"Welt am Sonntag": Ofarim stands by accusations of anti-Semitism
Ahead of the court case against him for defamation, musician Gil Ofarim stands by his accusations of anti-Semitism. "I know what happened to me. It wasn't about the employee, but about anti-Semitism," the 41-year-old told Welt am Sonntag. Ofarim will have to answer to the Leipzig District Court on Tuesday for false accusations and defamation, among other things. He is glad that much will now come out that has not been said or written before. He has confidence in the justice system.
Ofarim had described in a video that went viral on October 4, 2021 that an employee of a Leipzig hotel had asked him to remove his Star of David necklace so that he could check in. The musician later filed a complaint, but the hotel employee in question also defended himself and reported the musician for defamation.
After extensive investigations, the public prosecutor's office brought charges against Ofarim. It emerged that the alleged anti-Semitism incident in the hotel had not happened as the musician had described it in the video. The investigation against the hotel employee was dropped.
"I didn't even begin to anticipate what this video would trigger. And I would do it again," Ofarim said in the newspaper interview. He had to queue at the hotel to check in. Then someone in the queue behind him said "put the star away". "So I said to the receptionist that I had just been insulted in an anti-Semitic way. He looked at me and said: "Then put the star away and we can check you in". He was stunned, Ofarim emphasized. "I've had a lot of experience with anti-Semitic remarks, but not in a hotel like this."
Despite the court case against him for falsely accusing a hotel employee of anti-Semitism, Gil Ofarim continues to assert that the incident was rooted in anti-Semitic processes. His music, often filled with themes of social justice and identity, continues to resonate with many people who connect with his experiences.
Source: www.dpa.com
