As of: February 27, 2024, 5:14 p.m
By: Sandra Kathe
Comments
Press
Split
The fact that criticism of Israel was repeatedly expressed during the Berlinale caused discontent among many.
Justice Minister Buschmann is calling for criminal consequences.
Berlin – With a dubious Instagram post and several controversial speeches by film festival participants, the Berlinale has repeatedly made political headlines this year.
This triggered strong reactions from politicians.
But there are not only demands for criminal consequences and criticism of the lack of reactions from the organizational team.
Criticism of Israel's reaction to the violent Hamas attacks at the beginning of October has been met with support in many cases throughout Germany and internationally.
Many critics accuse the Israeli government, which has recently rejected attempts to negotiate a ceasefire, of genocide and apartheid.
South Africa has brought an action before the United Nations International Court of Justice for this reason.
Israel and its supporters, which include Germany, reject this and point out that Israel's goal is only to destroy the terrorist organization Hamas, but not the destruction of the Palestinian people.
For Buschmann, the Berlinale “suffered serious damage” this year due to political statements made by its participants.
(Archive photo) © Kay Nietfeld/dpa
Debate about criticism of Israel: Rewarding and condoning crimes is punishable
Specifically, the debate about the Berlinale is primarily about a post on the social media platform Instagram, which, according to the Berlinale organization, was allegedly preceded by a hacker attack.
According to a report by the German Press Agency, the slogan “Free Palestine – From the River to the Sea” was used on the graphic, which has since been deleted.
The slogan that has recently been increasingly used by opponents of Israel, which calls for the liberation of Palestine “from the river
(Jordan)
to the sea,” is highly controversial primarily because it calls into question Israel's right to exist.
On this basis, the slogan is assumed to have an anti-Semitic background.
On this basis, Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) emphasized in an interview with the
Funke
media group that anti-Semitic statements must be urgently punished and that “rewarding and endorsing” crimes is also punishable.
Criminal law is well positioned to punish such anti-Semitic statements.
Buschmann also emphasized that the Berlinale had “suffered serious damage” due to insufficient opposition to statements critical of Israel.
Crime or freedom of expression: Politics has no answer to criticism of Israel
According to a report by Bayerischer Rundfunk
, the director of the Frankfurt Anne Frank Education Center, Meron Mendel,
sees the matter in a somewhat more differentiated manner .
Although he said that the Instagram post and especially the previous alleged hacker attack were criminally relevant, the critical statements made by participants at the Berlinale could only be described as cases of “anti-Israel and one-sided statements”.
My news
This is how RAF terrorist Daniela Klette was able to go into hiding for 30 years: read “Grandmas and Grandpas who are adored”.
Well equipped: Sweden's military is becoming a huge problem for Putin's imperialism
Russia openly threatens to shoot down NATO jets – read “return of particularly aggressive attitude”.
44 mins ago
Putin’s decree is making waves – experts see preparation for “large-scale war against NATO” read
Rumors about Putin's death: Kremlin spokesman gives new details
“The best armored personnel carriers of the war”: Ukraine gets a weapon with “high-tech features” read
Mendel sees the fact that several prize winners spoke out against the war in Israel in their acceptance speeches and called for a ceasefire, for example, as a statement protected by freedom of expression and emphasized that he could not imagine how one could ban something like that.
Mendel accused the politicians who criticized this of “doing a kind of symbolic politics” and having “no concept” of “what the alternative is.”
Reaction to the Berlinale: Berlin's Senator for Culture Chialo wants a new anti-discrimination clause
An example of a politician who could be referred to by this is the CSU chairman Markus Söder, who subsequently accused the Berlinale Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth (Greens) of inaction.
Berlin's Senator for Culture Joe Chialo (CDU) also spoke out in favor of a new anti-discrimination clause following the Berlinale: “It is important to find a legal regulation that ensures that hatred is not financed with taxpayers' money.
“Four Senate administrations under the Governing Mayor are currently working on this together,” he told the newspaper
Die Welt
.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) also condemned the statements critical of Israel on Monday.
Scholz shares the view that “such a one-sided positioning cannot be allowed to stand,” said a government spokeswoman.
It is important in any debate on this topic to keep in mind what triggered this new escalation of the conflict - namely the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th.
(saka with dpa)