Gil Ofarim
Surprising turnaround in the libel trial
Gil Ofarim (l.) and his lawyer at the start of the trial on November 7th.
© imago images/EHL Media
Gil Ofarim admitted in court that he had lied. The case was dropped and the singer had to pay a fine of 10,000 euros.
Surprising turnaround in the trial of Gil Ofarim (41). The musician hung up According to consistent media reports, he made a surprising confession at the Leipzig regional court. He thereby admitted that he had made up the anti-Semitism allegations against a hotel manager in Leipzig. “The allegations are true,” Ofarim said according to the “Bild” newspaper. He apologized to the hotel manager, who accepted the apology in court. He deleted the video with which he got the ball rolling in October 2021.
Gil Ofarim posted a video two years ago. In the clip, the musician claimed that the Westin Hotel in Leipzig turned him away. “Pack up your star and you can check in,” said a hotel employee.
The public prosecutor, who was investigating the hotel manager for sedition, soon had doubts about Ofarim’s account. The Star of David necklace that Ofarim was referring to was not visible in video footage from the hotel. The public prosecutor’s office closed the investigation.
Proceedings discontinued against payment of money
The hotel manager, who lost his job because of the allegations, sued Gil Ofarim for defamation. The process started at the beginning of November 2023.
The Leipzig regional court has now discontinued the proceedings against a fine of 10,000 euros. Gil Ofarim has agreed to pay 5,000 euros each to the Jewish community in Leipzig and to another club.
“One thing remains as it was,” the judge said in conclusion, according to reports: “Anti-Semitism is a fact, the fight against it is a task.”