LONDON: Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner has accused the Berlin Film Festival of promoting 鈥渁ntisemitism鈥� following speeches expressing solidarity with Palestine during the closing ceremony on Saturday.

Wegner urged the state-backed festival management to 鈥渆nsure that such incidents do not happen again.鈥�

In a post on X, he said: 鈥淲hat happened yesterday at the Berlinale was an intolerable relativization. Anti-Semitism has no place in Berlin, and that also applies to the art scene.鈥�

Although Wegner did not specify the particular aspect of the ceremony or the artists he took issue with, he emphasized Berlin鈥檚 commitment to freedom and its 鈥渇irm鈥� support for Israel.

A member of the Christian Democratic Union party, Wegner assumed office as mayor in April 2023. Throughout the recent crisis in the Middle East, he has consistently voiced support for Israel, attributing 鈥渇ull responsibility for the deep suffering in Israel and the Gaza Strip鈥� to Hamas.

During the 10-day festival, numerous artists used the stage to express solidarity with Palestine, including Yuval Abraham, director of the documentary 鈥淣o Other Land,鈥� who called for a ceasefire as he received his award on Saturday.

Accompanied by Palestinian fellow co-director Basel Adra, he said: 鈥淚n two days, we will go back to a land where we are not equal. I am living under a civilian law, and Basel is under military law. We live 30 minutes from one another, but I have voting rights, and Basel (does not have) voting rights. I am free to move where I want in this land. Basel is, like millions of Palestinians, locked in the occupied West Bank. This situation of apartheid between us, this inequality, it has to end. We need to call for a ceasefire.鈥�

Abraham, an Israeli journalist, filmmaker, and activist based in Jerusalem, accused Israel of a 鈥渕assacre鈥� and criticized German arms sales to Israel.

Abraham later posted the Berlinale clip to X, saying that he had received multiple death threats following the broadcast of the speech by Israel鈥檚 Channel 11.

鈥淥ur film 鈥楴o Other Land鈥� on occupied Masafer Yatta鈥檚 brutal expulsion won best documentary in Berlinale. Israel鈥檚 channel 11 aired this 30 second segment from my speech, insanely called it 鈥榓nti semitic鈥� 鈥� and I鈥檝e been receiving death threats since. I stand behind every word,鈥� he said in a post on X.

Other filmmakers and jury members, including American Jewish director Eliza Hittman, also used the closing ceremony to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

The festival also faced an attack by anonymous hackers, who accessed the official Berlinale Panorama Instagram account and shared a series of infographics about the war in Gaza.

The posts highlighted Germany鈥檚 involvement in the conflict, criticizing what they perceived as the country鈥檚 exaggerated historical guilt toward Jews.

鈥淔rom our unresolved Nazi past to our genocidal present 鈥� we have always been on the wrong side of history. But it鈥檚 not too late to change our future,鈥� read one of the posts.

The festival promptly removed the posts and announced plans to 鈥渇ile criminal charges against unknown persons鈥� responsible for sharing 鈥減osts about the war in the Middle East.鈥�

In a statement, the Berlinale management clarified that filmmakers鈥� statements were independent and 鈥渋n no way represent鈥� the opinions of the festival. They emphasized that statements should be accepted as long as they 鈥渞espect the legal framework.鈥�

On Monday, a governement spokeperson said German officials will investigate how Berlin film festival winners made 鈥渙ne-sided鈥� comments condemning Israel鈥檚 war in Gaza at the awards gala.

Amid the widespread anger at the comments at the award ceremony, Israel鈥檚 ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, said on social media: 鈥淥nce again, the German cultural scene showcases its bias by rolling out the red carpet exclusively for artists who promote the delegitimisation of Israel.鈥�

At the film festival, 鈥渁nti-Semitic and anti-Israel discourse was met with applause鈥�, he added.

This year鈥檚 Berlinale marked the final edition under the leadership of Carlo Chatrian and Mariette Rissenbeek. The next edition will be led by former London Film Festival head Tricia Tuttle, who was present at the closing ceremony and received recognition from Rissenbeek.