Introduced by a mutual acquaintance, the lawmaker had a special interest in Israel and thought we’d be a good match. I had my doubts but figured it would be informative.
Neither turned out to be the case. Over bitter Nespresso, the parliamentarian mostly spoke of living in Israel and how disappointing it was. I sat there patiently and smiled.
When they eventually asked me for my thoughts on Netanyahu, I couldn’t help but feel that I wasn’t left-wing enough. Each time I made a point, they had to say it was worse. Much worse.
If I were to sum up my experience of German politics, that would be it. As an Israeli-American journalist, I was worth talking to. But my actual opinions were secondary.
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Photograph courtesy of Joel Schalit. All rights reserved.
