After publishing our previous statement(s) regarding the claim that the German police “threatened an Israeli with a crime for show of Israeli flag”, there was considerable uproar about why we are supposedly siding with the police against an Israeli woman. Thus, we feel the need to clarify the facts on the ground again and why we saw the need to publish our statement.
Honestly Concerned was established to support the fight against anti-Semitism and to stand up for truthful media reporting. We frequently get contacted by people from all stands of life, who seek our support, when it comes to biased media reporting about Jews, Judaism, Israel, or other aspects of life. We also regularly document anti-Israel events and so forth. It was thus self evident for us, to work with and on behalf of Ana, when she contacted us about one week before the story became public, telling us that she had received a summons from the police in the context of a pro-Palestinian demonstration to which she had stood up against by holding up an Israeli flag. We had a long exchange in the progress to find out exactly what had happened; in the course of which, we were in contact with her directly (though it was not really possibly to communicate, since she only spoke Russian and Hebrew), a friend of hers, who was present in July and who filmed part of the events, and another family friend of hers. We also received a copy of the police summons. Furthermore, we were in contact with Mayor and State of Hessen Anti-Semitism Commissioner Uwe Becker and the Frankfurt Jewish Community, who were in turn in contact with the President of the Police in Frankfurt. It was based on this first hand information, combined with what we found out additionally, that we came to our decision NOT to publish anything regarding the matter. It was only after the Achgut and JPost publications, that we also felt the need to clarify a few points publicly; very much in line with our mission to stand up for truthful reporting.
For us, the crutch of the matter was very simple, as it initially presented itself: Here was a woman with a summons. The summons turned out to be for the showing of her middle finger (evidenced with a photo). It was clear that the Israeli flag had nothing to do with the summons, nor had it been the police themselves, who had filed a case against her. They had simply followed up on their duty to question her, after a third person had filed an official insult complaint against her. It also became quickly evident that this case would like go nowhere, since she had felt insulted and that her finger was merely a reaction to that; that there had been a back and forth interaction. And with the involvement of the Community and Uwe Becker, for us the case was over at that point, to be quite honest. Admittedly, we misunderstood, or underestimated at this point, what Ana considers to be far more important to her, as has been come evident in the extensive WhatsApp exchange with Ana in the last 2 days (in English) and chats, well as conversations with her friend. She feels that the police on the day of the demonstration treated her inappropriately.
In the most recent clarifications sent to us by Ana, she stresses a number of crucial things: She now stresses that the police officer approached her and asker her to leave before the pro-Palestinian demonstrator had even filed the complaint against her. She says the filing only followed after that. And there are also somewhat stronger descriptions now about statements the policeman is supposed to have made, when he told her to leave. Unfortunately, there is no (video) documentation of this, but what is still clear is that there was a considerable back and forth with the police officer, escalated by the language barrier in the communication. Up to this point, given our own experiences with having documented pro-Palestinian demonstrations, like the Al Quds demos in Berlin, as well as having had pro-Palestinian disturbances at our own pro-Israel events, we had some understanding for how it could have come to the police officer asking her to leave and getting ruder and more impatient, as the conversation progressed, though we are by no way trying to excuse the policeman, if he was demeaning to Ana in any way. We can merely “understand”, how the situation might have taken place and without any proof, why the case would go nowhere from there. There is one more point, though, which Ana now also stresses: The police officer supposedly refused to also take down her official complaint, saying that “he believed them but not me, and when I asked why, he said because there are many and you are alone”. Clearly, this is something that is completely unacceptable and had we heard about this back in July, when it happened, we would have immediately picked up on this issue and escalated it further. Now it is next to impossible for the exact interaction with the policeman to be traced back, but we do hope that there will be a further investigation into the policeman’s behaviour and exchange with Ana.
