Why certain media in Germany need an anti-Semitism officer

by time news

Do certain German media need an internal anti-Semitism officer? That’s a question I’ve been asking myself for years. As early as 2018, I dedicated an entire chapter in my book “The New German Antisemite” to the deliberately distorted reporting on Israel and the Middle East. Years of bitter experiences as a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces from Germany preceded my negative prognosis. For years I have been able to follow closely how certain leading German media pursue a very specific narrative in the Middle East conflict. And subordinate reality to this narrative. Perpetrators become victims and victims are turned into alleged perpetrators.

If Hamas terrorists fire rockets at Israeli cities, the Israeli army usually responds with an air strike, usually against Hamas’ terrorist infrastructures. The headline in many German media: “Israel is bombing Palestinian territories”. The previous rocket fire is only mentioned in the text. When a week ago a Palestinian terrorist opened fire on Israelis in Jerusalem, murdering a 26-year-old man and injuring several people, the Israeli police shot the bomber. The ZDF headline read: “Israel: A Palestinian shot”, the Rheinische Post had the title: “Israeli police officers shoot Palestinians on the Temple Mount”. Again the reader gets the impression that Israel is the culprit. Again cause is twisted with effect. Again a terrorist who kills through the streets is relativized and played down as a “man” or “Palestinian”.

ZDF recently recorded the German-Iranian rapper Sinan Farhang alias Sinan G from Essen in one of its documentaries, although Sinan G is an avowed fanboy of the Lebanese Hezbollah. Radical anti-Semitic comments are also circulating on Facebook, which have also reached me. And Deutsche Welle cooperated with the Arab broadcaster Roya TV, which regularly broadcasts radical anti-Semitic cartoons. It was only after public pressure that Deutsche Welle was forced to suspend its cooperation with Roya TV. There were no internal editorial consequences.

So I no longer ask myself whether certain media in Germany need an anti-Semitism officer. No i know the answer It is urgent, more necessary than ever. Distorted reporting on Israel is also inciting anti-Semites in Germany. The media have a duty to report professionally, informatively and objectively. Given the German past and the Holocaust, I expect these minimum standards to be met. Especially when it comes to Jews and the Jewish state.

Arye Sharuz Shalicar is a German-Persian-Israeli political scientist and writer.

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