Speaking Hebrew in Berlin now feels risky

After an attack on two Israelis who were speaking Hebrew, MATI SHEMOELOF questions whether he can feel safe speaking his native language in his new home.

Last week, when I returned home from a vacation in Bavaria with my parents, who visited to get some rest from the war in Israel, I received a phone call from an Israeli radio reporter. She asked if I knew the identity of the two Israelis speaking Hebrew who were attacked at a local eatery, near my home in Berlin. My heart sank. What should I tell my parents? And what should I do with this information? Should I continue speaking Hebrew in Berlin?

During our vacation in southern Germany, my parents asked me several times not to speak Hebrew on the streets of Nuremberg.  I ignored their request. I classified them as people who watched too much Israeli television and became convinced them that the whole world was currently antisemitic towards Israel. I thought I was allowed to speak Hebrew without fear.

Then, a conflict erupted in which 1,385 Israelis lost their lives, and up to 23,210 Palestinians died and continue to suffer. Israeli hostages, kidnapped by Hamas, have yet to return. The tensions and animosity are pervasive. Now, the harsh reality has confronted me.

First, I asked myself: are the people who were attacked Israeli tourists or local Israeli-Berliners? As if there was a difference. Or was there any provocation involved? But quickly, after sharing my thoughts with some friends, I realised that I shouldn't  seek to attach blame to the victim. There is no justification for antisemitic violence. Speaking Hebrew in Berlin is allowed, and even very important after the Holocaust.