Singer claims Leipzig inn turned him away for wearing Star of David
NewsThe German-Israeli singer Gil Ofarim is upset at being turned away from a Westin hotel in Leipzig for wearing a Star of David pendant.
‘I am speechless,’ he says, ‘this is Germany 2021.’ Ofarim, 39, is the son of Abi Ofarim, member of a famed Israeli duo.
Josef Schuster, head the Central Council of Jews in Germany, said on Twitter, ‘the antisemitic hostility against Gil Ofarim is appalling. One hopes the Westin will take consequences regarding their staff.’
Was soll dieser Banner, @westin? Eine angemessene Reaktion sieht anders aus! #Antisemitismus pic.twitter.com/8dgGlJuOma
— Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland (@ZentralratJuden) October 5, 2021
The Westin Leipzig told AP it is ‘concerned and alarmed by Mr Ofarim’s intolerable accusations.’ A staff member has been suspended.
One doesn’t need to be German to sink to antisemitic gestures.
“One doesn’t need to be German to sink to antisemitic gestures.”
Are you implying the Charlottesville tiki torch wielders who chanted “Jews will not replace us” might not have been Germans?
All cynism aside, this is just detestably and intolerable.
I like to think those “Charlottesville tiki torch wielder” do not represent average Americans who work in the hotel industry.
Without additional information it’s hard to assess whether this was actually anti-Semitism or something else at play. We only have the person’s word for that.
Too much kangaroo court around these days for my liking.
Does he have specific proof that this is why he was turned away or is it speculation?
He has specific proof. After he asked why other guests behind him in line were checked in before him the employee at reception and a second employee both said to him “Put your star away”.
Please tell us all how you are so sure of this. I mean no disrespect to you. I just want to know the facts and how you have confirmed them.
https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/justiz/gil-ofarim-berichtet-von-antisemitismus-in-leipziger-hotel-a-e2161bee-1a84-4fbc-989e-741338bc2eb9#ref=rss
Happy confirming.
That‘s not a confirmation. That‘s a report about his claims.
For me the story sounds strange. „Packen Sie Ihren Stern ein“. to be said in which context? You wouldn‘t say that about a chain.
I can speculatively make sense out of it by adding some omission:
He feels treated unfairly, haiving to wait so long.
Takes his star and dumps it on the counter, saying: „Did you let me wait, because of my star (of David)“?
To which the man at the counter replies: „Packen Sie Ihren Stern ein“. ‚Take your star away‘.
“You wouldn‘t say that about a chain.”
Nothing wrong with that sentence, except its message.
” can speculatively make sense out of it by adding some omission:”
That’s not adding “some omission”, that’s you implying there’s an omission, add your speculation, and then trying to build a case on that speculation.
“Takes his star and dumps it on the counter,”
Just wow. You should write fan fiction.
same reputable news outlet, now reporting contradicting witness accounts. This will be messy.
https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/justiz/gil-ofarim-leipziger-hotelmanager-laesst-gaeste-befragen-a-c4f71e0b-f090-42e1-b8a5-b923a067c4df
Or was it the ring through his nose ?
No, it was Star of David that a hotel clerk did not like.
For some people jumping to conclusions is the only exercise they ever get. I cannot imagine any person saying “put your star away” in public!! If so, that person or persons needs ‘re-educating’ and I know of an ideal political ideology which will be eager to do that.
And some people become miffed when minimal dress standards are applied, readily perceiving themselves to be entitled but ending up ‘victims’. I mean, are T-shirts, body piercings and other self-inflicted forms of bodily abuse absolutely necessary and de rigueur EVERYWHERE?
” I cannot imagine any person saying “put your star away” in public!”
Erm. Welcome to Sachsen?
” I mean, are T-shirts […] absolutely necessary and de rigueur EVERYWHERE?”
Yes, that’s really annoying, isn’t it. I went to buy groceries the other day and there was some woman wearing Gucci. Past 20h. I mean, HELLO!? Gucci all day, Prada all night, right? What’s not to understand?? I guess it was ” too inconvenient” to change for the occasion.
