German Jewish singer-songwriter Wolf Biermann has sharply criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying Israel’s brutal aggressions in Gaza amounts to war crimes and blaming Netanyahu’s government for contributing to rising antisemitism in Germany.
Biermann, who turns 90 next month, made the remarks in an interview with German news agency DPA ahead of his appearance at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
“Ah, Netanyahu and his lemures!” Biermann said, invoking the devil’s helpers in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Faust.
Most dangerous antisemites live in Israel
Biermann’s family members were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust, a history he said made Israel’s actions especially difficult for him to witness.
“Unfortunately, this dynamic takes hold so effectively because the worst and most dangerous antisemites currently live in Israel and are in the process of transforming the country into a reactionary, brutal and oppressive state,” he said.
Biermann added that his hope for a democratic and humane Israel had disappeared.
His comments come amid continued international scrutiny of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and growing debate in Germany and elsewhere over how criticism of Israeli government policy intersects with concerns about antisemitism.
