Berlin – Threats and insults have been voiced in the past against Uri Feinberg (37), a restaurant owner in Freiberg, because of his Jewish background.
An event that took place in December 2017 was published all over the world when a man of German origin shouted at him for many minutes in front of the restaurant.
Feinberg came to Germany from Israel. The man shouted at him that he had nothing to do in Germany, that “the Jews should go back” and “go to the stupid gas chambers.”
Unfortunately, the threats increased later. Every week Feinberg receives telephone calls and comments on the Internet – “The skin was not fried enough”, “There is not enough cyclone the garlic” or “Would like to order a table for Hitler.”
When Feinberg wanted to file a complaint about these comments, the prosecutor wrote to him: “The comments may be not nice, but they can not be considered slander that could harm human dignity.”
But the situation continues to worsen. A man named Lutz P. From Leipzig writes almost every day. He denies the Holocaust and threatens to hurt him.
Feinberg: “The police told me that they can not do anything because the man is mentally ill.” And this is the thing Lutz exploits. “I’ll go to a psychiatric ward and get confirmation that I’m spreading threats because I’m mentally ill,” he said. And: “Well, the title in the newspapers will probably be that you want to see a mentally ill convicted.”
He also threatens Feinberg with death: “I will cut his throat, I’ll definitely do it.” Therefore, the police opened an “initial investigation on suspicion of threats.”
In another case, a Berliner of Turkish origin, Regip Y., told Feinberg in April 2018: “Hitler’s times will return and we’ll all put you in the oven, you bastards!” Feinberg sent a video of the phone call to the police. The caller even sent his number, probably by mistake. The police could have determined his identity.
Lutz of course is not mentally ill, but nothing happened. Feinberg received in October 2018 a letter from the prosecutor Office stating that the case was closed because he did not file a criminal complaint. And that’s not true.
► Feinberg filed a criminal complaint signed before the end of the three-month deadline which, according to the prosecution was transferred to the police. Prosecutor Martin Staltner said: “The criminal complaint is not in the file, Mr. Feinberg can send it again, and then the investigation will begin.”
The chef is grateful that the local police tries to protect him as much as possible. The police regularly pass by the restaurant, stopping in front of the restaurant that hosts many clients. Customers like to eat hummus and Israeli dishes. But if P. or Y. will realize their threats, it will probably not be enough.
