An Israeli citizen living in the German capital has filed a lawsuit against the Al Hamra restaurant in Berlin, claiming it refused to serve him and expelled him after he pronounced the word “hummus” with an Israeli accent. The case was reported by the German newspaper taz.
According to Ofek, an organization that assists victims of antisemitism and discrimination, the incident took place in mid-February at a restaurant in the Prenzlauer Berg district, but is only now coming to light because of the lawsuit. When the customer ordered hummus, the waiter reacted negatively to the way he pronounced the word and told him: “‘Hummus’ is an Israeli word. This is a Palestinian place, here we say ‘hommos.’”
Hummus, no matter how you pronounce it
(Photo: Shutterstock)
According to the report, the customer told the waiter he was from Israel and asked whether that was why the waiter was unwilling to serve him. According to the Israeli man's testimony, the waiter replied: “Then no,” and pointed toward the door. Ofek said that, during the exchange, the employee attributed a particular political position to the customer solely because of his national origin.
The Israeli first filed a complaint with the restaurant, but said he received no response. A letter from his lawyer demanding an apology also went unanswered, and he is now seeking compensation in a Berlin court under Germany’s equality law, which prohibits discrimination in providing services to the public. The restaurant did not respond to taz.
“My girlfriend and I just wanted to eat hummus,” the Israeli said. “It was a very humiliating experience to be expelled from a restaurant because of my Israeli accent and my origin. I believe food should connect people and build bridges, and that is why it hurt me especially.”
Ofek CEO Marina Chernivsky said the case reflects a broader phenomenon of isolation and exclusion experienced by Israelis and Jews in Germany since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack. According to her, the organization recently assisted in seven cases in Berlin in which people were denied entry or service in German businesses.