German Catholic Church under fire for hosting Gaza exhibit by antisemites
A Catholic venue in Stuttgart is under fire for hosting a Gaza photo exhibit by anti-Israel activists, as Jewish groups warn it normalizes anti-semitism
The Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart is facing allegations of normalizing antisemitism in the state of Baden-Württemberg by hosting a Gaza photography exhibit organized by two well-known anti-Israel activists.
The exhibition "In Between. Gaza – Before and After" opened on June 23 and runs until July 22 at the House of the Catholic Church in Stuttgart, the capital of Baden-Württemberg. Alarm bells are ringing over the exhibit amid a sharp rise in antisemitism in Stuttgart, including reports of no-go zones for Jews. Pro-Hamas mobs have taken over parts of the city, according to a previous i24NEWS report.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a prominent Jewish human rights organization, has accused photographer Mohammed al-Hajjar — whose work is featured in the exhibition — of antisemitism. Al-Hajjar has repeatedly accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza in the anti-Israel outlet Middle East Eye.
The main organizer of the exhibit, Ursula Mindermann, is vice-president of the German-Palestinian Society (DPG), an anti-Israel group that supports the elimination of the Jewish state. In 2020, Mindermann displayed her exhibition The Wall – Photographs from Palestine at Café Immergrün in Jena. At the time, the socialist youth group “Falcons Jena” criticized the show for promoting antisemitism by featuring the slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center, told i24NEWS that featuring an artist “on record as accusing Israel of genocide is disqualifying.” He added: “If the Catholic institution was not aware of this fact, it is not too late to remove the presentation.”
Cooper continued: “Labeling Israel as guilty of genocide is a blood libel, especially when one looks at daily videos from Gaza showing obese men and children enjoying their summer. The accusations that Israel is starving the population, committing genocide, and deliberately targeting journalists and children have all been thoroughly debunked.”
Cooper, who has testified before the US Congress on the surge in antisemitism since October 7, said: “When Jews and supporters of Israel are facing wave after wave of antisemitic attacks, it is unacceptable that a Catholic institution in Germany should provide a platform for these libels. It would be very helpful to hear from the CDU-Green coalition government in Baden-Württemberg, which has recently made important commitments to combat antisemitism.”
Matthias Kopp, spokesman for the German Bishops’ Conference, told i24NEWS: “The German Bishops’ Conference does not take a position on matters concerning a specific diocese that fall outside its area of responsibility. Since this concerns the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, we kindly ask you to contact them directly.”
The Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart and the House of the Catholic Church in Stuttgart did not respond to multiple i24 requests for comment.
When i24NEWS questioned Kopp if the German Bishops’ Conference is not meeting its declaration that the fight against antisemitism is “the task of all citizens” and “Auschwitz must never be repeated” he declined to comment.
After i24NEWS sent repeated inquiries to the German-Israeli Friendship Association in Stuttgart (DIG) and Rabbi Cooper publicly appealed to the group to intervene, the DIG issued a statement on its Facebook page.
The DIG Stuttgart warned: “The DIG Stuttgart urgently warns against the normalization of the demonization of Israel, which fuels antisemitism and erodes social cohesion. The DIG Stuttgart is observing with growing concern how hostility toward Israel is being promoted throughout the region. At first glance, the exhibition ‘In Between. Gaza – Before and After’ at the House of the Catholic Church appears impartial, but this impression is misleading.”
The organization added that Mindermann — who has previously been denied entry to Israel — “has already faced accusations in the past of engaging in anti-Zionist agitation through her work.”
The DIG stopped short of calling on the coalition Christian Democratic Union party-Green party state government or Baden-Württemberg’s antisemitism commissioner, Michael Blume, to intervene and shut down the exhibit. German Jews in Baden-Württemberg have previously called for Blume’s dismissal, accusing him of stoking antisemitism, according to a previous i24NEWS report. Two German courts have ruled that Blume can legally be described as antisemitic, and the Israeli government has also criticized his anti-Israel positions.
Critics accuse the DIG Stuttgart and its chairman, Oliver Vrankovic, of being too passive in the fight against antisemitism due to overly cordial relations with state and local governments that tolerate antisemitic activity.
Despite the state government’s public declaration of “No Place for Antisemitism” and its condemnation of the BDS campaign in the new CDU-Green coalition agreement, the government continues to fund Mitri Raheb, a Palestinian Lutheran pastor widely accused of antisemitism and BDS activism.
Raheb serves as president of Dar al-Kalima University and is a board member of the support association Bethlehem-Akademie – Dar al-Kalima e., which has been criticized as anti-Israel.The state government provides funding to Raheb through this association. The DIG Stuttgart has remained silent on the continued funding.Mindermann, the Bethlehem-Akademie – Dar al-Kalima, and the state government of Baden-Württemberg all declined to respond to i24NEWS inquiries.