Joe Chialo, Berlin Senator for Culture and Social Cohesion
© dpa
The Berlin Senate wants to oblige recipients of public funding to make a commitment against anti-Semitism, among other things, by means of a clause.
In addition, no money should go to associations that are classified as terrorist or extremist, according to a statement from the Senate Department for Culture on Thursday.
From now on, grant notifications will only include this anti-discrimination clause and will be sent out with a self-declaration. According to a spokesperson, the clause will no longer apply retroactively to applications that have already been submitted. Senator for Culture Joe Chialo said that cultural institutions are responsible for ensuring that their funding does not flow into racist, anti-Semitic, queer-hostile or otherwise marginalizing forms of expression. "Art is free! But not without rules," said the CDU politician according to the press release.
The new regulation is intended to have a preventative effect against discrimination and anti-Semitism. In doing so, the Senate Administration is guided by the definition of anti-Semitism used by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) and its extension by the German government. The IHRA's definition of anti-Semitism includes calling for the killing of Jews, demonizing the state of Israel, comparing Israeli policy with the actions of the Nazis and denying the Jewish people's right to self-determination.