After confessing in court
Ofarim case: CDU deputy Karin Prien apologizes to hotel employees
Gil Ofarim (l.) with his defense attorney Alexander Stevens in the Leipzig regional court
© Hendrik Schmidt / DPA
After the spectacular turnaround in the trial against Gil Ofarim, CDU deputy leader Karin Prien apologizes. At that time she had called for the dismissal of the hotel employee, who has now been exonerated.
In the case of the singer’s false anti-Semitism allegations Gil Ofarim has now also spoken out to the CDU’s vice-chairwoman, Karin Prien – and publicly asked for an apology. “I was shocked to hear Gil Ofarim’s confession,” she told the star: “I’m sorry for so easily believing his lie, and I can only sincerely apologize to the employee concerned and his hotel.”
The background: After Ofarim accused the employee of the Westin Hotel in Leipzig in an Instagram video in October 2021 of insulting him because of his Star of David necklace, numerous politicians and other celebrities expressed their solidarity with him.
Prien called for the hotel employee to be fired
Prien, who herself has Jewish roots, wrote in a post on the short message service
The hotel immediately announced an investigation into the incident and released the employee who protested his innocence. He had filed a complaint against Ofarim. The singer had stuck to his account of events until the beginning of the week, despite growing doubts from outside sources. On Tuesday, in a spectacular turnaround in the case against him, he suddenly admitted that he had only made up the allegations. The proceedings were discontinued with a fine.
Others are also rowing back
“Gil Ofarim led the fight against anti-Semitism Germany “Unfortunately, serious damage has been caused,” says Prien. This is “particularly serious” at a time of growing anti-Semitism.
“The accusations of anti-Semitism and racism are rightly linked to social disregard,” Prien continued: “With every new victim there is now the risk that the perpetrator and society will point to him and his lie.”
The CDU politician is not the only one who admitted her own wrongdoing after Ofarim pleaded guilty. Her party friend, CDU member of the Bundestag Serap Güler, also wrote on the short message service She doesn’t think that was naivety, but rather because “this made-up story is reality for many Jews.”