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Fuss over Chefket concert: Minister of State for Culture warns of anti-Semitism!
Media Minister criticizes Chefket's planned concert at the HKW as anti-Semitic; Debate about anti-Semitism in culture.
Fuss over Chefket concert: Minister of State for Culture warns of anti-Semitism!
At the House of World Cultures (HKW), a planned event with the rapper Chefket is causing tumultuous discussions. Minister of State for Media and Culture Wolfram Weimer has sharply criticized the upcoming concert, which is scheduled to take place on October 7th, the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel. Weimer sees the event as a provocation because Chefket would present a T-shirt with a motif that questions Israel's right to exist reports the Kleine Zeitung.
Weimer asked the director of the HKW, Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, to hold talks with the organizers and artists in order to avoid anti-Semitic statements. The minister emphasizes that as a member of the HKW supervisory board he cannot accept anti-Semitic actions. In a clear statement, Ndikung clearly rejected the allegations against the HKW and emphasized that there was no place for anti-Semitism there Deutschlandfunk clarifies.
Criticism and statements
Jan Böhmermann, known for his stance on anti-Semitism, also said he would take action against the denial of Israel's right to exist and the Holocaust. Despite the allegations, he reiterated that the HKW's stance on anti-Semitism is undisputed and is clear in the ongoing exhibition "The Possibility of Unreason", which is on view until October 19th.
The anti-Semitism debate in Germany has become more intense in recent years. Studies show a dramatic increase in anti-Semitic statements and attacks, especially since the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre in Israel. According to RIAS, anti-Semitic incidents have quadrupled, which is an alarming development. These tendencies are not limited to verbal violence, but are also evident in physical threats against Jewish individuals and institutions as reported by the Cultural Council.
Cultural responsibility and prevention
Anti-Semitism and Israel-related prejudices have become a central issue at universities and cultural institutions. The debate about the difference between legitimate criticism of the Israeli government and anti-Semitic rhetoric is becoming increasingly important. In this context, measures to prevent anti-Semitism were discussed in the Committee for Culture and Media of the German Bundestag.
The challenges that anti-Semitism poses to German cultural institutions are complex and must be addressed urgently. Recommendations for action include the development of prevention and emergency concepts as well as further training and advisory measures to raise awareness against anti-Semitism the Cultural Council refers to further measures.
Dealing with these topics remains essential in order to exclude anti-Semitic tendencies as far as possible and to act preventively in a cultural space that wants to represent a diverse culture of discussion.