The journalist Nemi El-Hassan will not present the science program "Quarks" for the time being.
The WDR director Tom Buhrow announced on Tuesday.
Cologne - The journalist Nemi El-Hassan is not supposed to moderate the WDR program "Quarks" at the moment after accusations of anti-Semitism.
According to a report by the
German Press Agency
WDR
director Tom Buhrow, this was announced to the
WDR
Broadcasting Council
on Tuesday
.
In his view, the problem is not so much her participation in an Al-Kuds demonstration seven years ago, as she clearly distanced herself from it.
However, there have also been problematic likes from her in social networks recently.
"It's a difficult, difficult tradeoff," said Buhrow.
In any case, it would lead to an inappropriate politicization of the program.
However, one is considering letting El-Hassan work as an author for “Quarks”, said Buhrow - not in front of, but behind the camera.
Moderator Nemi El-Hassan: WDR decides not to work in front of the camera for the time being
At the annual Al-Kuds demonstrations in Berlin, anti-Semitic slogans were repeatedly shouted and symbols of the pro-Iranian Lebanese Hezbollah movement were shown.
The whole case had started
rolling
through reporting by
Bild
: The newspaper had announced that the journalist was at an Al-Kuds demonstration in Berlin several years ago.
As a result, El-Hassan distanced himself from the demo in 2014.
The
WDR
then announced that it was suspending the planned start of the moderation of El-Hassan on the science program "Quarks" for the time being.
Actually, the 28-year-old should have started in November.
Criticism of Nemi El-Hassan: "Anti-Semitic positions must not have a place in the WDR"
Numerous members of the Broadcasting Council spoke up and mostly criticized the fact that El-Hassan should continue to work for the
WDR
. You cannot have a seat in front of or behind the camera. "We are not allowed to pretend that there are different important areas of responsibility in the
WDR
," it said in a request to speak. The
WDR is
doing itself
no favor. The problem is less the sins of youth than the statements from the most recent times. One could be critical of Israel, but joy at violence against Israel was under no circumstances to be tolerated.
The Chairman of the Broadcasting Council, Andreas Meyer-Lauber, said: "Anti-Semitic positions cannot and must
not have a place
in the
WDR
."
How one then makes a personnel decision in detail is not a matter for the Broadcasting Council.
"We cannot make the decision for you here today," he said to Buhrow.
The basic direction of the requests to speak was however clear.
He wanted a solution that was acceptable to all sides.
(dpa / fmü)