The German city of Kassel barred a pro-Israel group from displaying Israeli flags at an information stand, allegedly because it might upset passersby.
A member of the interfaith group Bündnis gegen Antisemitismus, the Association Against Anti-Semitism, said when she sought permission to set up a stand, she was told that Israeli flags would not be permitted, as passersby could “feel threatened.”
In January 2009, during Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, people displaying Israeli flags in several German cities, including Kassel, were attacked by anti-Israel demonstrators.
Critics noted that demonstrators for the Iranian pro-democracy movement had no issues displaying a large Iranian flag recently in Kassel. — jta