Germany’s justice minister, Marco Buschmann, has threatened criminal prosecution following the scandal surrounding anti-Semitic remarks at the Berlin film festival at the weekend.

Mr Buschmann told Germany’s Funke media group newspapers that criminal law was well-equipped to penalise anti-Semitic statements.

He said using the slogan “free Palestine from the River to the Sea,” for example, could be interpreted as condoning the murders committed in Israel as part of the Hamas attacks in October 2023.

A photo posted on social media on Sunday on the Panorama section of the Berlinale showed the slogan.

This suggested that there should be a free Palestine in an area from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, which includes the area where Israel is located.

Berlinale organisers distanced the festival from the post, which was removed, saying the account was hacked.

“Rewarding and condoning criminal offences is a punishable offence,” Mr Buschmann said. “Anyone who disseminates propaganda material from unconstitutional and terrorist organisations such as Palestinian Hamas or uses their symbols is also liable to prosecution.”

“The Berlinale suffered serious damage this weekend because anti-Semitism went far too unchallenged there,” explained Mr Buschmann.

Mr Buschmann added that the criminal judgement of the incidents was a matter for the responsible prosecution authorities and courts, insisting that “anti-Semitism is intolerable.”

The Middle East conflict was addressed several times during the Berlinale Gala on Saturday evening.

Numerous jury members and award winners called for a ceasefire in the Gaza war, either verbally or with badges.

In an acceptance speech for one of the awards, U.S. filmmaker Ben Russell used the word “genocide” to condemn Israel’s bombardment on Gaza.

The Israeli military operation has killed nearly 30,000 people in the Gaza Strip and displaced around 80 per cent of the population of the narrow coastal territory.

Israeli filmmaker Yuval Abraham also used the Berlinale stage to deliver harsh criticism of Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip.

The statements were subsequently met with criticism and outrage.

Critics complained that the participants made accusations against Israel without mentioning the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people. 

(dpa/NAN)