Until October 7, 2023, Guy Katz lived a fairly normal life in Munich. But since the brutal Hamas attack on Israel on that day, everything has changed for the Israeli native. He now dedicates a large part of his energy and free time to volunteer projects against antisemitism.
By Dana Nowak
“I grew up with Hezbollah’s Katyusha rockets,” Guy Katz told Christians Standing with Israel (CSI) at a meeting in Munich. He was born in Israel in 1982, where he lived near the Lebanese border until he was eight years old. For professional reasons—his father was a diplomat—the family moved to Munich for four years. Guy then completed his military service in Israel. At the age of 22, he returned to Germany to study. It was meant to be temporary, but he ended up staying. Today, Guy is an expert in intercultural negotiations with a focus on Germany and Israel, an entrepreneur, and a professor of international management at the Faculty of Tourism in Munich.
“I’ve always been active in business, never in politics,” Guy explains. But since October 7, 2023, everything has changed for him. “My wife woke me up that morning. We were so shocked. Terrible messages kept arriving on my phone from family and friends in Israel. At some point, the officer in me kicked in. I learned to lead and set a good example in the military. That’s always stayed with me, whether as an entrepreneur or as a university professor.”
Through his extensive network of Israelis worldwide, Guy learned about the "Run for Their Lives" solidarity run, which had been launched by Israelis in California shortly after the Hamas attack. The goal was to take to the streets once a week to raise awareness for those kidnapped by the terrorists. The initiative quickly spread to numerous cities across the USA. Guy was determined to do something for the hostages in Germany, so he and his Israeli friend Jil brought the solidarity run to Germany and thus to Europe. The work began in Munich and was soon adopted by other German cities.
The first run took place in Munich, the Bavarian capital, on November 12th. Around 120 participants attended. "You don't have to be Jewish or Israeli to know that what happened on October 7th – these kidnappings, these massacres, the rapes – is simply unacceptable. People from 25 nations were abducted."
"It's about humanity"
From the very beginning, it was important to Guy that the solidarity runs be non-political. "It should simply be about humanity." In the first year, the Munich group ran every Sunday. "That was a lot of work: writing to people, being active on social media, contacting the police and authorities. I also have my company, my professorship, and my family with two small children."
The runs were originally planned as 18-minute walks, but that was too short for many participants, Guy explains. “In Munich, we walk for between 30 and 40 minutes, always a different route. We walk quietly – not silently, but quietly. At pro-Palestinian demonstrations, there's often shouting. We believe our strength lies in silence. We don't provoke; we want to be different. The highlight, if you can call it that, was the run on October 6, 2024. CSI was also involved, and Munich had by then become the largest Run for Their Lives group in the world. At that time, there were still about 100 hostages in captivity.”
Since the number of antisemitic incidents has risen rapidly in Germany since October 7th, "Run for Their Lives" on the first anniversary of the massacre focused on two issues: supporting the hostages and opposing antisemitism. "This eventually led to the formation of the 'Munich Against Antisemitism' alliance. I then decided to hold the run only on the first Sunday of each month. I simply couldn't do it anymore. Jil, who had helped me, emigrated to Israel, and I was left to manage it alone. Besides, fewer people were coming. But October 6th, 2024, was historic – with more than 8,000 participants, it was the largest demonstration against antisemitism in Germany."
Celebrity support
“Among our biggest supporters are Uschi and Dieter Glas. Together, we had the vision of making ‘Munich Against Antisemitism’ a beacon against antisemitism that shines throughout the Western world,” Guy explains. And so, this year again, there will be a large demonstration in Munich – against antisemitism, for the hostages, and in remembrance of the victims of the Hamas attack. It will take place on Sunday, October 5th, at Königsplatz – a location the Nazi Party used for propaganda events and displays of power during the Nazi era. “Back then, there were marches there with more than 20,000 Nazi soldiers. For me, it’s very symbolic when people stand in this square for Jews, instead of against Jews as they did back then.”
Guy has been busy organizing the large rally for months, working to win over politicians and influential people. "Just think of all the good we could accomplish in the time we need to fight antisemitism," Guy says, shaking his head thoughtfully.
He experiences firsthand that fighting antisemitism takes more than just time and energy. “I write for Focus Online as an Israel expert. My articles reach millions of people. Of course, I use my LinkedIn account for business purposes, but I've added a yellow ribbon to my profile picture in solidarity with the hostages, and I occasionally post something against antisemitism. Two clients have subsequently terminated their business relationships. And who knows who else hasn't invited me because I take a stand against antisemitism. I know many Jews who have a large reach but don't speak out publicly because they don't want to lose business. I can understand that, but personally, I can't remain silent.”
Guy explains that it took him many years in Germany to go from being an Israeli to a Jew. “October 7th reinforced this awareness. Being Jewish isn't about whether you go to synagogue; it's an identity, it's the fact that my four grandparents were Holocaust survivors, that we carry on these stories – dating back to Pharaoh's time, every year. You don't have to be religious for that.”
Guy hopes that German society will not silently accept antisemitism. "It's important to stand up against antisemitism everywhere, online and offline – in the family, the neighborhood, at work. If 80 million Germans did that, it would already help a great deal."
All information about the rally in Munich on October 5th can be found at www.dachgegenhass.com
This article first appeared in our newspaper "Israelaktuell," issue 142. You can order the newspaper here . We would also be happy to send you several copies for distribution.
