Gil Ofarim admits he lied – trial stopped Briton was bitten by a spider in France – but the horrors started after that

German singer Gil Ofarim accused a hotel employee of making discriminatory comments towards him in 2021 because Ofarim is Jewish.

The case went to trial in November this year and has now been dismissed. The reason: Ofarim admitted on Tuesday that he had lied.

The singer said in an online video message that he wore a necklace with a Star of David visible when checking into the Leipzig Hotel “Westin”. A hotel employee, Mr W., then asked him to remove the chain.

“Mr. W., I would like to apologize to you. I’m sorry, I deleted the video,” German news portal “Focus” quoted Ofarim from the courtroom. The hotel employee accepted the apology. The judge also ordered Ofarim to donate 10,000 euros to two Israelite religious communities in Germany.

Central Council of Jews with a clear statement

After the confession, there have been numerous reactions to the current developments. The Central Council of Jews in Germany criticized Ofarim particularly sharply. The umbrella organization published this statement on X:

The singer lied not only to the public, but also to the Jewish community. According to the Central Council, this behavior is particularly harmful in the current political situation, because many people currently experience hatred and rejection of Jews. Accusations of anti-Semitism should never be made without justification. (yam)