German leaders denounce US artist's fiery Israel speech

American photographer, artist and activist Nan Goldin has caused outrage with a speech in Germany accusing Israel of "genocide in its conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon."

Goldin, who is of Jewish origin and among the most renowned artists in contemporary photography, also used the opening of her exhibition at the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin on Friday to say that criticism of Israel doesn't equate to antisemitism.

German cultural leaders criticized Nan Goldin's speech for being one-sided but emphasized the importance of free expression and dialogue.

What did Nan Goldin say?

The 71-year-old Goldin began her almost 14-minute speech with four minutes of silence to remember victims of the conflict in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon, as well as civilians killed in Israel.

The gallery's lifetime retrospective of Goldin, entitled "This Will Not End Well," showcases a comprehensive overview of her work, including slideshows and films, backed by music.

"I have decided to use this exhibition as a platform to amplify my position of moral outrage at the genocide in Gaza and Lebanon," Goldin then told the audience.

Her comments were made a day after the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

"My grandparents escaped pogroms in Russia. I was brought up knowing about the Nazi Holocaust. What I see in Gaza reminds me of the pogroms that my grandparents escaped," she said.

"Never again means never again for everyone," Goldin added, referring to a phrase used by Germans as a key lesson of the Holocaust during World War II in which 6 million Jews were killed.

"What have you learned, Germany?" Goldin continued, attacking the country's handling of pro-Palestinian protests during the war.

She also spoke up about the treatment of artists and others who expressed harsh criticism of Israel, who have had exhibitions in Germany canceled or dealt with other repercussions.

Criticism of Israel has been conflated with antisemitism," Goldin said, adding that, "Anti-Zionism has nothing to do with antisemitism."

She then alleged that Islamophobia was being ignored in Germany, saying that the country is the "home of the largest Palestinian diaspora in Europe. Yet protests are met with police dogs and deportation and stigmatization." she said.

Goldin walked off the stage to loud chants of "free, free Palestine."

Speech criticized by politicians and cultural leaders

Museum director Klaus Biesenbach gave a speech after Goldin, defending Israel's right to exist, arguing the conflict started with the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel, but he also called for sympathy toward the suffering of the civilian population in Gaza.

Biesenbach later released a statement, saying the gallery distanced itself from the protesters' stance, adding that it "stands for freedom of expression and respectful dialogue and interaction with each other."

German Culture Minister Claudia Roth denounced Goldin for her "unbearably one-sided political views" and said she was "appalled" at the way people in the audience chanted slogans like "Free Palestine."

But Roth rejected calls for a boycott of an upcoming symposium and said she hoped for an open and civilized debate.

The culture minister of Berlin state, Joe Chialo, also accused Goldin of "one-sidedness" and "obliviousness to history" with her remarks in Berlin, "the city in which the Holocaust was planned."

Hermann Parzinger, the president of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, also sharply denounced Goldin's talk.

"This does not correspond to our understanding of freedom of expression," he said.

mm/lo (AP, dpa)