‘Free speech is a facade’: how Gaza war has deepened divisions in German arts world
‘Free speech is a facade’: how Gaza war has deepened divisions in German arts world
Strong pro-Israel consensus among political leaders has led to conflict with Berlin’s diverse cultural sector and a fraught debate over antisemitism
“We have a conversation about racism that is led by the global south and people of colour from Germany, which the German state is trying to brand as antisemitic,” Younes added. “And if we present our relationship to race, racism and European genocides from a non-European or non-white perspective, we get cancelled.”
As someone living in Germany, the level of state repression I've seen towards artists and activists who speak against Israel's war on Gaza is terrifying. I never thought I'd see such a level of repression in Germany. Artists' funds are getting slashed left and right. The government is pushing venues to cancel appointments with artists that criticize Israel (including jewish artists/activists). Cultural venues have been closed down by the government for hosting some of these activists (Oyoun Berlin was closed down after renting a space for an evening to the local charter of Jewish Voice for Peace). Activists have been arrested/fined for chants like "From the river to the sea we demand equality" or "Jews against genocide". There have been countless non-violent activists raided by armed police in the early hours of the morning for their pro Palestine activism. Berlin police has enacted checkpoints in immigrant neighbourhoods. Journalists getting fired for asking the wrong questions. The state of Berlin is now trying to pass a law to allow universities to exmatriculate students on "behavioural" grounds (aka political stances). Politicians actively singling out activists on social media and redirecting insane amounts of hate their way. This place is getting very, very scary.
As a German it's fully in your right to disagree with the state and with the police (I certainly don't agree with everything that's going on). However, this comment of yours is distorting the reality too much, for my taste, to remain silent.
- "terrifying state repression" = less public funding for some artists, more for others (not getting free money doesn't mean you're being "repressed")
- "Berlin police has enacted checkpoints in immigrant neighbourhoods" = That did not happen. It is a myth.
- "Politicians actively singling out activists on social media and redirecting insane amounts of hate their way." = Politicians responding in kind when you mention them in a tweet. They are humans and they are allowed to respond to you.
- "to allow universities to exmatriculate students on behavioural grounds (aka political stances)." = Berlin trying to fix a legal loophole that prevents them from exmatriculating one student that physically assaulted a Jew for antisemitic reasons breaking his face bones. Outside of Berlin that would've been grounds for immediate exmatriculation within the existing laws.
I do agree with your general stance, but there is no need to exaggerate/distort the issues we're facing.
How is this even remotely surprising? The German constitution makes no guarantee of free speech. It's not a legally protected right there, and Germany is world infamous for not having free speech.
This is like an article telling people "It's hot in Ecuador!" and expecting the reader to be shocked.
The German constitution makes no guarantee of free speech. It’s not a legally protected right there, and Germany is world infamous for not having free speech.
That's an internet meme and it is wrong. Germany ranks place 21 of 180 in the WPFI and rank 10 of 165 according to GSDI.
There is no state in the world with fully 100% free speech. Even in the USA there are limits to free speech; some are even considered criminal and some will land you in jail. What matters is what freedom of speech entails. Germany does very much have free speech - much more than the vast majority of countries on the planet. Meinungsfreiheit can be translated as freedom of opinion/expression/speech and is article 5 of our constitution as well as article 11 of the EU charta.
This is kind of ironic in a sad way.
You mean how free speech is stifled in Germany while Israel commits open genocide?
I was mostly thinking of how in their attempt to be not antisemitic they're actually implementing Nazi-like policies (in support of a Nazi regime no less). Not saying it's on the same scale as actual Nazi Germany, but I saw this article (and @febra talking about their experiences) and there's a definite resemblance here.
Most of the artists and public figures censored and/or publicly denounced over their anti-zionism have been Jewish. You couldnt write this shit if you tried.