Israeli expat boots Israeli ambassador from his Berlin cafe
The owner of Café Dodo told Ambassador Prosor he was “not welcome in my café” because he “represents Israel, and since he implements an invalid and manipulative policy, which claims that any criticism of Israel is anti-Semitic.”
An expat Israeli in Berlin ejected Israel’s ambassador to Germany from his cafe on Sunday as a political statement in the midst of Israel’s ongoing political crisis.
Avi Berg, owner of Café Dodo in Berlin, announced on Facebook that he had told Ambassador Ron Prosor he was “not welcome in my café” because he “represents Israel, and since he implements an invalid and manipulative policy, which claims that any criticism of Israel is anti-Semitic.”
That policy, wrote Berg, “claims that I and my peers are anti-Semitic.” After being asked to leave, Prosor and his bodyguards left the cafe immediately, Berg reported.
“I would like to emphasise that I did what I did specifically because the ambassador isn’t an individual but an official representative of the state of Israel,” Berg told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency via Facebook Messenger on Wednesday.
“And since he and the embassy are deeply involved in putting pressure on the Bundestag and on German media and institutions to block any criticism of Israel and to label any such criticism as antisemitism. This diplomacy is implemented all over the world, but is especially effective in Germany… This policy is also very damaging against the fight against genuine antisemitism!”
An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman told Haaretz that Prosor had been unaware of Berg’s political stance when he visited the cafe. Berg has been critical of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, because it says some forms of Israel criticism are antisemitic.
Rough estimates say around 10,000 Israelis live in Berlin. Many are left-wing politically and critical of Israel’s policies.
Israel is currently mired in a political crisis over its right-wing government’s push to weaken the country’s judiciary. A protest movement of hundreds of thousands against the legislation reached a peak earlier this week, as demonstrators blocked major highways and were met with water cannons.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
