The German Federal Education Minister, Karin Prien (CDU), has launched a sharp rebuke of ZDF, Germany’s public broadcaster, concerning the employment of a Hamas operative killed by the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip. The operative, it has emerged, was working as a freelance technical employee for a ZDF partner company. Minister Prien labelled this employment “unacceptable” during a podcast interview with “Welt” conducted as part of an official visit to Israel.
“Whether it’s reporting or serving as a technical employee, there’s a distinct difference, but a terrorist organization remains a terrorist organization” Prien stated, asserting that this applies regardless of the nature of the work performed. She expressed the expectation, as a taxpayer, for ZDF to thoroughly investigate the situation and implement safeguards to prevent recurrence.
Beyond the specific employment controversy, Prien also voiced concerns regarding the perceived bias in German media coverage of Israel. She characterized many reports as “highly one-sided” adding that the suffering of Israeli civilians, particularly in the aftermath of the October 7th attacks, receives insufficient attention. “Almost everyone knows someone who has either become a victim or is part of the reservists who have been at war for over two years” she explained, highlighting the profound trauma affecting Israeli society.
While acknowledging the “hardship of the Palestinians” Prien emphasized that civilian casualties, particularly children, are tragic and necessitate adherence to principles of proportionality in conflict. She cautioned against what she described as a “latent or even openly expressed reversal of victim and perpetrator” within German public broadcasting – a characterization likely to inflame tensions with media organizations.
Prien further criticised the limited reporting on events within Israel itself, arguing that independent journalism from the Gaza Strip has been virtually non-existent in recent years. She framed the situation as being exacerbated by an “insane propaganda war”, suggesting a politically motivated skewing of public perception. The minister’s statements represent a significant challenge to ZDF and broader German media, prompting questions about journalistic ethics, media bias and the complexities of reporting on the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.