Despite the risk of litigation, the German newspaper Bild Zeitung has gone ahead with the streaming of an investigative documentary that exposed the extent of Antisemitism in Europe. The French-German broadcaster ARTE had previously shelved the 90-minute documentary that uncovered the complicity of the European Union and Germany government in financing antisemitic groups posing as charities and NGOs. On Tuesday, the German language documentary was streamed for 24 hours on the newspaper’s website.
French-German ARTE and German broadcaster WDR, both funded by German taxpayers, commissioned the documentary “Chosen and Ostracised — The hatred of Jews in Europe,” but got cold feet after seeing the finished work. The broadcasters confined the documentary to the archives, hoping to dodge a bitter public reception.
Bild Zeitung justified the streaming of the documentary that shows the state of Antisemitism in today’s Europe, saying “Germany is certainly not the country where antisemitic prejudices should be glossed over, covered up, whitewashed. Our historic responsibility compels us to resolutely confront the unspeakable [things] shown in this documentary. In order to do so, we must know what we are dealing with.”
Leading German current-affairs magazine Der Speigel criticised Bild Zeitung for showing the documentary, resting its argument on the “technical shortcomings” of the documentary. The magazine also tried to discredit the producers of the documentary, Joachim Schroeder and Sophie Hafner, by calling them “philosemetic”. “They plunged with philosemetic enthusiasm into a minefield,” Der Spiegel wrote.
German newspaper Merkur praised Bild Zeitung’s courageous stance “despite the legal risks.”
Along with the documentary, Bild Zeitung summarised the crucial aspects covered in the documentary.
On the role of the European Union, Bild Zeitung wrote:
An excerpt from the documentary: June 23, 2016, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the EU Parliament. He claims, “A week ago, rabbis in Israel called their government to poison our water, in order to kill Palestinians.” This should be “incitement to genocide.”Martin Schulz (Germany’s Social Democratic Party), at that time (serving as) the President of the Parliament, tweeted, “An inspiring speech.” After protests, Abbas retracted his disgracefully wrong accusation: He had been “misinformed”. The Human Rights Commissioner for the [Germany’s] Left Party, Annette Groth, could be seen in the film warning of “all the chemicals, tonnes and tonnes,” that has been used to “destroy Gaza’s water supply.” That is “highly dangerous for everyone.” There is no proof for these claims either.
The newspaper talked about the role of German journalists in inciting Jew hatred:
The documentary shows former leftist Jürgen Elsässer, meanwhile the editor-in-chief of right-wing magazine “Compact”, at a rally outside Berlin’s Central Station (May 2015): “We must fight against Islamisation as well as [against] Israelisation,” he explained in a speech.A listener said, “For me Zionism is a mafia”, a “money mafia” that “profits on the destruction of the humanity.” Ken Jebsen, the former show host at the [German public broadcaster] ARD radio “Fritz” said in internet, “The secret hobby of Zio-Cons is to create an Israeli Empire”
On the role of European NGOs, Bild Zeitung writes:
The documentary criticises international organisation. (…) [German Christian charity] “Brot für die Welt” gave €800,000 to [Palestinian organisation] B‘Tselem. The group, that German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel (Social Democrat) met during his trip to Israel, accuses Israeli government of Apartheid and Nazi tactics. (…)
When asked by Bild Zeitung, the Christian charity [Brot für die Welt] did not deny making the payment, it however explained that B’Tselem is not involved in “campaigns and appeals against Israel” but fights “for the observance of Human Rights.” (…)Documentary makers visit United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)Question: Where does the annual budget of €1.36 billon end up, while the schools and hospitals in Gaza are rotting away? Spokesperson Adnan Abu Hasna: We have “controllers” and “auditors,” are “in constant touch” with the EU and UN.
The documentary also covers the Antisemitism on the streets of France and Germany:
The documentary makers travelled through the Paris suburb of Sarcelles. Here 13,000 Jews live among Christians and Muslims. Algerians spread a call in the summer of 2014: “PALESTINE, come armed with mortars, fire extinguishers, [and] clubs. We will take the Jewish quarter.” 3000 demonstrators set the synagogue on fire, and scream “death to the Jews.”(…)The shocking part of the documentary is from July 2014; During the Gaza War, thousands demonstrate in Berlin, Frankfurt and Essen — chanting slogans against Israel, “Death to the Jews,” “Adolf Hitler, Adolf Hitler,” and “Jews, Jews, cowardly swine; come out and fight alone.”An observer at a similar anti-Israel demonstration wonders in Paris, “Nobody takes action, nobody. There are 800 people listening quietly and no one calls for the speaker to stop, no one calls them out or protests.”
This is the sad and sorry reality that Germany’s state-funded broadcasters do not want their viewers to see. Europe’s political and media establishment thinks it can wish way the rising spectre of Antisemitism, particularly within its growing Muslim population, by burying its heads in the sand.
Unlike the German public broadcasters, who decided to suppress the ugly truth about Antisemitism, German newspaper Bild Zeitung has made the right decision by opening the debate about the extent of Antisemitism in today’s Europe and the complicity of the European institutions in funding this antisemitic hate.
According to Bild Zeitung, the documentary was viewed 200,000 times and the newspaper received 650,000 queries related to the film. If the broadcasters were trying to dump the documentary, it has backfired on them in a big way.
Raw video: Antisemitic demonstrations in Germany during the Gaza Conflict of 2014:
[Cover image courtesy BILD]
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