The Russian-American journalist Masha Gessen (centre) has written extensively on Russia and Ukraine, but it was their focus on Germany’s relationship to Israel that attracted ire. Photo by Morris MacMatzen/Getty Images You might think that Germans would know something about Hannah Arendt. With the possible exception of Albert Einstein, no Jewish intellectual who was forced to flee Nazi Germany is more honoured. Her portrait graces postage stamps, schools, institutes, journals, and even a train line has been named after her. A major exhibition “Hannah Arendt and the 20th Century” took place at the German Historical Museum in 2020. And it’s...