The allegations against the Documenta art exhibition that it shows works of art with anti-Semitic motifs have persuaded those responsible to take a first step.

According to media reports, a work by the Indonesian artist collective Taring Padi, which clearly serves anti-Jewish clichés, is to be partially imposed.

"My personal impression is that there is an anti-Semitic imagery here," said Hesse's Minister of Art Angela Dorn (Greens) on Monday in Wiesbaden. Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth (Greens) made a similar statement. This is where artistic freedom finds its limit Anti-Semitism, as well as against racism and any form of misanthropy are the basis of our coexistence,” said Roth.

"Crossed a red line"

The President of the Central Council of Jews, Josef Schuster, called on those responsible for the Documenta to draw conclusions.

A red line has been crossed.

According to a media report, the public prosecutor's office has since been called in.

The association “WerteInitiative – Jewish-German Positions” explained in Berlin that on the work in question “a Jew was drawn like a vampire with sidelocks, fangs, a snake’s tongue, bloodshot eyes and an SS rune on his hat.

A Mossad agent depicted with a Jewish Star of David is characterized by a pig's face," says the Values ​​Initiative.

Its chairman Elio Adler spoke of "classic anti-Semitism with state support", an "absolute dam bursting" and "open hatred of Jews".

"Appalled at sheer hatred of Jews"

The President of the Jewish community in Munich and Upper Bavaria, Charlotte Knobloch, was "horrified at the sheer hatred of Jews" that is shown in the picture.

"People with sidelocks and SS runes, plus a pig's head with the inscription 'Mossad': That's so clumsy and so unequivocally anti-Semitic that one wonders why all the series of talks and the long debates in the run-up to the documenta were really needed. if such a picture can still be shown in the middle of Kassel.”

Knobloch criticized the step announced on Monday evening to partially cover and “contextualize” the painting as “absurd”.

The "bare minimum" is that those responsible remove the anti-Semitic imagery completely from public space.

This is also in the interests of the other artists, she said.

According to a media report, the President of the German-Israeli Society (DIG), Volker Beck, has turned on the public prosecutor's office.

Beck said to the "Bild" newspaper: "Measured by the standards of the judgment of the Federal Court of Justice on the Wittenberg 'Judensau', the work of the artist collective Taring Padi represents an infringing condition." also attacked the validity and respect of every Jew living in Germany.

"The identification of a Jew with a kippah and hat, marked with an SS rune, demonizes Jews in general." He decided "to submit the matter to the public prosecutor's office in Berlin and Kassel for examination," said Beck.

The American Jewish Committee (AJC) Berlin emphasized that the work is reminiscent of the anti-Semitic imagery of the National Socialist inflammatory newspaper Der Stürmer.

Documenta managing director Sabine Schormann must be "released from her duties immediately".

Minister of State for Culture Roth "didn't act in advance either".

The federal government had rejected the request of the Union parliamentary group on Monday to deal with the documenta in the culture committee, explained parliamentary group vice Dorothee Bär (CSU).

This is "unacceptable".

In view of the "massive allegations" against the management, the public debate and the federal funding with tax funds, it is "imperative that the culture committee deal with it promptly".

If the anti-Semitic allegations prove true, Bär demanded that there should be immediate personnel consequences at the documenta.

The managing director of the German Cultural Council, Olaf Zimmermann, explained that it was "completely incomprehensible how those responsible for Documenta could allow these anti-Semitic works to be exhibited despite all the discussions in advance".

It is a "scandal with an announcement".