The false accusation and defamation charges against musician Gil Ofarim fall into the category of bad news, and not just for Ofarim. The selfie video he posted online, in which he describes how he was scorned in a Leipzig hotel because of his Star of David, sparked a debate about anti-Semitism last fall that would have been better avoided.
A conviction would deepen the damage, an acquittal would do nothing
Because soon doubts arose as to whether Ofarim’s portrayal was correct. They snubbed those who had jumped into the breach for him and offered impetus to all those who, partly out of anti-Jewish resentment, thought they had caught a liar lying. Irrespective of how the proceedings progress, it can therefore be stated that the case has damaged the necessary, justified and unfortunately ongoing fight against anti-Semitism. A conviction would deepen it, an acquittal would not change it.
Few seem more truthful than confirming a cliché
Could that have been prevented? Possibly, only: Few seems truer than confirming a cliché. Pegida-Saxons and a Jew-hater who lets his agitation run free without any outcry from those present – for many a picture came together. Skepticism would have been required in view of a staged story that was supposed to create a tangible atmosphere. Anyone who prefers to go online to denounce anti-Semitism in an international hotel chain instead of going to the management, for example, wants to determine for themselves and as much as possible what a scandal should be. The fact that someone risked their job in front of everyone in the manner described by Ofarim could have made people suspicious. It was an incredible story in every way.
One should be able to find weighting words again
However, it is also true that Germany is in a dilemma. Any form of distance or the otherwise usual indication of wanting to wait for clarification first would have been perceived as a relativization that was difficult to bear. Anti-Semitism commissioners who remain silent on publicly raised allegations of anti-Semitism quickly appear as if they have failed in their function. Nevertheless: one lesson from what happened should be to find a few words of weight in the future when the situation is unclear. Not everything that someone says on Instagram has to be true.