The German government convened an emergency meeting of Berlin Film Festival organizers to discuss the “direction” of the event, after the German newspaper Bild reported that Culture Minister Wolfram Weimar plans to remove festival director Tricia Tuttle from her position. The festival heard calls against “the genocide Israel is committing in Gaza,” as well as criticism from anti-Israel activists of event participants who chose to refrain from political statements. Last weekend, Berlin’s mayor criticized festival participants who attacked Israel, telling Bild that “those who present themselves as pro-Palestinian are not interested in human rights or peace, only in hatred of Israel.”
