Michael Kretschmer: “Intellectual bankruptcy!” Saxony’s Prime Minister outraged with Ofarim’s tweet

The Ofarim case made headlines across Germany. The musician has now been accused by the Leipzig public prosecutor’s office of false suspicion and defamation. Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer comments on Gil Ofarim on Twitter and makes a serious mistake.

Michael Kretschmer caused outrage with a tweet about the Ofarim case.
Image: news.de photo montage (picture alliance/dpa | Tobias Hase; picture alliance/dpa | Fabian Sommer)

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Around six months after the anti-Semitism-accusations of the musician Gil Ofarim the public prosecutor’s office in Leipzig has now filed charges of false suspicion and defamation against the artist. Accordingly, the incident in Leipzig’s “The Westin” did not happen as Ofarim had described in an Instagram video. A hotel employee is said to have asked him to take off his necklace with the Star of David. The case made headlines across Germany. The investigation against the hotel employee has now been discontinued. Numerous users online comment on the turnaround in the Ofarim case. Including Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer. But with his tweet, the CDU politician caused outrage.

Case Ofarim: Kretschmer sharply criticized Gil Ofarim and caused outrage on Twitter

Michael Kretschmer sharply criticized Gil Ofarim. This not only “discredited the employees, the hotel, the city and Saxony, but also caused damage to the Jewish community,” said the politician. “The least you can expect is an apology – even from those who have hastily drawn their conclusions and prejudiced. “It is “the worst thing to call someone an anti-Semite,” said Kretschmer. “Using this for false statements and slander is shocking and deeply despicable.”

In recent decades, a great deal of trust has grown between Germans and Jews. That was and is not a matter of course, especially in view of our history. It is a high and valuable asset, a value that we will not allow to be destroyed. https://t.co/VnEMtmVADe

— Michael Kretschmer (@MPKretschmer) March 31, 2022

“Intellectual bankruptcy!” Saxony’s prime minister distinguishes “between Germans and Jews”

A short time later, Saxony’s Prime Minister followed up on Twitter. “In the past few decades, a great deal of trust has grown between Germans and Jews. That was and is not a matter of course, especially in view of our history. It is a high and valuable asset, a value that we will not allow to be destroyed,” writes Michael Kretschmer in a tweet. But the phrase “between Germans and Jews” raises questions. Aren’t Jews Germans?

“That’s not true now, is it? Between Germans and Jews? What else? Between Germans and women? That, my friend, is real intellectual bankruptcy,” interjects Twitter user against the Prime Minister. “Are Jews not Germans? Or how is that to be understood?” one asks another. “Yikes! What’s wrong with you, Mr. Kretschmer? Don’t you think that Jews are German citizens?” agrees further with a. But that’s not all: others accuse Kretschmer of judging Ofarim. “1. They find Gil Ofarim guilty before the trial. 2. If he actually lied, he would have damaged his own credibility — and nobody else’s. 3. Their concern is that “the Germans” “the Jews “Can’t trust anymore. WTF!?!” Says another Tweet. “When @mpkretschmer opens his mouth, only shit comes out. And that reliably. It doesn’t matter,” writes another Twitter user.

Kretschmer tries to clarify

On Thursday evening, Kretschmer tried to clarify: “To clarify: Germany rightly has a special historical responsibility towards the Jewish people. Fortunately, there is again a diverse Jewish life in Germany and a large number of German citizens of the Jewish faith.”

To clarify: Germany rightly has a special historical responsibility towards the Jewish people. Fortunately, today there is again a diverse Jewish life in Germany and a large number of German citizens of the Jewish faith.

— Michael Kretschmer (@MPKretschmer) March 31, 2022

Also read: Central Council President quietly expresses doubts about Ofarim’s statements.

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