New start after scandal

Gil Ofarim: Now he’s asking for forgiveness!

After the scandal surrounding fabricated accusations of anti-Semitism, Ofarim is asking for a second chance.(Bild: Hendrik Schmidt / dpa)

The musician Gil Ofarim is asking for a second chance after the scandal surrounding fabricated accusations of anti-Semitism. He wants to try to win back his fans and his life, the 42-year-old said in an Instagram video. 

In it, he also describes how he has sought professional help and is now looking at things and himself more clearly. In future, he wants to concentrate fully on music again.

"Many people disappointed"
"I've tried several times to record this video here now, and believe me, it's not that easy. That's why I wrote down my thoughts, and I hope you'll forgive me: I'll just read it out to you," Ofarim said in the video, which is in black and white.

Without naming the anti-Semitism scandal specifically, he speaks of an escalating debate that he caused through his behavior. "I have disappointed and hurt many people as a result. I think everyone knows what I'm talking about."

False accusations of anti-Semitism
Ofarim had made accusations of anti-Semitism against a Leipzig hotel in a video in October 2021. The musician had said that a hotel employee had asked him to remove his Star of David necklace so that he could check in. The video went viral on social networks. Ofarim later pressed charges, but the hotel manager also defended himself and reported the musician for defamation.

Ofarim finally made a confession before the Leipzig district court and apologized. The proceedings were discontinued. The musician had to pay a fine of 10,000 euros as a condition. Gil Ofarim is the son of 60s star Abi Ofarim (1937-2018). He lives in Munich.

"I needed some time for myself at first, but something like this is not done with an apology or silence, I know that now. I would like to say that I have dealt with the accusations long and hard. I take the doubts and criticism that have repeatedly come my way since then very seriously."

Getting professional help
He accepts responsibility for what he has done. "In the last few months, I have sought professional help and started to work on myself. 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 the reality."

He knows that it will be a long road to rebuild trust and respect. "I don't know if I'll succeed. But I want to make an attempt to win you and my life back," said Ofarim. Every person deserves a second chance.