'Put your star away': Jewish singer refused service at German hotel

Deutsche Welle ^ | 10.05.2021 | Rebecca Staudenmaier

[Olog-hai]

A hotel in the eastern German city of Leipzig was facing accusations of antisemitism on Tuesday after a musician said he was denied service for wearing a Star of David.

The video sparked sharp criticism from Germany’s Jewish communities and drew the attention of police.

In a video posted on social media, German musician Gil Ofarim said he attempted to check in to the Hotel Westin in Leipzig on Monday evening. Ofarim, who is Jewish, was wearing a necklace with a Star of David pendant.

Due to technical issues with the hotel’s computers, a long line had formed at the reception. Ofarim noticed that others in the line were waved forward, but he was not called up.

“What’s going on? Why is everyone else being called up ahead of me?” Ofarim says he asked the worker behind the desk.

The hotel employee then told him they were trying to reduce the line, but did not acknowledge that Ofarim was also standing in line.

“Then someone called out from the corner: ‘Put your star away,’” the singer says.

Ofarim said that the hotel worker then repeated the call for Ofarim to remove or hide his Star of David, saying that “once you put it away, then you can check in.” A visibly upset Ofarim ends the video with the words: “Germany, 2021.” …

[mac_truck]

Say whhaat?

[Menes]

Take your pills and chill - this is not yours to decide. You are not G.d, though you might think so.

[Menes]

That is very true, and sorry for mentioning this old story again: the whole case has gone to court in late November, where Mr. Ofarim stated under oath that he had been lying.

He had invented the whole story, he confessed.

He further maintained that he had simply been livid at the fact that (that fateful evening) there had been a line at the hotel’s check-in, due to a computer crash. He had been tired and testy that day.

Now he has been sentenced for slander, ahaving to pay the indicted hotel manager, Markus W., a compensation.

The latter, who had to be moved far away to another hotel in the German South, and even received death threats (by some Antifa sc..bag, which had jumped on this handy bandwagon) gratefully accepted Mr. Ofarim’s apology.

The Central Council of Jews in Germany sharply criticized Mr. Ofarim’s behavior, which, according to the President of the CCJG, reflected badly on the real victims of anti-semitism.

Markus W. proclaimed in a statement that he had been overjoyed by Mr. Ofarim’s apology, and he regretted any misunderstanding on part of Mr. Ofarim and the general public.

In my opinion, great men are able to acknowledge their own mistakes.

Thus, Mr. Ofarim is a great man, and I am grateful to him now, too.