The WerteInitiative – jüdisch-deutsche Positionen e.V. – calls on those responsible for the „documenta fifteen“ to put an immediate stop to the open antisemitism. Those responsible must draw consequences.
Open antisemitism at the documenta fifteen
In recent weeks there has already been an intensive discussion about possible antisemitism at the „documenta fifteen“. The WerteInitiative too warned those responsible in advance that BDS-supporting actors, among others, could exploit the attention given to the documenta in order to spread antisemitic narratives. Prevention was called for, but evidently not wanted. Photographs of parts of the exhibition document open antisemitism.
The artist Mohammed Al Hawajri draws a parallel between the actions of the Israeli army and Nazi Germany’s air raid on the Spanish town of Guernica. This is unambiguous historical revisionism. The targeted destruction of Guernica together with its civilian population was the sole aim of this Nazi war crime. Equating this with the actions of the Israeli army demonises the State of Israel. In doing so, a reversal of perpetrator and victim takes place which is unambiguously antisemitic.
Unambiguous antisemitism is also to be found in other works of art. The Indonesian collective „Taring Padi“ is displaying a large work of art with antisemitic imagery, publicly accessible, on the prestigious Friedrichsplatz in Kassel. On it, a Jew is drawn in vampire-like fashion with sidelocks, fangs, a snake’s tongue, bloodshot eyes and an SS rune on his hat. A Mossad agent, depicted pictorially with a Jewish Star of David, is characterised by a pig’s face. The chairman of the WerteInitiative, Elio Adler, on this: „This depiction is classic antisemitism under state funding and an absolute breaking of the dam. Those responsible must ensure immediately that this work of art can no longer be seen.“
Adler further demands: „Those responsible were called upon in advance to take their social responsibility seriously and to ensure a documenta free of antisemitism. Evidently the concern of many Jewish organisations, among others, was ignored. Now consequences must be drawn quickly so that this open antisemitism can no longer be seen. Afterwards there is an urgent need to examine how, despite the numerous warnings to those responsible, it could come to this.“
