A story recently published about a Chabad family being accosted by a German customs official in a German airport brought back bad memories for two Bochurim who were accosted in a very similar way in June of 1997, 12 years ago.
1997: German Embassy Apologizes for Customs Officers Behavior
A story recently published about a Chabad family being accosted by a German customs official in a German airport brought back bad memories for two Bochurim who were accosted in a very similar way in June of 1997, 12 years ago.
The Bochurim were on their way to help a Shliach in Germany and were passing through the customs inspection when one official began shouting at them, and refused to speak the two in English. The official made a hand gesture mimicking that of a hand gun and pretended to shoot the two, then pulled out his handcuffs and as he waved them he opened up in another barrage of insults laces with anti-Semitic hate, only this time in perfect English.
After the Bochurim returned from their Shlichus they sent a letter to the local German embassy in Canada with details of the incident, the embassy responded that the officer was suspended and that he has a history of mental illness.
The letter:
Dear Rabbi ***,
In response to your letter of August 8th 1997 and further to our telephone conversation a few days ago, I would first like to express my profound regret at the unpleasant and unacceptable way in which your san has been treated by a German customs official at Tegel Airport in Berlin on June 1st, 1997.
I very much hope that you and your son will derive some satisfaction at least from learning that according to information confirmed just now by the German Federal Foreign Office upon request by the Embassy, the customs official in question has since been suspended from active duty for unduly aggressive behavior also in a number of unrelated other cases, and for apparent mental instability.
Hoping that this regrettable incident will deter neither your son nor yourself from visiting Germany again under much more pleasant circumstances.
Yours sincerely,
Rudiger Lemp
Minister-Counsellor
yossi.ch
we could only hope that a similar outcome will become.
Hope springs eternal
In the face of much skeptisism recognition of this appollogy letter does reflect much positive progress in German and Jewish relations and hopefully shows signs of declining future antsemitism.
An appreciative response to this letter would also be a great benefit.
Incredulous!
What does “suspended from *active* duty” mean, really? Does he still have job, just behind the scenes? A desk job? What is “suspended”? Did this horrible guy get FIRED or not? Oh sure…the “mental instability” defense. Yeah they ALL had some mental instability 55 years ago, right?
disgusted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the guy should be fired and made an example of!!!
they should sue big time!!!!!!!!!!!!!