Israeli Delegation Visits Berlin a Year after Fatal Community Center Shooting

September 02, 2010

A young delegation of Israelis visited Berlin’s memorial commemorating LGBT deaths during the Nazi regime, this after a year following the shootings of two gay Israelis at a youth center in Tel Aviv.

Memorial plaque at Metro-station Nollendorfplatz in Berlin-Schöneberg

The trip was organized by the German organization Maneo in an effort to heal the wounds following the shooting last August and was comprised of youths who were present in the center at the time of the attack.

Nir Katz and Liz Trubishi were killed in the shooting. The delegation met with Berlin police and members of the city’s LGBT community.

The memorial is a box cube with a single window. A look inside reveals a television monitor with two men kissing.

"I wait for the day when everyone understands that all people are human beings," said Katz’s mother, Ayala. "Only idiots murder people for who they are."

One of the young delegates said: "The mere fact we are here, together, united once again, more than a year after [the attack], sends a message of triumph. We see this visit as a symbolic event, the complete opposite from the attack."

Despite Berlin having an openly gay mayor and the liberal attitude of much of its populace, one official said the city has more strides to make to tackle homophobia.

"We run anti-racism programs in schools, which include workshops where students create signs and posters against homophobia."
 

He added: "For the past 18 years, Berlin's police have been employing special officers that deal with complaints related to homophobia-related attacks."

Image Author: Lienhard Schulz