Israeli expelled from Berlin restaurant for "Israeli accent" while ordering hummus
According to the Israeli, a waiter at a Berlin restaurant refused to serve him due to his origin and the way he pronounced the word "hummus," eventually ordering him to leave. With the assistance of the Ofek organization, a lawsuit has been filed alleging antisemitic discrimination based on ethnic origin.
An Israeli diner living in Germany visited a restaurant in the Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood of Berlin this past February. When he attempted to order hummus, pronouncing the dish with an Israeli accent, the waiter allegedly reprimanded him, claiming he was pronouncing the word incorrectly and that it should be pronounced differently in Arabic.
The waiter stated that it was a Palestinian restaurant. According to the diner, the employee became rude, refused to serve him upon learning he was from Israel, and signaled for him to leave the premises. When the Israeli asked if the refusal was due to his nationality, the waiter replied that he attributed a pro-Israel political stance to him based on his origin.
Following the incident, the man turned to the counseling center Ofek (Ofek e.V.), which provides support in cases of antisemitic violence and discrimination. With the center's assistance, he has filed a lawsuit in the Berlin District Court, claiming discrimination based on ethnic origin. According to a report by the German news outlet Taz, the Israeli had previously contacted the restaurant to complain but received no response, and his subsequent demand for an apology from the owners was ignored.
"My girlfriend and I just wanted to eat hummus. It was very humiliating to be asked to leave because of my Hebrew accent and my background. I believe that food should unite people and build bridges, so it was especially hurtful," the plaintiff stated.
According to Marina Chernivsky, CEO of Ofek, this case is an example of the many incidents of discrimination the center has been addressing since October 7, 2023.
"This illustrates the growing social isolation and exclusion that many Israelis and Jews in Germany have experienced since then. Antisemitism limits the equal participation of Jews in social life—through open hostility as well as subtle forms of discrimination," Chernivsky commented.
