The Jewish musician Gil Ofarim made a surprising confession in his trial for libel and false suspicion. Ofarim admitted that the allegations he made about alleged anti-Semitic behavior by a hotel employee were false.
“The allegations are true,” said the musician from Munich in front of the Leipzig regional court. To the employee affected by Ofarim’s allegations, who appeared as a co-plaintiff in the proceedings, he said: “I would like to apologize to you.”
Accusations of anti-Semitism via video
Ofarim made anti-Semitism allegations against a Leipzig hotel in a video on Instagram in October 2021. In the video, which went viral on social media, he described how the hotel employee asked him to take off his Star of David necklace. He couldn’t check in beforehand. The musician later filed a complaint – but the employee also fought back and in turn reported Ofarim for defamation.
Co-plaintiff reported a delay in checking in
According to the Leipzig public prosecutor’s office, the incident did not happen as described by Ofarim. After extensive investigations, the musician was charged with defamation and false suspicion. The case against the hotel employee was dropped.
In contrast to Ofarim, the man whom the Jewish musician had accused of anti-Semitism had already spoken out at the beginning of the defamation trial. According to the 35-year-old, there were delays at reception due to technical problems. Ofarim then called the hotel a “shit shop” because other guests were allegedly given preferential treatment, the employee said. He then refused Ofarim check-in.
Hotel employee accepts apology
The Leipzig hotel employee said he felt threatened by Ofarim’s appearance. He impressively reported the serious impact Ofarim’s anti-Semitism accusation had had on him. He received a death threat, had to go into hiding for a few days and underwent psychotherapeutic treatment.
The hotel employee now accepted Ofarim’s apology in court. He was happy that “the truth could now be brought to light” and spoke of the “end of an odyssey.” Ofarim said he had since deleted the video with the allegations against the man. The musician’s Instagram account was also recently no longer accessible.
Fine and compensation for pain and suffering: proceedings temporarily discontinued
“The chamber is convinced that the defendant’s confession today is true,” said Andreas Stadler, the presiding judge. The defendant and the co-plaintiff had agreed, the path to compensation for damages had been taken and the binding nature of the law was guaranteed. The hotel employee’s good reputation has been restored.
The case against Ofarim for defamation and false suspicion was temporarily discontinued after the surprising confession. The 41-year-old has to pay a sum of 10,000 euros to the Jewish Community of Leipzig and the sponsoring association of the Wannsee Conference House. If the money is received there within six months, the process is finally stopped. In addition, compensation for pain and suffering for those affected is said to have been agreed.
Central Council: Ofarim harmed those affected by anti-Semitism
The Central Council of Jews in Germany condemned Ofarim’s false accusation of anti-Semitism. “He must face the consequences of his lie in every way,” it said in a statement. The 41-year-old “caused great harm to all those who are actually affected by anti-Semitism.” When faced with an accusation of anti-Semitism, it is right not to “initially question the experience of anti-Semitism,” the Central Council wrote, adding: “Conversely, such an accusation must never be made without cause. And that is unfortunately what happened here.”
Shortly after the alleged incident in Leipzig, the President of the Central Council of Jews, Josef Schuster, demanded an apology from the hotel. A month later, however, Schuster said he did not want to make a final judgment yet. However, he hopes that Ofarim has “not done a disservice” to the fight against anti-Semitism.
With information from dpa