Nan Goldin Criticizes Israel at Berlin Exhibition

At the opening of her exhibition at the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, renowned photographer Nan Goldin condemned Israel's actions in Gaza, describing the situation as 'genocide' and drawing parallels to her family's history of persecution. Goldin, who identifies as Jewish, emphasized that legitimate criticism of Israel should not be equated with antisemitism and criticized Germany for its handling of pro-Palestinian protests, which she argued are met with aggressive police responses. Her speech prompted loud chants of 'free, free Palestine' from the audience, overshadowing subsequent remarks from gallery director Klaus Biesenbach, who affirmed Goldin’s right to express her views despite disagreeing with her stance. Hermann Parzinger, president of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, sharply criticized Goldin’s comments, stating they did not align with the foundation's understanding of freedom of expression. Goldin also noted the rising Islamophobia in Germany, asserting that the term antisemitism has been 'weaponized' to silence criticism of Israel while ignoring the plight of Palestinians. Her retrospective exhibition has sparked significant controversy and debate within Germany regarding artistic freedom and political expression.