Gil Ofarim in front of the Leipzig regional court: The Star of David is said not to have been visible at all

THE MIRROR Gil Ofarim in front of the Leipzig regional court: The Star of David is said not to have been visible at all Article by Annette Langer • 1 H. The musician Gil Ofarim is on trial in Leipzig. The prosecution believes that the Star of David pendant at the center of the allegations of anti-Semitism was not even visible, the defense sees "statement against statement." Since morning, the musician Gil Ofarim has had to answer before the Leipzig regional court for, among other things, false suspicions and defamation. The artist appeared in court shortly after nine with a necklace with a Star of David around his neck - the very piece of jewelry that was at the center of a scandal two years ago that sparked heated debates. On October 4, 2021, Gil Ofarim posted a video in which he described that an employee of the Leipzig hotel “The Westin” asked him to take off his Star of David necklace before checking in. The video has been viewed more than four million times and can still be seen on his Instagram account to this day. DER SPIEGEL summarizes the most important news of the day for you: What was really important today - and what it means. Your daily newsletter update at 6 p.m. Subscribe now for free. In the recording, the musician made serious allegations of anti-Semitism and later filed a complaint. The accused hotel employee defended himself and in turn reported the musician for defamation. According to the prosecution, the Star of David was not visible at all when attempting to check in The public prosecutor's investigation revealed that the alleged anti-Semitic incident in the hotel did not happen as the musician described it in the video. The investigation against the hotel employee was discontinued. When the indictment was read out today, the prosecutor said that Ofarim only pulled the chain over his T-shirt as he was leaving The Westin hotel in Leipzig - shortly before he recorded the viral video in which he claimed Hotel employees told him to “pack up his star.” The defendant therefore wrongly portrayed the hotel employee as an anti-Semite, according to public prosecutor Andreas Ricken. A misunderstanding or bad humor? Ofarim's lawyer explained in court that the video recordings could not prove whether his client had visibly worn the star at the reception or not. It was a “classic case of testimony against testimony,” said attorney Alexander Stevens after the charges were read out. According to the defense, if a discriminatory word was used during the incident a good two years ago, his client should be acquitted. It is possible that the case was a misunderstanding or bad humor - or an "anti-Semitic innuendo," said the lawyer. It is important for society that the court determines the truth. Ultimately, it's "not about the star, but about the experience of discrimination," the lawyer continued. Bullying and discrimination are difficult to prove - especially for victims. In addition, public opinion in the case was determined by several lies. Stevens questioned whether the hotel investigated openly and fairly after the incident. He also considers it “completely implausible” that the incident happened the way the hotel employee described it. Before the trial, Ofarim's lawyer had expressed security concerns in view of the heated situation in the Middle East. It was unclear whether those involved could enter and exit the court safely, said attorney Alexander Stevens. Meanwhile, the regional court is examining whether security measures on site need to be increased. They are in contact with the police. Apparently the number of seats in the jury room was reduced from 100 to 85 in order to increase the distance between the audience and the dock. In addition, every visitor to the regional court is checked at the entrance anyway. The court has scheduled ten days of hearings until December 7th. More than 20 witnesses will testify in the proceedings. According to the Criminal Code, if you are convicted of false suspicion or public defamation, you are liable to a fine. In extreme cases, this can result in a prison sentence of up to five years. If a defendant is convicted of several criminal offenses, the sentence is not added together, but rather a total prison sentence is formed.