Döpfner stands out for his actions and unwavering support of Israel not when it’s easy, but when it’s most difficult, at times of armed conflicts. These conflicts always make the levels of antisemitic and anti-Israeli attacks, including violent ones, reach new heights. The easy thing is to look the other way. He does not do that.
During operation “Guardian of the Walls” he had the Israeli flag fly high above their headquarters in Berlin, and later, when some of his employees complained about it, he suggested that they might be more comfortable at another job. You wouldn’t expect a high-ranking businessman like that to make such a bold moral statement that could be seen as controversial and could alienate potential customers in Europe, a continent that isn’t known for being friendly to Israel, to use an understatement.
This attitude derives from the understanding that evil can only fester if no one stands up to it; if no one tries to stop it, if no one takes a moral stand. While Döpfner and Axel Springer are not Jewish, you can find the roots of these principles in the Jewish Mishna and the proverb “In a place where there are no men, try to be a man,” which means where there are no good or worthy people you should strive to be one.
Unfortunately, too many are standing idle in the face of antisemitism these days. While the Austrian parliament flew the Israeli flag above its building to show sympathy to Israel, most countries, even “like-minded” ones, kept their silence, even in the face of chants like “Rape the Jews” or “Death to Israel.” That silence is what enables the haters to grow stronger and stronger.
While every country has the responsibility to fight antisemitism within its borders, only one country has the responsibility to lead this battle on a global scale, and that is Israel. We cannot rely on the Döpfners of the world to combat antisemitism. They are too few and it is not their fight.
We must build coalitions and mobilize other countries to join hands in this fight for humanity. We are responsible not just for the well-being of our own citizens, we must follow our moral call and commitment to ensure the safety of the Jewish people, wherever they may be.
True, Israel has not been sitting idly by, but the answers we provide do not always match the problems. Sometimes it seems like we fight the wars of yesteryear and fail to address the modern manifestation of antisemitism, mainly online, in social networks. We must double the efforts in this arena because recent events, including within Israel, show us that online events and all kinds of “social network challenges” make their way out of the cyber realm and into the physical domain, where innocent people are hurt.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate, the late Eli Wiesel, said, “Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented” Mathias Döpfner and Axel Springer would not stay silent. Neither should we.
The writer is the chairman of the Abba Eban Institute for International Diplomacy at IDC Herzliya and former Israeli ambassador to the UN and UK.