German prosecutors charged Gil Ofarim singer with defamation after his 'false' anti-Semitism claim he made against hotel staff

German prosecutors said Thursday they had charged a singer with defamation after failing to find evidence for anti-Semitism allegations he made against hotel staff. In an emotional video shared on social media in October, Gil Ofarim said two employees at the Westin hotel in Leipzig asked him to "put away" a Star of David pendant before checking in. Investigators had found "no evidence" to back up the allegation which led to the suspension of two hotel employees, a statement said. Prosecutors charged Ofarim with wrongful suspicion and defamation, while closing the investigation.

The musician had shared the video through Instagram "in the knowledge it was false and would have defamatory consequences for the hotel employees", prosecutors said.

The songwriter's social media post garnered widespread attention and triggered a public debate on anti-Semitism in Germany, sensitive to its Nazi past. After the video was published, thousands of individuals gathered outside the hotel to express solidarity with the singer. Then foreign minister Heiko Maas said he was "stunned" by the incident, warning that "Leipzig is not a one-off" and calling on Germans to stand together against anti-Semitism.

But Ofarim's version of events came under scrutiny when footage from a security camera, published by German media in the weeks after the incident, did not appear to back up his claims.

"I don't know if I was wearing the chain over or under my shirt. But it's not about that, it is about being Jewish in general," Ofarim told tabloid Bild after the tape was published.