Israeli director Yuval Abraham (left) and Palestinian director Basil Adra during the Berlin International Film Festival Awards Ceremony (French)

Berlin -

Winners at the Berlin Film Festival's defense of the Palestinian people, their strong criticism of Israel and their accusation - on stage - of "genocide and apartheid" caused great embarrassment to German politicians and their parties that support Israel.

The pace of responses did not slow down, even though the event was related to an art festival that was supposed to defend freedom of expression.

Members of German parties united in describing what happened as “anti-Semitism,” directing their anger at Culture Minister Claudia Roth. The German government also criticized the “untrue statements” at the festival.

American director Ben Russell (left) wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh (Getty)

"Free Palestine"

The Israeli ambassador, Ron Prosor, said, “The anti-Semitic and anti-Israel rhetoric was met with applause, and the German cultural scene is rolling out the red carpet - exclusively - for those who promote the delegitimization of Israel.”

The statements came from the Minister of Justice, who wrote on “X”: “Antisemitism is not allowed and has no place, especially where culture and the free exchange of opinions should be. Anti-Semitism is hatred that is not allowed in Germany,” adding that the festival “caused great harm.” ".

The minister did not directly refer to the words of at least three awardees who criticized Israeli policies, but he referred to the phrase “Free Palestine from the river to the sea,” which appeared on the festival’s Instagram account, claiming that it “understands the killing operations in Israel,” and thus It is a criminal offence, according to him.

According to the organizers, the festival’s account was hacked, and a picture bearing the aforementioned phrase was published, but it was later deleted. The festival’s administration filed a report against an anonymous person, but today, Tuesday, the “TO Line” website published a report in which it said that the hacking story was questionable. Workers within the administration have great sympathy with the Palestinian side.

Returning to what happened on the night of the festival’s awards, German politicians and most of the local media did not approve of the participants raising the “Ceasefire Now” banner, nor the statement of American director Ben Russell, who ascended to the stage wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh and said, “We stand with life and against it.” Genocide and for a ceasefire."

Ben Russell, along with French director Guillaume Caillaux, won the best film in the “Encounter” segment of the festival dedicated to independent films with a creative spirit.

Strong statement

But the statement that spread widely on social networks was made by Palestinian journalists Basil Adra and Israeli Yuval Abraham, who directed the film “No to Another Land” - along with other directors - which won the award for best documentary film, and depicts the expulsion of Palestinians by Israeli settlers from their lands.

Adra said: “It is difficult for me to celebrate when tens of thousands of my people are being slaughtered and killed by Israel in Gaza,” calling on Germany to respect calls for a ceasefire and to stop exporting weapons to Israel.

Abraham also referred to the suffering of the Palestinians under a system he described as “apartheid,” saying: “My colleague Adra and I will return to a land where we are not equal. I live under civil law, and Basil under military law. I have the right to vote, and he does not. I am free to move.” As I want, he, like millions of Palestinians, is detained in the occupied West Bank.”

The festival administration said - in a statement to the press - that the opinions of the crowned persons are binding on them and are individual, adding that “statements that contradict our opinions must be tolerated, as long as they do not involve racial discrimination,” but added that it would be better “if the guests expressed themselves in a different way.” ".

Among the statements that sparked great criticism was the clarification provided by the German Ministry of Culture, in order to defend Minister Claudia Roth, after she appeared applauding after Adra and Abraham’s speech.

The clarification stated: “Applause for the Israeli-Jewish director who spoke of his support for a political solution and peaceful coexistence in the region.”

The minister ignored the presence of the Palestinian Adra, to which he responded by saying that her comment reflects “the double standards and hypocrisy practiced by the German government against the Palestinians,” noting that Roth announced the opening of an investigation into what happened at the coronation ceremony, describing the statements critical of Israel as “shocking,” in her opinion. .

Argentine actor Nahuel Pérez Pescayart wears a T-shirt bearing the phrase “End the Siege on Gaza” during the Berlin Film Festival (French)

Shameful

German journalist of Turkish origin, Tariq Bayi, wrote: “The minister defends herself by congratulating the Israeli, but between the lines she sacrifices the Palestinian that the Israeli is talking about, which is shameful.”

Berlin Mayor Kai Wegener, who was present at the ceremony, tried to defend himself against his critics, saying that “Berlin has a clear position on freedom and stands with Israel,” accusing the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) alone of “causing suffering inside Israel and the Gaza Strip.” Gaza,” he claimed, noting that “anti-Semitism has no place in Berlin.”

The well-known American-British journalist, Mehdi Hassan, was surprised by Wegener’s statement, and wrote: “The mayor of Berlin, who is not Jewish, accuses an Israeli-Jewish journalist of anti-Semitism for presenting documented data from human rights organizations. This is authoritarian madness in Germany.”

The German media supporting Israel attacked the festival and the winners, but, unusually, a news presenter on the general news channel "Tages Show", during a question to a guest from the festival, described the film's directors as "aggressors."

The left-wing newspaper Tageszeitung (TAZ) also wrote: “The Berlinale was hijacked by pro-Palestinian activists. This is not surprising,” and claimed that anyone who wears a keffiyeh to an awards ceremony and “repeats the same phrases amid applause does not care about art.” But with excitement.”

For his part, German journalist Hanno Hauenstein, one of the few voices critical of Germany's bias toward Israel, wrote that the directors' work goes deep into German identity after World War II, an identity that "glorifies Israel as a kind of heroic narrative that deals with its own demons," and that “Anything that threatens this plot” is seen as an inconvenience.

It is noteworthy that Germany witnessed during the previous months the cancellation and suspension of many cultural and artistic events, due to the presence of participants opposed to the war on Gaza, or because of their support for the Boycott Israel Movement (BDS), and German states, such as Berlin, are pushing towards obliging the beneficiaries of the support to commit not to " Anti-Israel.”

Source: Al Jazeera