October 22, 2019
In Blog News
I can’t tell you how upset I am. First, that such terrible crime happened here. Second, I have hardly read statement which was dignified and befitting the situation.
Immediately after the news came out, the Jewish Central Council was out there, making ’severe allegations’ against the Germans, not enough police protection. The head of the Jewish community in Halle soon after, same allegations, the German authorities have abandoned the Jewish citizens, police neglect. In fact, the police arrived ten minutes after they received the phone call. Afterwards, the head of the European organisation of Rabbis, terrible anti-Semitism in Europe, anti-Israel clichés in the media. The rest of the comments followed the same line, anti-Semitism, interview with Jewish Germans how awful they feel, Israel etc. Merkel phones Netanyahu.
For the longest time nothing on the real victims. It was mentioned, but more in passing, like that the perpetrator killed two people. Now, it is obvious that the murderer was motivated by hatred of Jews, but he also hated Muslims/foreigners and women. After he couldn’t get into the synagogue, he drove away, saw the Turkish kebab shop, commented that this is his next target and attacked. So far, I didn’t read any interviews with the guys in the kebab shop, how they tried to hide and how awful it was with one dead on the floor. Nor, whether Turks feel discriminated in daily life.
From what I read, the names and faces of the two people killed percolated up from the grassroots. E-mails commenting on articles, mentioned that the victims should be named. One woman send an e-mail with photos with the caption: Giving the victims a face (typical language for Holocaust commemoration).
The 20 year old victim, who had come to eat a kebab, was member of a soccer fan club. His fellow club-members came, put flowers in front of the kebab place and sang the club-song in his memory. A touching scene.
From the side of the politicians and the media commentators, political appropriation and hackneyed phrases. The day of the crime, the CSU already blamed the AfD, everybody else followed. (The AfD defended itself by saying that they are the most pro-Israel among German political parties). And from all sides, hollow phrases. The president of the republic, in his official speech, spoke of a "day of disgrace
and shame.” Often heard: this despicable deed came ‘out of the midst of German society”, must not be called a lone-wolf attack, because we, as a society, as Germans are all guilty. (All phrases in the original German are typical for Holocaust commemoration.)
The perpetrator was a loser, without a job or a girlfriend, hung out in a small hamlet in the east, stayed in his mother’s apartment, lived mainly in the internet and build his fire arms with a 3D printer in the garden shed. (the only positive new is that Germany’s strict anti-gun laws prevented him from obtaining really functioning fire arms).
And this is the midst of German society? His role-models are the attackers in Norway, New Zealand and California.
In what way am I responsible? How could I have prevented anything by “being watchful "“taking a close look” not ‘leaving my fellow citizens alone”? (more typical phrases).
The discussion got a bit more realistic, when they interviewed experts on these hate-groups in the internet, how they interconnect etc. This is where this hate-ridden guy dwelled, here lies the problem for
which one has to find a solution.
After seventy years of dealing with the Nazis and the Holocaust, Germany, it seems, has not developed a humane way of dealing with victims nor a dignified language to speak of crimes, only hollow phrases.