I have been an activist fighting against all forms of antisemitism for over 20 years. Not only have I documented anti-Israel hate for two decades, but I have actively gone out of my way, to bring attention to all the different forms of anti-Jewish hatred on the one hand, at the same time, as I have also tried to reach out to allies – no matter whether within the Jewish community, Christian or Kurdish friends, the Iranian exile community or the German public at large.
And whenever possible, I have tried to connect even those who have come out to demonstrate against us; trying to find a basis on which we could still communicate with each other to identify even the smallest common denominator – whether it be a longing for peace, combating racism, or anything else.
As far back as 2017, I already reached out to a group of loud and radical pro-Palestinian demonstrators, who had come to interrupt our Israel Day events in downtown Frankfurt, by offering for them to come on stage with me, and to send a message of peace by holding an Israeli flag, while I offered to hold a Palestinian flag. To this day, people who were in the audience then have not forgotten how their representative was unable to touch the Israeli flag, even with tweezers. The revulsion they exposed that day, was shocking, yet revealing. And sadly, it is this abominable behavior and the deeply rooted antisemitic loathing embedded in their thinking and actions, which has only gotten worse since October 7, 2023, up to the point at which I was just physically attacked with red paint being sprayed all over me.
And what had I done to provoke this violent attack? Had I insulted them? Had I provoked them? Had I done anything which would have deserved being shoved around, screamed at and insulted? Had I exhibited any form of violence or other offensive behavior (all things, which are typically never found at any of the anti-antisemitism demonstrations, at the pro-Israel events, or the events on behalf of the hostages)? The answer to all these questions is a definitive NO!
I had been hanging pictures of the hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza tunnels; no more, no less. And when approached by these young people, who had their heads wrapped in Kefiyas and faces covered with masks, I stayed calm and expressed my sorrow about innocent people on both sides suffering as a result of a horrible war. And just before the paint ended up all over me, I offered to hold a minute of silence together with them for all innocent victims. But their response is known and so exemplary for the calamity we are facing: violence paired with cheering hate.
Antisemitism and deep-rooted Israel hatred, double standards, delegitimization and demonization are not new, which is why I always spoke of a tsunami of hate, which our tiny minority of Jews in Germany and worldwide have been facing. I never believed we would be able to stop this tsunami; I only spoke of the need to put barriers in the way of this onslaught. To work with allies, multipliers, politicians, NGOs and the media to slow it down as much as possible and raise awareness to counter what is happening.
Admittedly, I did not foresee that October 7th would expedite this tsunami so fast, making me wonder how much longer Diaspora Jews will be able to sustain this, before we pack our bags and seek safety. But one thing I know for sure is that this is not the time for us to go into hiding.
If we do not stand up for ourselves now, louder and stronger than ever, we will have lost. Yes, we are outnumbered. And no, that which October 7th unleashed, will not go away, but together with friends and allies, we must continue to make a concerted effort to build barriers of protection – for our sake and for the sake of all of humanity.
Sacha Stawski is the President of Honestly Concerned, a German initiative, which fights for unbiased media coverage of the Middle East conflict and against antisemitism. Stawski is also heading the pro-Israel advocacy group ILI - I Like Israel.
This op-ed is published in partnership with a coalition of organizations that fight antisemitism across the world. Read the previous article by Jacob Intrator and Uriel Appel.