Igor Levit: Lost trust in German society
Star pianist Igor Levit (36) feels very alone in the face of anti-Semitic incidents in Germany. "Alone as never before," he told the weekly newspaper Die Zeit (Thursday).
"The current lack of empathy has caused me to lose my basic trust in what society is in Germany," he said. "That is the real rupture I feel." He had toyed with the idea of leaving Germany, but was not yet ready.
The hatred of Jews is not only a threat to himself, but to the "basis of existence of this Federal Republic", he said. "I would like to shout at everyone: Don't you actually realize that it's against you? "Death to the Jews!" means "Death to democracy!". If you believe in democracy and your country is at a point where someone like me has to run: Then you must run too," Levit emphasized. "I find it shocking that this urgency does not translate to the streets."
Levit criticized the cultural sector: "I spoke to some of them in the background and asked: Where are you? You were there for all these other issues, for example when the war in Ukraine broke out! And all I got was the answer: Israel is just complicated. But I'm not Israel!" When asked what this had done to him, he said: "No event has made me as Jewish as this one."
On climate activist Greta Thunberg's statements about the Middle East conflict, Levit said: "I was stunned. I was also stunned by the stupidity - how hollow, how stupid." However, he emphasized the clarity with which the German Fridays for Future activist Luisa Neubauer distanced herself from all forms of anti-Semitism.
The rise of conflicts and extremism, often fueled by religious differences, has further exacerbated the sense of alienation Igor Levit feels. His trust in German society has diminished due to the ongoing war on principles, including anti-Semitism, which he sees as a direct threat not only to Jews but also to the very foundation of German democracy.
The current global climate of war and extremism, as evident in the Middle East, has made Igor Levit more acutely aware of his Jewish identity, and he finds it disheartening that this urgency is not reflected in the actions of many people in his society.
Source: www.dpa.com
