Journalists have created images that they previously wanted
Berlin – Perhaps that’s the meaningful statement: Looking back, Nizar Haddad wouldn’t have done anything differently. The 32-year-old is a member of Palestine Speaks and co-organizer of the demonstration last Saturday. “I myself,” he says, “was able to intervene to de-escalate several situations.” He also made sure that there were several folders that were created at points of the meeting for several rest periods. Racism has no place at the demo. “But unfortunately it’s still the case that out of around 1,000 participants, exactly those who found stupid and thoughtless statements are now appearing in the media. But we reject that.”
Nizar Haddad’s real name is different, but he fears that his position will be attacked and would therefore only like to comment anonymously. In an interview with the Berliner Zeitung, he tries to limit the damage after the incident last Saturday. In the meantime, he has reached an agreement with other organizers of the demonstration on Saturday. According to media reports, other organizations were also present alongside Palestine Talks, including FOR Palestine and the Samidoun network, which IS assigned to the extreme spectrum in Israel. However, Haddad said they were not part of the organization of the event.
All major media outlets reported extensively on the riots during the demonstration over the weekend. The picture that IS being painted in reports is indeed devastating: stones were thrown at police officers, there were two arrests, journalists were attacked, anti-Semitic shouts (“dirty Jew”) were heard. And chants like: “Intifada until victory!” According to the reports of the Jewish Forum, Arabic chants were also heard, which even more clearly denied Israel’s right to exist.
After the events of the weekend, politicians from all major parties said to each other. Most of them sounded similar to Berlin’s Senator for the Interior, Iris Spranger: “As a society, we must take a clear stance against anti-Semitism and hatred.” She also promised to pursue the crimes “with all due diligence”. SPD party colleague and Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser also emphasized that there was “no place for anti-Semitism in Germany”.
The label anti-Semitism
In an interview with the Berliner Zeitung, Nizar Haddad brought a different picture to the fore: Until now, no one has wanted to hear the Palestinians’ side about these events. “Bild, taz and Tagesspiegel all wrote the same texts, and everywhere it was just about the few young demonstrators who let themselves be provoked with their racist and anti-Semitic statements.”
Haddad says some journalists are difficult to distinguish from provocateurs. “Where we tried, we tried to avoid escalation, but I also had the feeling that some wanted exactly the pictures that they got.” Some of them didn’t want to legitimize themselves with press cards and instead reacted aggressively. He speaks of a campaign: “Again and again attempts are being made to stain our work for the Palestinian cause with the label anti-Semitism.”
For the state of Berlin’s contact person on anti-Semitism, Samuel Salzborn, this is an example of perpetrator-victim reversal. “Now the demonstrators stylize themselves as victims of a media campaign,” he told the Berliner Zeitung. “Again and again it is claimed that their voices are not heard and only the negative outbreaks of violence or insults are shown.” It is also the other way around: the public only finds out about the anti-Semitic incidents through media reporting, while the organizers would like to belittle them.
Nazim Hadad sees it differently. He emphasizes that Jewish organizations were also involved in the Saturday gathering. He was concerned with creating visibility for the everyday life of Palestinians in the occupied possessions. Those who confront them there with weapons are often Jews. But is any criticism of this occupation a form of anti-Semitism? “It was really hard work,” he says, “opening the meeting and making sure it was peaceful overall.” More than 40 volunteers kept order, alongside the 160 police officers who were on duty. “Again and again our folders stood between the police officers and the demonstrators.”
On May 15, the “Day of the Nakba” is celebrated
For Samuel Salzborn it is clear that the chanting is not directed against the occupation, but also against Jews. “The footage here is clear.” He also finds it intolerable when violent action is taken against journalists. But he too is ultimately in favor of a larger debate in Berlin on this topic. “I probably see contradictions in the Islamic community in Berlin,” he says, referring to different currents of criticism of Israel. He can’t think of any major pro-Palestinian demonstrations in recent years where these incidents weren’t documented. “Anti-Semitism,” Salzborn said, “is at the core of these gatherings.”
Participants in the Saturday demonstration also think of peaceful pro-Palestinian demonstrations, for example the demonstration on May 15, 2021. On this day, Palestinians traditionally celebrate Nakba Day, mourning the start of the official occupation. There are also reports of anti-Semitic attacks in the past year on the Internet. The Jewish Forum documented how journalists were photographed on Saturday. They were told, “If you come on Nakba Day, you will be forcibly expelled.” The police officers present did not comment, according to eyewitnesses.