Gil Ofarim reports after a long radio silence: admission and remorse in video statement

Gil Ofarim (42) breaks the silence about his anti-Semitism scandal. Around three years after the incident and a year after he confessed to his false testimony in court, he shared on November 12th in which he read out a statement about the events. “As you know, last year there was a very widespread debate in the media that I caused with my behavior. As a result, I disappointed and hurt many people,” the musician begins the text.

After the incident, he needed time for himself, but the matter wasn’t settled “with an apology or silence. I know that now.” He has dealt with his behavior for a long time and takes his critics very seriously: “I take responsibility for what I did,” the singer clarifies. “Beyond the legal and in every way. Things I regret and am ashamed of and atone for.”

That’s why Ofarim “sought professional help” in the last few months and started working on himself. “25 kilos lighter and without a drop of alcohol, you see things much more clearly and take a closer look at yourself, even if you don’t always like what you see. But that’s just reality,” he says. So changed, he now wants to try to rebuild “trust and respect” from his fans. “I don’t know if I’ll succeed. But I want to try to win you and my life back.” Every person deserves a second chance.

At this point, Gil Ofarim would like to thank his fans, his friends and his family for their loyalty during these difficult times. He now wants to finally focus on his music again in order to “process and heal”. “Maybe hopefully soon,” he ends his statement.

Gil Ofarim, who is Jewish, shared a video on social media in October 2021 in which he accused an employee of a Leipzig hotel of having behaved anti-Semitic towards him. The man asked him to remove his Star of David necklace so that he could check in. The video caused huge waves and Ofarim filed a complaint. However, the hotel employee vehemently denied the allegations and in turn reported him for defamation.

The trial took place in November 2023, in which Ofarim finally admitted that he had made up the allegations. The proceedings were then discontinued and he was asked to pay a sum of 5,000 euros each to the Israelite Religious Community in Leipzig and the Haus der Wannsee Conference memorial and educational center in Berlin. After extending the deadline, Ofarim finally paid in August this year.