German hatred of Jews scares Tim Mälzer
The "Fiete Gastro" podcast is usually about umami, the perfect fries, sometimes also about cherry cake, wine or raclette. Tim Mälzer and Sebastian Merget talk about food, cooking, cuisine and gastronomy. But sometimes other topics are simply more important.
Tim Mälzer called the Israeli chef and restaurateur Haya Molcho after the massacres by the radical Islamic group Hamas on Israeli soil on October 7. His main question to his friend was how she was doing, he says. And Molcho told him that she was afraid, according to Mälzer.
Anyone who "walks around with their eyes and ears reasonably open" cannot ignore the current developments. Mälzer describes these developments as "very present anti-Semitism and a surprisingly quiet reaction to it".
Silence is not an option
Molcho, who was born in Tel Aviv in 1955, went to school and studied in Bremen and now lives in Vienna, has four sons and a grandson. Mälzer called her and that alone made her feel brave, says Haya Molcho. "And I said, 'Tim, just the fact that you're calling me and talking to me about it, you've already done a lot'."
She is afraid for her children and her grandchild. "I'm afraid that if I appear now, at some big fair, some crazy person might come. I am afraid! And I never knew that."
According to Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, 3532 crimes have been registered in Germany since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7 (as of November 20). So far, just under 500 clearly anti-Semitic offenses are known. The focus is on damage to property, incitement to hatred and resistance offenses.
"I'm afraid of being too quiet now," says Mälzer in his podcast. "I'm afraid of regretting my silence in ten years' time." And he's afraid of sitting on the sofa in ten years' time and thinking: "Oh, I wish I had."
In light of the escalating anti-Semitic sentiments worldwide, particularly following the conflicts between Hamas and Israel, internationally renowned chef Tim Mälzer expressed his concern about the resurgence of anti-Semitism, even in Germany. Recalling a conversation with Israeli Chef Haya Molcho, Mälzer spoke of his fear that remaining silent on the issue might lead to regret in the future, referring to potential acts of violence against Jews.
Source: www.ntv.de
