Habeck video on anti-Semitism clicked 42 million times
At the beginning of November, Economics Minister Habeck stands in front of the camera and takes a stand - on the Middle East conflict, the actions of Hamas and hostility towards Israel in Germany. The Green politician is celebrated for the video. Now his office is publishing internal data on the reach of the campaign.
A video by Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck from the beginning of November, in which he comments on the war in the Gaza Strip and condemns anti-Semitism in Germany, had recorded more than 42 million views by last Sunday (November 12). The video was commented on more than 43,000 times, as the Ministry of Economic Affairs announced in response to an inquiry from the Düsseldorf newspaper "Rheinische Post". Habeck's first video, which the Vice Chancellor published shortly after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, was viewed 7.5 million times.
The figures apparently include access to the video via various social networks. On X, formerly Twitter, the German version of the video has eleven million views. Another version with subtitles in English, Hebrew and Arabic has a further 17 million.
In the video from the beginning of November, Habeck expressed concern about growing anti-Semitism in Germany in light of the Middle East conflict. In addition to anti-Semitism among Islamists and right-wing extremists, he was also concerned about anti-Semitism "in parts of the political left", the Economics Minister said in the video on the online service X (formerly Twitter). This was "unfortunately also the case among young activists". Habeck also called on Muslims living in Germany and their associations to "clearly distance themselves from anti-Semitism".
The video met with widespread praise, including from the CDU/CSU and Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, said on ntv's "Frühstart" program: "I have not seen such a clear and, in my opinion, balanced statement that also explicitly mentions the concerns of the Palestinians, the legitimate concerns of the Palestinians, in this form in recent weeks."
- The video by Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck, criticizing the hostility towards Israel in Germany and commenting on the Israel war in the Gaza Strip, received widespread praise, with even the President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, commending it for its balance and clear stance against anti-Semitism.
- The internal data published by Habeck's office revealed that the video, which condemned anti-Semitism among various groups, including Islamists, right-wing extremists, and some on the political left, had garnered over 42 million views since its release in November, with a significant portion of those views coming from social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter).
- Controversially, the Gaza Strip has been the site of numerous conflicts between Israel and Hamas, with the ongoing tension leading to concerns about rising anti-Semitism within some communities, including among certain young activists, a point highlighted by Habeck in his video address.
Source: www.ntv.de
