(JNS) As athletes competed in the Winter Olympic Games, filmmakers gathered in a frosty Berlin for the 76th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) from Feb. 12 to Feb. 22. As with nearly any global cultural gathering involving the Jewish state since the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the Israel-Gaza war quickly warmed the atmosphere.
Around the glitzy Potsdamer Platz cinemas, keffiyehs appeared as fashionable accessories while Hebrew-speaking Israeli film students moved between screenings.
Last year, the Berlinale faced accusations of tolerating antisemitic speech after filmmakers used acceptance speeches to defame Israel. The controversy prompted organizers to publish an FAQ page addressing antisemitism.
The page affirmed commitment to free expression while acknowledging Germany’s ban on the slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” considered a call for Israel’s destruction.
“Some language may have additional cultural significance in Germany because of the Holocaust and the country’s culture of remembrance and reconciliation,” it noted.
At the opening press conference on Feb. 12, German activist-journalist Tilo Jung raised the issue directly.
“The Berlinale as an institution has...
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