Lastly, we have to stress, however, that while we may not have been sensitive enough to the behaviour of the police on the day of the demonstration, there were still significant inaccuracies in the Achgut and JPost coverage, which warranted our corrective statement:
The Jerusalem Post (and Achgut) said: |
The victim and her friend in multiple statements to us wrote or stated their case as follows… |
The Jewish community / Uwe Becker / the Frankfurt police say… |
“German Muslims call young Israeli musician a ‘Nazi,’” |
In ALL the statements to us, Ana and her friend only ever speak of “Palestinian demonstrators”; not once about “German Muslims”! |
No mention of “German Muslims”! |
“police said she provoked demonstrators and was ordered to leave” |
Her friend stated that the demonstrators were shouting “Viva Palestina“ and that they were showing Ana the middle finger and were making threatening gestures, provoking Ana. Ana herself describes it like this: “They were shouting, provoking and behaving very aggressively while filming it on mobiles phones. My response to that was just smiling. They shouted, but since I do not understand German, I do not know what was all about, except what is heard on the video.“ In the 3 videos all we can clearly hear is “Viva Palestine” and what sounds like “Free Free Palestine”. It has since been claimed that she was called a “Nazi” by the demonstrators. This is not something Ana or her friend claimed in any statement made. Again, what she in fact said was “I do not understand German, I do not know what was all about”! |
Uwe Becker: “There was no prosecution because of the flag but because of what the lady (allegedly) showed (gesture) towards the participants of the demonstration (middle finger), which is an insult by German law. Thus, the Police had to question the personal data and start the formal „persecution“. Additionally, there were language difficulties, as the lady doesn’t speak German.” The Jewish Community of Frankfurt: similar statement to that from Uwe Becker, similarly stating that things were different than reported in the media and that there is generally good trusting cooperation with the police. Both come to the conclusion: no anti-Semitism and no Anti-Israel behaviour of the police, merely legal issues to be resolved reg. the “insult” complaint. |
“German police in the city of Frankfurt have launched an investigation against an Israeli musician and may press charges against her after she waved the Israeli flag at an anti-Israel demonstration that was organized by a pro-BDS group in July.” |
Again the claim is made that the Frankfurt police “may press charges against her after she waved the Israeli flag at an anti-Israel demonstration”. This is the crucially FALSE claim. The summons is for Anas showing of her middle finger, which she also confirms was by saying that “the palestinian demonstrators approached the policemen and started complaining that I was showing them the middle finger. The police began to write down their complaint…” HOWEVER: there is more to the story at this point, as Ana and her friend emphasize and which we also made clear in our statement, when we said
and then I asked them to write down my complaint too. The policeman refused me and said that he believed them but not me, and when I asked why, he said because there are many and you are alone. |
The Israeli was asked to leave the vicinity after there was an escalation / provocation as a result of the showing of middle finger(s). There was no connection with the fact that she was holding up an Israeli flag. |
“…anti-Israel demonstration near her home that was arranged by the pro-Palestinian organization, Samidoun…” |
Ana according to her own words did not know that it was a Samidoun demo; merely a pro-Palestinian event. |
No mention! |
“Noll reported that a Frankfurt police officer addressed Agre in English, recorded her identity and advised her to leave because her presence was “provocative to the young Muslims.” |
Ana in her own words: “The police came up and said to me that I have only two options, either I immediately leave the place, or they would escort me in handcuffs to the police car and from there to the police station. The policemen repeated this threat to me several times and asked if I understood what they are saying. I asked „why should I leave? ,I stand here alone, I don’t shout anything and just hold my flag“. The policemen said „because I said so“, at that moment the palestinian demonstrators approached the policemen and started complaining that I was showing them the middle finger. The police began to write down their complaint and then I asked them to write down my complaint too. The policeman refused me and said that he believed them but not me, and when I asked why, he said because there are many and you are alone. I asked if he could repeat it all to me on the video on the phone, he said „no, you have no right to shoot anything, it is not legal“ then he said that I would receive a police summons at my address and 2 months later I got it. [T]hat’s all.”
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Everyone seems in agreement that language was likely an issue. What exactly took place as part of the exchange between Ana and the policeman on the day of the demonstration is not further commented upon. Sole focus is on the finger “insult”. |
“Noll wrote that several march participants approached Agre and confronted her with slogans, including “Nazis out.”” |
There is agreement that the demonstrators reacted to Ana’s presence in a disgusting and provocative manner. It is unclear where the claim comes from that Ana was referred to as a “Nazi”. |
No mention! |
““In the minds of those young Muslims and their German supporters, an Israeli flag is apparently a Nazi symbol,” Noll wrote.” |
Ana never refers to “young Muslims” and the “Nazi symbol” interpretation is not given by any of what Ana or her friend stated. |
No mention! |
“He said Agre had received a summons in the mail a few days later ordering her to appear at Frankfurt criminal police headquarters on October 7 to make a statement, citing an “offense according to Criminal Code, paragraph 185.”” |
Not a few days later, but 2+ months later and the summons was for the showing of her middle finger; nothing to do with her flag, or the interaction with the police officer at the scene. |
