwarfed other protests against anti-Semitism in Europe.
Joshua Spinner, executive vice president and
CEO of The Ronald S. Lauder Foundation, observed: “The quantitative and
qualitative difference between this demonstration and what happened in
London demonstrates how Germany is in a completely different place
morally on this issue than any other Western European country.”
Islamic
and anti-Israel activists waved Palestinian flags and anti-Israel
posters on September 14, 2014. (Micki Weinberg/The Times of Israel)
However, not everybody in Germany supported
the rally. Small groups of Islamic and anti-Israel activists waved
Palestinian flags and anti-Israel posters at its edges and remained
after its conclusion. Heated arguments broke out between the anti-Israel
group and the few remaining supporters.
Next to Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial, with its
eerie rows of grave-like monuments, the anti-Israel group continued to
shout invective against Israel. After the rally, among Palestinian
flags, one young activist shouted in German, “Jews are killing
children!”
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