I’m glad we see eye to eye here.
have you seen heavy metal german rocker band members, or even saturday night live’s sprockets…..a native german would never have been treated thusly…and so what if it was the ring through his nose…since when is that a crime?
Beyond the pale and truly despicable, but sadly, fully believable.
Very careful with this. Hard to know for the outsiders what is true.
What is fact so far:
The (by social media) accused hotel employee has sued for defamation.
And Gil Ofarim has so far *not* sued. Why not? Because he would have to testify under oath?
The police says, the story the employee gives is fundamentally different than the story Ofarim tells online.
Requiring actually evidence is just SO YESTERDAY. My feelings trump EVERYTHING.
Exactly, he claims.
So far just a social media rant.
Since one of the employees already sued him for defamation the department of public prosecution is involved now.
Let the police and maybe later the prosecution and judge do their job. I believe in the state of law and not in verdicts via social media shit storm.
It very well could be true but I also would not be surprised if this story will take some turns…
If this allegation is indeed true then at least it was a single employee and not the hotel itself or Leipzig as a whole.
Maybe he got turned away for dressing like some dingus hipster??
For a 39 year old, he looks like a 1st class DB…
Indeed: looks nasty
There was some news regarding the case: Apparently Mr. Ofarim also pressed charges at the meantime.
Also some surveillance tapes surfaced raising the questions if he was wearing a necklace with Star of David pendant at all.
Hotel says employee cleared over antisemitism claim
Yes and there are surveillance videos etc.
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-hotel-says-employee-cleared-over-antisemitism-claim/a-59565026
The newest news paints a quite ugly picture.
Gil Ofarim was angry at having to wait in the queue in the reception.
He got fed up and then exclaimed “shit hotel”, and that he was “going to make a video”.
In total: a narcissist who cannot stand being treated normally (he sees himself as having been betrayed, by not being recognized and treated in superior fashion); and decided to get revenge, by using the one very best weapon at his disposal: the German’s guilt.
https://www.stern.de/lifestyle/leute/gil-ofarim-wehrt-sich-gegen-hotelbericht—zeugen-widersprechen-ihm-30872530.html
Translated into English:
” Now the 118-page final report is available […]. It paints a very different picture of what happened each evening. According to several witnesses, there was no mention of Ofarim’s necklace with a Star of David in the hotel lobby. Already the pictures of the surveillance camera, which became public some time ago, suggested that the singer was not wearing the chain visibly at all.
The conflict is said to have arisen in a different way: Ofarim had the feeling that other customers were being treated preferentially. The musician then got into an argument with a hotel employee and threatened to upload a video to Instagram that would “go viral.” As the weekly newspaper writes with reference to the final report, two female employees and three guests are said to confirm this account.”
Amazing.
But hey, to Gil Ofarim, it’s just some goyim we’re talking about.
So maby it didn’t exactly happen at that place, but maby somewhere else someone did criticise his star-of-david. So he got back at the goyim! To him they must all be the same anyway. No difference.
And even if his star-of-david was never criticised. Gil Ofarim got back at the goyim. To him, they are just goyim. So maby he was just doing it for the holocaust.
Yes baby. Mix it in, right there. Sure. Mix it right in there. Nice potent mix. (Are they licking his boots yet?)
there is news about this story – Mr Ofarim has been charged with libel and defamation by the public prosecutor:
https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/04/03/fabricating-antisemitism-the-case-of-gil-ofarim/
in a sense this is a sad turn of events, as it makes the fight against actual cases of anti-Semitism or racism even harder.
and finally:
https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/justiz/gil-ofarim-legt-vor-dem-landgericht-leipzig-gestaendnis-ab-a-7d00b294-b15d-44e7-8206-a4cdb08f8418
Mr Ofarim has admitted libelling the hotel employee.
He will have to pay some compensation and a €10k fine.