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LATER ADDED TO THE TEXT: |
This later added text is in line with what the community, Uwe Becker and the police communicated all along; ultimately identical to what Ana herself said reg. the summons. Ana’s point is a different one, that the police never allowed her to file her own complaint, plus the fact that she felt it was not right for the police to have asked her to leave. |
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“The statement did not address Agre’s allegations that she was called a “Nazi” and the police official who said he disliked her Israeli flag. It was also unclear how the Israeli flag signified a provocation for the police.” |
It is correct that the statement did not address Agre’s allegations. In none of the statements to us, was there ever talk of her being called a “Nazi”. In her most recent statement to us, she once again wrote: “They shouted, but since I do not understand German, I do not know what was all about, except what is heard on the video.” |
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“Frankfurt, in the state of Hesse, and is the electoral district of controversial German Green Party MP Omid Nouripour, who is on the advisory board of the German Palestinian Society, a pro-BDS group that has called for Israel to be dismantled. Nouripour declined to answer a Post query about Agre’s case.” |
Omid Nouripour’s members in the German Palestinian Society is reprehensible, but where is the connection to Agre? |
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FOR DOCUMENTAION PURPOSES HERE THE FULL STATEMENT FROM ANA FROM YESTERDAY:
“When I entered the square with my Israeli flag, I stood quite far from where the palestinian demonstrators were standing. They could ignore me, but many of them began to approach me, showing me the middle finger and other gestures, among which the middle finger was the most innocent. They were shouting, provoking and behaving very aggressively while filming it on mobiles phones. My response to that was just smiling. They shouted, but since I do not understand German, I do not know what was all about, except what is heard on the video. The police came up and said to me that I have only two options, either I immediately leave the place, or they would escort me in handcuffs to the police car and from there to the police station. The policemen repeated this threat to me several times and asked if I understood what they are saying. I asked „why should I leave? ,I stand here alone, I don’t shout anything and just hold my flag“. The policemen said „because I said so“, at that moment the palestinian demonstrators approached the policemen and started complaining that I was showing them the middle finger. The police began to write down their complaint and then I asked them to write down my complaint too. The policeman refused me and said that he believed them but not me, and when I asked why, he said because there are many and you are alone. I asked if he could repeat it all to me on the video on the phone, he said „no, you have no right to shoot anything, it is not legal“ then he said that I would receive a police summons at my address and 2 months later I got it. What’s all.
FURTHERMORE ANA CLARIFIED IN THE CHAT EXCHANGE:
- “I have not given interviews to any newspaper.”
- “The police behaved very badly towards me, threatened me with arrest in front of the Palestinian demonstrators, although I did nothing wrong, I quietly shook off the Israeli flag and I stood far from the demonstrators. The police refused to accept my complaint because the police only trust the Palestinians and do not trust me. It was insulting and demeaning. And then I received a summons from the police where it was written that I was being summoned on charges of insult.”
- “the complaint was filed by a Palestinian woman, black, she can be seen on the video. the police told me that too. it was she with all the others who came up to me many times and insulted me by showing her finger and filming. this is police information. and it was she who filed a complaint against me on the square, I saw it myself. and the policeman refused to accept my complaint”
- “It is very important to me that the police know that they cannot do this. I’m not provoking anyone. I stood alone and quiet and far enough away from the Palestinians. my flag is the flag of my country, which has been officially in existence since 1948. Palestinians make demonstrations at which they constantly insult Jews and my country, and for some reason they can do it, I don’t understand why. Palestinians are killing our children in Israel, blowing up buses. They are killers. They are not victims. And it is very important for me that the world would know them like that. They do not allow my country and the entire people of Israel to live normally and kill us every day. This is all very important to me. “
- “there is no such country as Palestine. There are killers with the flag of Palestine. they don’t want their country. their shouts of „freedom to Palestine“ is a LIE! If they have their own country, they will cease to teach such huge money from the whole world for their „struggle“. Anti-Semitism today is all that is against Israel. This is a new form of anti-Semitism that exists in today’s world. There is no other anti-Semitism today.”
AND THIS FROM HER CLOSE FRIEND – ALSO FROM YESTERDAY:
- “Demonstranten haben nicht geschrien Tot den Juden,sie schrien Viva Palestina, haben aber der Ana Agre Mittelfinger gezeigt und Zeichen ,dass sie ihr den Hals abschneiden,sie haben Ana provoziert.Sie hat dagegen gelacht.Das mit dem Tot den Juden war in Berlin,ich habe falsch verstanden.“
- „Polizisten haben mit Handschellen bedroht“
- „Das Verhalten der Polizisten, die ihr mit Knast gedroht haben und mit Handschellen vor ihrem Gesicht . Das ist unter aller Würde,das Verhalten der Araber ist immer vorauszusehen. Aber das Verhalten der Polizisten nicht!
https://m.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/polizei-justiz/polizei-in-berlin-reagiert-auf-kritik-jude-jude-feiges-schwein-soll-auf-demonstrationen-verboten-werden/10229256.html“ - „Was wurde geklärt?! Was schließt ihr ab?! Ohne mit Ana Agre persönlich zu sprechen?! Ohne zu erfahren wie der Polizist ihr mit Handschellen gedroht hat ,sie auf der Stelle zu verhaften wenn sie nicht sofort geht?!
Das Verhalten der Polizei soll geklärt werden!
