Germany tells Jews to pretend they're gentiles

Felix Klein, Germany's government commissioner on anti-Semitism, recommends that Jews in his country would be wise to avoid wearing yarmulkes [aka kippahs or skullcaps] in public to avoid being attacked by anti-Semites. He did not, however, advise Muslim women to avoid wearing hijabs [head scarfs] or niqabs [face coverings] to avoid being attacked by Islamophobes, the same white supremacists who would attack both groups.

Klein, whose position was created last year, said in an interview published Saturday by the Funke Regional Press Group, "I cannot advise Jews to wear the kippah everywhere, all the time, in Germany."

He posited that “the lifting of inhibitions and the uncouthness which is on the rise in society” had contributed to the soaring rise in anti-Semitism, commenting, “The internet and social media have largely contributed to this, but so have constant attacks against our culture of remembrance.” Klein added that he had “changed his mind compared to previously.”

According  to The Guardian, “Anti-Semitic hate crimes rose by 20% in Germany last year, according to interior ministry data, which blamed nine out of ten cases on the extreme right. There were 62 violent anti-Semitic attacks, compared to 37 in 2017."

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin responded on Sunday. He said that he was "shocked" by Klein’s recommendation, adding, “Fears about the security of German Jews are a capitulation to anti-Semitism and an admittance that, again, Jews are not safe on German soil. We will never submit, will never lower our gaze and will never react to anti-Semitism with defeatism — and expect and demand our allies act in the same way.”

And what about those Muslim women wearing Islamic modesty gear? They're not bowing to white supremacy pressure either.

Richard Grenell, U.S. ambassador to Germany, wrote on Twitter:

“The opposite is true. Wear your kippa. Wear your friend’s kippa. Borrow a kippa and wear it for our Jewish neighbors. Educate people that we are a diverse society.”

In April 2018, Klein noted that part of the increase of anti-Semitism in Germany came from immigrants from the Middle East. And while this is true because Muslims have been taught throughout their history to hate Jews, the biggest problem in Germany [and the United States, for that matter] is the anti-Semitism coming from white supremacists.

Klein asserted:

There are several developments. One, of course, is the great influx of refugees and people who came to Germany that were raised and educated in countries that are still in the state of war with Israel, or that have been brought up with certain perceptions of Jews in Israel that are totally unacceptable to a German society. So we’re facing an integration problem. Because, of course, these people do not leave that image of Jews in Israel when they enter Germany … We have Palestinians in Germany that have lived here for a long time, and we see that crimes and incidents are also committed at a high percentage by people from that group.

But then Klein quickly added a default disclaimer:

 “I would not say that generally Arabs or Muslims are anti-Semitic. That’s not true. You can’t generalize it. But of course there’s a certain image of Jews that is not acceptable.”

The main Islamic scripture, the Koran, is quite clear about Jews, depicting them as apes and pigs. Muslims are taught very early on that Jews are not to be taken as friends [as well as Christians, but mostly Jews.]

Asked which was a bigger problem, anti-Semitism from Muslim immigrants or from the far-Right, Klein answered:

I wouldn’t like to prioritize the kind of anti-Semitism to combat first. It is generally unacceptable. But what I think is particularly difficult, and absolutely unacceptable, is the way the extreme right is threatening and insulting Jews, also with historical prejudices and arguments. That’s particularly insulting to them. Whereas I think more aggression and physical attacks maybe generally fall more into the category of anti-Semitic attacks that are motivated by Muslims.

According to the interior ministry, right-wing extremists committed 90% of the 1,800 incidents in 2018. The real number of Islamic-animated anti-Semitic attacks in Germany is not well documented due to authorities characterizing Islamic anti-Semitism as right-wing anti-Semitism.

Of course all anti-Semitism is bad, but when considered globally, it is Islamic anti-Semitism that is more pervasive and damaging because it is part of the enormous Muslim culture.

Kindly consider following Brain Flushings and please visit the ads on these pages. Thank you.

Tweet