German police investigate a speech at Berlinale for anti -Semitism

The German police have opened an investigation against a speech delivered by the Hongkonese director Jun Li after he cite the motto ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ during the premiere of ‘Queerpanorama’ projected in the Panorama section within the framework of the Berlin International Film Festival.

According to German media, The filmmaker read a speech by Iranian actor Erfan Shekarriz, who allegedly doubted the right to the existence of the state of Israel. A fact that in Germany is typified as a crime.

In the speech it was claimed that Millions of Palestinians are suffocated “under the brutal colonial state of Israel“The text added that the German government and its cultural institutions, including Berlinale,” are contributing to apartheid, genocide and brutal extermination of the Palestinian people. ” The public reacted divided, with approval interjections, but also with critical voices.

According to local media, Shekarriz has not gone to the Berlinale for considering that Germany supports an Israeli genocide “against the Palestinians.

The new director of the Berlinale, Tricia Tuttle, said last Tuesday that the Berlinale lamented “the incident.” “We have informed in advance of our guests of which political statements are especially sensitive and which can be sanctioned by law “he said according to local media.

Tuttle went to the opening gala of the festival with a photo of the Israeli hostage David Cunio. The Central Council of the Jews of Germany has ruled in X regarding what happened and pointed out its “horror” to the facts. “The fact that Hamas’s slogans are received with applause is amazing (…) We assume that such behavior will be sanctioned as appropriate “they have suggested.

Already at the inauguration of the Berlinale, Tilda Swinton, winner of the golden bear of honor of this edition, stressed her support for the BDS campaign, which advocates the Israeli products by the boycott and condemned the “Mass murder enabled internationally. “

Likewise, last year there was already a debate in the Berlinale because in the awards ceremony some winners criticized Israel’s actions on stage. In the statements of then there was talk of “apartheid” in relation to the situation in the territories occupied by Israel and genocide regarding the actions of the army in Gaza.