Some "pearls" from the comments on an article in the German news that’s called Jews in Germany: We aren’t safe here anymore. There’s worse stuff in there that I didn’t want to post (also about Israel, refugees, homosexuals and others). The following is the original snippet in the block quote and below my tentative translation (help appreciated – leave a comment) and sometimes my [sarcastic comment] in the square brackets.
Das führt dazu, dass viele Menschen “antisemitisch” scheinen, obwohl sie eigentlich “antiisraelisch” sind.
This leads to many people seeming to be “antisemites”, when actually they are “anti-Israeli”.
[Yeah, these are two really different things, “anti-Israeli” is just as common as, say, “anti-Spanish” or “anti-Kongolese”, it really doesn’t matter that the one state you’re against is – by pure chance – the Jewish state.]
Die wirklichen Brandstifter sitzen in der israelischen Regierung, diese handeln nicht rechtstaatlich und bringen dadurch die Juden in aller Welt in Gefahr!
The real arsonists are sitting in the Israeli government, they are not acting in accordance with the laws [of a democratic / moral / ? state] and by that endanger Jews all over the world!
[It’s the Jew’s fault! Blame the Jew!]
Wenn sich Juden hier nicht sicher fühlen, können die es ja mal in Israel probieren. Es gibt viele aufstrebende Regionen, in denen die Religion im Vordergrund steht. Ich spreche jedem, der sich einer religiösen Organisation unterwirft die Intelligenz ab.
If Jews do not feel safe here, they could try out Israel. There are many emergent regions where religion is paramount. I deny everyone the intelligence who’s submitting to a religious organization.
Aber wenn meine Landsleute in meinem Heimatland eine schwer nachvollziehbare Politik gegen andere Volksgruppen führt, dann muss ich damit leben, das auch ich für diese Politik kritisiert werde!
But if my fellow countrymen in my home country lead elusive politics against other ethnic groups, then I have to live with the fact that I will be criticized for these politics.
[All Jews are Israeli, obviously. And it’s the their fault (see above)! Anyway, keep it real, the only thing that’s done is that there’s slight criticism of some political decisions, no harm done!]
“Schande über Deutschland! In Bremen konnte bei einer pro-palästinensischen Demonstration ein Jugendlicher minutenlang ‘Israel – Hurensohn’ von der Bühne”
Ja warum auch nicht, was hat das mit Antisemitismus zu tuen?
“Shame on Germany! In Bremen a youth was able to shout ‘Israel – son of a bitch’ for minutes during a pro-Palestinian demonstration”
Yes, why not, what does that have to do with antisemitism?
[Well, obviously, nothing????]
..das Deutschland wieder massiv fremdenfeindlich wird auch weitere Gruppen, Religionsangehörige etc. durch die Bewegungen der jüdisch-christlichen Pegita & Co & weitere gruselige Anhängsel bedroht werden… Nie wieder Faschismus in Deutschland! Die Parole hat schon ihre Berechtigung…
..that Germany is getting massively xenophobic again also other groups, members of religion etc. are threatened by the movement of the Jewish-Christian Pegita [he means Pegida, the right-wing xenophobic Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West] and other creepy appendages… No more fascism in Germany! This watchword is warranted!
[The original sentence sounds as weird as the translation. Well, of course Jews are behind whatever is bad, Pegida in this case. Damn, how did he find out!?]
Man ist nirgendwo mehr auf der Welt sicher. Aber Juden und jüdische Einrichtungen gehören in Deutschland zu denen, welche am besten geschützt sind.
No-one is safe anymore, nowhere in the world. But Jews and Jewish institutions are among those in Germany that are best protected.
[Mommy, the Jew gets special treatment!]
Das die Juden natürlich sofort mit jammern war klar . Das machen die aus Prinzip immer .
It was obvious that the Jews have to whine . They always do it as a matter of principle .
Erstaunlich ist nur wie schnell die Politiker bei den jüdischen Mitbürgern reagiert, die eigenen alten Leute interessieren niemand.
Surprising is only how quickly the politicians react when the Jewish fellow citizens [complain], nobody is interested in our own old people.
[Jews are not "our own", obviously]
I could go on, but I’ll stop here. To be fair, some of the antisemitic stereotypes have been identified and criticized by other commenters later in the thread. Also, comment sections, even moderated ones frequented by educated people, are full of crazy and insulting stuff people won’t say in real life. And stupid people are way over-represented. This selection of quotes should not be taken as a representative sample of German opinions about Jews. This relation is much more complicated.
So why did I write this post? I just needed to react to this comment threat in some way. This is my way to reflect on it (this is another).