When it comes to Israel, many things are allowed in Germany: for example, spreading fake news, denying the brutal occupation, justifying the murder of thousands of Palestinian children and even condoning alleged plans of mass murder as “self-defense” announced by the US and Israel. But whoever in Germany wants to report on the Palestinian reality will not only face medial anti-Semitism, but also the political attempt to silence debates on Palestine – and will even be targeted for their academic freedom.
A witch hunt is being conducted against the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese. Together with the Israel lobby, politics and media are putting pressure on anyone who dares to host her. Two universities in Munich and Berlin reacted by withdrawing their support, as did a private alternative location in the capital. In the last minute, the left Berlin newspaper Die junge Welt offered her a temporary refuge in their private rooms – and was immediately confronted with the police state.
Cancelled in Munich and Berlin
Initially, the moral guardians in Bavaria raised a ruckus. Students at the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich had invited Albanese for a lecture and discussion. When this became public, the media campaigns started, with the Springer press, Bild and Welt, as well as the public broadcasters, reporting that Albanese would be accused of anti-Semitism and that the university should not host her. One looked in vain for any rational arguments. The university leadership reacted by banning the room and, as if this were a taboo in academia, citing “security concerns” and a “threat of opinion struggle”.
In Berlin, a similar scenario unfolded recently. There, professors at the Free University, together with the student council, including Jewish students, had also planned an event with the Palestinian expert, jurist and UN Special Rapporteur, Albanese, along with Eyal Weizmann, a Jewish-Israeli architect and writer. They had prepared the lecture and discussion in a professional framework, with the leadership’s approval. But even the Free University knuckled under.
Hate campaigns and political pressure
For it happened, as it always happens, when people dare to speak out, who do not sing the praises of the Israeli government, who criticize the brutal occupation in the West Bank and the military destruction in the Gaza Strip, for which the International Criminal Court (ICC) is already investigating for genocide and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is seeking arrest warrants not only for Hamas leaders but also for the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister, Joav Gallant.
The Israeli ambassador in Germany, Ron Prosor, scolded after the event’s announcement, calling it a “training camp for Hamas supporters”, which he also sent to the university leadership in an email. The right-wing politician and chairman of the German-Israeli Society, Volker Beck, along with the value initiative and campaign writers from the Springer press to the Tagesspiegel, pounced on this. The governing mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner (CDU) and the science senator, Ina Czyborra (SPD), put pressure on the university.
Public accusations of “anti-Semitism” and “Hamas support”, spread with a poisonous media campaign and then massive political pressure from the Berlin Senate: this is what the Free University’s president, Günter Ziegler, could not withstand and he cancelled the event with Albanese and Weizmann in person. He even dodged, saying “security concerns” and – as if this were a taboo in academia – a “threat of opinion struggle”. And he backed down: the professors and students could hold the lecture and discussion online. But they did not want to.
With slogans defaced: Alternative location also gives in
The organizers initially found a new location: the “Kühlhaus” in Berlin’s Gleisdreieck. But just before the event on Tuesday, with the title “Taking back the discourse: Palestine, justice and the power of truth”, was to begin, a cancellation followed. Apparently, politics, media and lobby were exerting immense pressure. Moreover, the police had attempted to intimidate the participants and the organizers in the run-up, as the DiEM25 party, a co-organizer, reported.
The Kühlhaus did not release a statement. On the program page, the event was still listed for February 19, but with the addition “cancelled”. As the taz reported, the location had posted a notice on the door, announcing the cancellation: one could not guarantee security due to the threatened escalation. Who threatened what, remains unclear. According to taz, unknown persons had defaced the building with slogans, accusing Albanese of anti-Semitism.
“Haven’t had such difficulties before”
The event did take place, as in the last minute, the left Berlin newspaper Die junge Welt stepped in, offering their gallery space. DiEM25 live-streamed the event on YouTube.
Their managing director, Dietmar Koschmieder, was shocked. He had already experienced many repressions of the state, for example, when his newspaper, every year in early January, hosted the Rosa-Luxemburg conference in Berlin with international guests.
“But we’ve never, never had such difficulties with an event like this one”, said Koschmieder.
Police besiege newspaper’s redaction
Immediately after the public announcement of the alternative location, a large police contingent appeared, reporting Koschmieder. Officers demanded a short-term consultation in the jW’s redaction with the organizers. And although it was a private space and the event was already being live-streamed, the police insisted on monitoring the event live on site. This will be taken to court later, Koschmieder said.
In an article, the newspaper reported on a “martial atmosphere”, meaning the police presence in the redaction’s offices. This was an attack on press freedom.
“Freedom” for the opinion of the ruling powers
It remains to be noted: The political authorities in Germany are trying with all their might to silence discussions on the Palestinian reality. And the majority of the mainstream media is willing to accompany these propagandistic hate campaigns. Even a UN Special Rapporteur and human rights expert like Albanese is not immune to being smeared by “journalists” with all sorts of dirt – which also raises questions about her safety. Talking about Germany’s support for the alleged genocide in Palestine is taboo in Germany.
When it comes to sensitive political topics, the much-vaunted press and academic freedom in Germany apparently only exists in spreading the opinion of the ruling powers – even if this is not in the German constitution. This can be seen in the Corona era and is felt in the case of the Ukraine war and now in the case of Israel’s alleged genocide against the Palestinians. So the German state is firing its cannons, free as in Goethe’s Erlkönig, with the motto:
“And are you not willing, so I’ll use force”.