Berlin: A tenant had to leave his home because he flew the Israeli flag (Translation)

Israel Army Radio ^ | June 5, 2003 | Yigal Avidan, Germany

[yonif]

Translation by me from Hebrew to English,

In Berlin, a tenant had to clear his rented apartment out after he flew the Israeli flag on his apartments roof. He decided to rather leave his apartment after the owner demanded he removed the flag, due to complaints of the tenants and the spraying of the building with anti-Israel grafitti.

The owner said that the flying of the flag threatens the safety of the tenants. The man, Ralph Shroder, said that he flew the flag cause he wanted to express solidarity with his friends in Israel.

[yonif]

Ping.

[yonif]

Even at the Akaba summit it was the same.

[adam_az]

Sounds like they'd prefer he wear a yellow Magen David (Star of David) patch as opposed to flying the blue and white.

[Dilly]

Let's see, a private property owner doesn't want a tenant to fly a flag on the private property. Tenant would rather live elsewhere than not be able to fly the flag. Tenant moves out and presumably finds somewhere to live where he can fly his flag. Owner rents to someone else. I think that's just about exactly how things are supposed to work.

[ffusco]

Exactly. The title is infalmmatory and misleading. Should read: Tenant seeks new Flat.

[ffusco]

Misleading title. Not Anti-semitism.

[ffusco]

Sounds like the owner doesn't like flags on HIS building. Are there a lot of Jewish buildings with German flags flying from rooftops in Isreal?

[SJackson]

Right, complaints, grafitti and an apparent physical threat to his tenants has nothing to do with antisemitism. I know, they're just anti-Zionist.

[BrooklynGOP]

Are there a lot of Jewish buildings with German flags flying from rooftops in Isreal?

I am sure you'll post an article if they make somebody take down a German flag in Israel. Make sure to ping me.

[ffusco]

Well the grafitti was caused by vandals who clearly were anti-semitic. But the landlord was just trying to protect his property and his tenants.

[ffusco]

In my subdivision I can't paint my house bright green- I guess they hate the Irish.

There are enough actual cases of anti-semitism. The landlord asking for a flag to be removed is not. The grafitti artists were anti-semitic.

BTW: If it were my building I wouldn't permit any national flags but my own.

[adam_az]

"Sounds like the owner doesn't like flags on HIS building. Are there a lot of Jewish buildings with German flags flying from rooftops in Isreal?"

It's spelled Israel.

Why can't a tenant fly any kind of flag he likes out of his window, if he's paying the rent?

Should a landlord be able to make arbitrary demands of his tenant and demand immediate compliance without it being in the rental lease agreement?

[adam_az]

How sad for Germany that flying the Israeli flag is enough to make the building "unsafe for tenants."

It's sounding like 1939 all over again in the Deutschland.

[ffusco]

True, It is sad. And frightening that a flag would provoke such behavior. I still think the landlord was correct in insisting the flag be removed to protect his building and tenants.

[af_vet_1981]

But the landlord was just trying to protect his property and his tenants.

Just like his grandfather protected them in the 1930s ...

Just remember the sheep and the goats.

[ffusco]

I always mis-spell Israel - thanks.


In this case the flag was flown from a rooftop. Rent paying permits you to reside there, the building is private property and the landlord has the final say over anything physically attached to his property whether it is spelled out in the lease or not. It might be more civil to spell this out in a lease, but it is not required.

[ffusco]

Sheep and goats?

[Michael81Dus]

I think it has less to do with anti-semitism than with radical opposition to the policy of Israel. And, not to forget, that Berlin is the biggest Turkish community western of Istambul.

A tenant has not the right to do what he wants with "his windows". Usually, the contract says that he has to ask for written permission of the house-owner. I guess the Israel-supporter hasn´t done that...

Comparisons between the 1930´s and today are a slap into the face of all who were victims of the Nazi regime and who live in Germany of today.

[Michael81Dus]

Right, you pay for the right to do what you want IN your flat, not what you show outside. Someone who had shown the Palestinian flag would have to leave the house, too (if not the house-owner were a Palestinian by chance).