Berlinale scandal: Minister of Justice threatens consequences
Published: Tuesday, Feb 27th 2024, 14:50
Updated At: Tuesday, Feb 27th 2024, 14:50
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Following the scandal over anti-Semitic remarks at the Berlinale, German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann has threatened criminal prosecution.
The FDP politician told the Funke Mediengruppe newspapers that criminal law is well positioned to punish anti-Semitic statements. The use of the slogan "Free Palestine - From the River to the Sea" could, for example, be understood as an endorsement of the killings committed in Israel as part of the Hamas attacks in October 2023.
The sentence is called "Free Palestine - from the river to the sea". It means that there should be a free Palestine on an area from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea - where Israel is now located. The slogan was not used during the Berlinale Gala on Saturday evening.
However, it appeared in an Instagram post that had previously been published on a Berlinale series account. According to the Berlinale, the Instagram channel was hacked - the posts were deleted immediately and the film festival filed criminal charges against unknown persons.
"Rewarding and condoning criminal acts is punishable by law," emphasized the minister. Anyone who disseminates propaganda material from unconstitutional and terrorist organizations or uses the symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations such as Hamas is also liable to prosecution. "The Berlinale has suffered serious damage this weekend because anti-Semitism has gone far too unchallenged there," explained Buschmann. The criminal assessment of the incidents is a matter for the responsible prosecution authorities and courts. However, the political verdict is clear to him: "Anti-Semitism is intolerable."
The Middle East conflict was addressed several times during the Berlinale Gala on Saturday evening. Numerous members of the jury and award winners called for a ceasefire in the Gaza war, either verbally or by wearing badges. In an acceptance speech for an award, there was talk of genocide. The remarks were subsequently met with criticism and outrage from politicians and associations.
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