Das Verhalten der Polizei mit Handschellen und Drohungen Ana zu verhaften! Das ist der Punkt!
Und die Aussage des Polizisten er glaube den Demonstranten und nicht Ana“ - Zur JPost: „Es stimmt alles außer Haß Aufrufen,das hat Ana auch nicht behauptet“
- „Ich habe auch gesagt,dass ich ein kurzes Video gedreht habe, andere 2 hat jemand gedreht und im Facebook veröffentlich!“
- „Weder Ana ,noch Ich hatten mit dem Herren Noll gesprochen! Er hat geschrieben was er geschrieben hat! Herr Noll hat seine Sicht der Dinge beschrieben! Ana hat mit NIEMANDEN darüber gesprochen!“
- „Wie die Journalisten die Sache sehen und drehen ist nicht das Problem von Ana!“
Our PREVIOUS Statement regarding the claim that the German police “threatened an Israeli with a crime for show of Israeli flag”
from Oct. 1, 2020
After having been approached by a number of our international friends and seeing a Jerusalem Post article making the rounds internationally and causing a major uproar against the Frankfurt police, we see the need to summarize the facts, as they really took place. In a nutshell, the situation looks like this:
- The premise of the JPost article is incorrect. There were no anti-Semitic calls, as claimed. There was no “German Muslims who called a young Israeli musician a ‘Nazi’”. In fact, there were no anti-Semitic chants or any other insults by pro-Palestinian demonstrators, which were documented whatsoever (despite the fact that the musician was accompanied by a friend, who had filmed her holding up the flag).
- The fact is that there was a pro-Palestinian demonstration, which took place in Frankfurt back in July. An Israeli musician saw this demonstration, went back to her apartment to fetch an Israeli flag, with which she stood in some distance from the demonstrators. There are 3 short videos, which document this.
- While holding the flag, she showed her middle finger in the direction of the demonstrators, which cannot be seen in the aforementioned video clips, but which was documented in form of a photograph by a third party.
(Mind you, pointing the finger may have been completely understandable from the situation and in response to the demonstrators, but insulting someone – unprovoked – in this form, is still something, which you can get reported to the police for in Germany.) - A third person reported the Israeli woman to the police and filed an official complaint for being insulted in the form of the showing of her middle finger. The police recorded the report, which they are obliged to do by law, and asked her to stop the insult. She was then asked to leave the vicinity, because she did not comply.
It is unclear what exactly was said during the discussion between the police and the woman, especially since the woman only speaks Russian and Hebrew, as well as some broken English. - The friend who accompanied her and who filmed the video clips of her with the flag, did not document any of the interaction with the police. In other words, it is her testimony against the testimony of the police, which is further complicated by the language barrier.
- When she did not comply with the police instructions to stop the insult and to vacate the area, where she had caused a provocation – not because of the flag, but because of the showing of her middle finger – the discussion with the police became more “intense”; a scene which the woman ended with the police threatening her with arrest. A complaint against the police or against the pro-Palestinian demonstrators was never filed.
- A crucial difference to what was claimed is that the police never filed a complaint against the woman out of their own accord; not because of her Israeli flag, nor because of her finger. It was a 3rd party, which filed the complained against her and which the police is required by law to investigate.
- Mayor and anti-Semitism Commissioner of the State of Hessen, Uwe Becker, and the Frankfurt Jewish community have published statements regarding the case. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Frankfurter Rundschau have also published articles summarizing the facts, all in line with what we summarized above. (Links to all the statements and to our own German summary of the events can be HERE.
- As to our role: We were contacted by the Israeli musician one week before the story became public, which is when she received a summons from the police asking her to come and make a statement regarding the matter. We were in contact with her directly (though it was not really possibly to communicate, since she only spoke Russian and Hebrew), the friend of hers, who was present in July and who filmed part of the events, and another family friend of hers. We also have a copy of the police summons. It is based on this first hand information, that we researched the matter and came to the above conclusions, which were also the basis for our decision NOT to publish anything regarding the matter. It was only after the Achgut and JPost publications, that we also published something.
(And lastly, one more personal note: We find it very unusual that the full name (first and last name) of the „victim“, the musician, was mentioned both in the JPost article, as well as a preceding article on Achgut.)
In conclusion we can only repeat what the Jewish community reiterated in their statement on the matter: “…The police [here in Germany] in general, but also here in Frankfurt, are currently the subject of legitimate criticism due to incidents by anti-Semitic and racist officials. It is imperative that these incidents are dealt with using all legal means and that everything is done to ensure that in the future contemptuous positions are excluded. But it would be unfair to generalize and to do injustice to the police officers who work daily for our protection and our safety in Frankfurt. We have been able to look back on a good and trusting cooperation with the Frankfurt Police for years and look forward to continuing this…”
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