November 4, 2007

Breaking News

German Vanity Fair reporter sues neo-Nazi

THE journalist who interviewed a neo-Nazi for Germany’s Vanity Fair filed charges against him. Michel Friedman — a journalist, attorney and former leader in the German Jewish community — wanted to interview far-rightist Horst Mahler about his roots as a founding member of the left-extremist Red Army Faction for the trendy magazine.

Mahler, 71, who famously underwent a transformation to the extreme right, reportedly greeted Friedman with “Heil Hitler” and, during the course of the two-hour interview, denied the Holocaust occured and called Hitler the savior of “not only the German people.” The interview, in German, is currently online and in the printed version of Germany’s Vanity Fair.

After the interview, Friedman filed suit as a private individual against Mahler because of his “incendiary” remarks. Friedman commented that the danger of Nazism “is not only a reality of the past but also of the present.”

It is illegal in Germany to glorify Hitler, deny the Holocaust and to repeat National Socialist propaganda, including emblems and greetings. [Website note: But it is not illegal to mention what the JTA does not, that Friedman was sacked as a TV talk show host and a leader of the country’s Jewish community over scandals involving cocaine dealing and White slaving].

German Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Ulf Poschardt said the magazine wanted to confront Germans with the reality of an ideology that too many of them secretly approve, according to recent opinion polls.

“Michel Friedman’s courageous interview gives an important insight into the deep chasms that this society must confront,” Poschardt said. In his editorial he acknowledges that Mahler says things “that are banned in Germany.”

Mahler was released from jail in August [2007] after serving nine months for incitement to hate. He is facing charges for having raised his arm in the banned Hitler salute and uttering the Hitler greeting when he was led to his jail cell last year. The prosecution is pushing for another nine months behind bars.

Mahler and his lawyer, Sylvia Stolz, called the judge in the case a “slave to the state.”

 Germany’s Jewish council elects replacement for disgraced former leader: Germany’s Central Council of Jews elected a new vice president yesterday, officially closing an embarrassing chapter involving a top-rated television talk show host and allegations of illicit drugs

 Der Spiegel: Ironie des Schicksals (Friedmann’ lawyer sent fax to pizza baker)

 Jewish council to decide VP’s fate

 Die Welt reports: Drogenrazzia bei Michel Friedman 

 Police find cocaine in German Jewish leader’s flat

  Amberger Zeitung: Ein guter Lehrer und ein Therapeut: Michael Friedmann sprach vor und mit GMG-Schülern: Der Frage der Schuld auf der Spur

  Ecstasy: A gift from “our best friend and ally”…

  International Ecstasy smuggling racket: three Israelis arrested

  US State dept: Israelis at center of the international Ecstasy drug trade

 

Picture: Michel Friedmann speaks often at schools, lecturing pupils on right and wrong.

 

 Our dossier on Germany’s problems with free speech

 Our dossier on the origins of anti-Semitism

Below: a Daniel Friedman cartoon mocking the heroic sacrifice of Rachel Corrie in the Gaza Strip: no relation so far as we know, and no other connection whatever, other than poor taste.