“Never again” in the face of the attack on Israel
Noam Petri is the vice president of the Jewish Student Union of Germany (JSUD) and has been involved in fighting antisemitism for a number of years. Having interviewed him last year about his perspective on antisemitism in Germany for our YouTube series “Keine Geschichte” (Not a Thing of the Past), we have now asked him to talk to us again – this time about the recent Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.
The goal of Hamas is the destruction of Israel
Can you describe your feelings about the attack on Israel?
The barbaric attack on the Jewish state, the safe haven for every Jew in the world, is frightening. The Islamist Hamas group has never made any secret of its goal: the destruction of Israel and the mass murder of its citizens. You can find people all over the world who approve of this Islamist terror – especially in major Western cities. So of course you start asking yourself how much longer you’ll be able to live in safety.
Israeli flags in Tel Aviv, 2019 (Photo: Timo Wagner, Unsplash)
Are you in contact with anyone in Israel? What do they tell you about the current situation?
Most of my family lives in Israel, and they have to seek shelter in the bunker every day to protect themselves from rocket attacks; my cousin is in the IDF (Israel Defense Forces). Two good friends of mine are actually fighting the terrorists in the south of the country. I don’t have any contact with them at the moment because they’re on a mission.
But my family talk to me nearly every day about how the whole country is in shock. Israel is now standing united behind its security forces and the military in the fight against terrorists.
The safety of Jews in Germany
How do you see the situation of Jews in Germany? How safe do you feel?
It’s very dangerous for Jews in Germany at the moment. People have been celebrating the massacre of hundreds of Jews by handing out sweets on the streets in German towns. Public figures have defended the massacres carried out by the Islamist Hamas group.
Logo from the petition organized by the Jewish Student Union of Germany (JSUD) and other Jewish and non-Jewish organizations in Germany.
I can’t help wondering what has become of the “Never Again” we hear invoked year after year. All the fine speeches will remain empty words until Germany takes effective measures against Israel-related antisemitism and against Islamism, an ideology that resists any form of peaceful, liberal, and democratic coexistence. “Never again” is now. And that needs to be reflected in Germany’s domestic and foreign policies. The ban on Samidoun and Hamas can only be the first step. A new, tough strategy on Iran must follow. The Jewish Student Union of Germany (JSUD) has started a petition to this end.
