“Everything on Hope” is one of Gil Ofarim’s best-known songs. And the singer-songwriter can really use hope. The 42-year-old is still suffering from the accusations that he has had to endure since the “Star of David scandal” – a scandal that he himself started.
In an Instagram video from Saturday (December 21, 2024), Ofarim is now back with an acoustic version of the song “Alles auf Hope”. In the black and white clip he sits in front of a Christmas tree. “#allhope… when the kids decide your styling …” the musician wrote underneath. Only the kids’ hands are in the picture; they mess up Ofarim’s hairstyle. And not too close. It takes a while for him to get started.
Gil Ofarim on Instagram:
Gil Ofarim is currently working on his comeback:
Gil Ofarim’s “Correction of Time” concert in Bochum receives a full blown response
The rumors have come true. Gil Ofarim will attempt his comeback next year. The musician announced his concert on Instagram: “Matrix Bochum 2025! 🤍 I’m looking forward to my first real concert in years!” he writes. He will take the stage on April 17, 2025. On the concert poster, he is sitting on a stone, stretching his head towards the sun.
Ofarim has not yet provided any information about the motto “correcting time”. But it would be hard not to suspect behind this title that the singer/songwriter could turn back time – and do things differently. He just doesn’t talk about it.
There are still tickets available at Eventim for the Bochum concert, and they aren’t super expensive either: around 55 euros. Only 700 people can fit in the Matrix, Ofarim’s announcement came on Friday (November 22nd). As of Sunday (November 24th), the Bochum venue had not yet advertised Ofarim on its homepage or social media.
Gil Ofarim on Instagram:
The 42-year-old receives a full response from his followers on Instagram. It is noteworthy that his social media team does not moderate, hide or delete the predominantly negative comments. You have to give Ofarim credit for that: no censorship.
An excerpt from the many angry posts: “Wonder how you want to stand on stage with no spine!?” Then: “The guy is just incredible. Who is throwing money after it? He’s lying. Stand firm with your story. Accepts that other people have disadvantages because of this. (…) Is this how a good person behaves? Is he rehabilitated? Did he repent?”
Or: “What kind of hotel are you going to this time?” and “Will the proceeds go to the hotel staff?” Then I’d be happy to come.”
A few defend Ofarim: “Guys, be fair. Everyone makes mistakes. It is always so easy to judge free and emotional people for their actions. Stop in front of your own door and pause (…). ❤️“
Two birds with one stone?
Fans can look forward to an “emotional journey through the past, present and future,” according to the concert announcement. This journey apparently started just two weeks earlier. Because on November 12th, the scolded musician returned with an Instagram video. With a sad look and a heavy voice, he announced: “I take responsibility for what I have done. For things that I regret, that I feel sorry for and that I am paying for.” However, he failed to make a real apology in the black and white clip. So was the whole thing just a PR stunt to herald his musical comeback? A little distance between two “big news” stories would certainly have been good.
Forgetting is difficult
Background: In November 2023, Gil Ofarim stood before the Leipzig Regional Court for defamation and false accusations. Two years earlier, the now 42-year-old had recorded a video in front of the Westin Hotel in Leipzig. In it, he claimed that a hotel employee discriminated against him when he checked in because of his Star of David necklace and made anti-Semitic insults with the words: “Pack up your star!”
The matter famously went to court as the hotel sued him. On the sixth day of the trial, Ofarim admitted that his allegations proved to be untenable. He was sentenced to pay a fine of 10,000 euros. The amount was to be paid to the Israelite Religious Community of Leipzig and the sponsoring association of the House of the Wannsee Conference. Ofarim only made the payment months later.
In the clip published at the beginning of November, Gil Ofarim spoke about what he had suffered as a result of the “Star of David Chain Affair”. He has lost 25 kilos in the last few months and has given up alcohol. And I sought professional help. He thought: “Everyone deserves a second chance. I want to dare to do that.” Who would have thought that he would now take himself so literally.
Erase a mistake
Many believe that Ofarim, who is Jewish, has caused great harm to his religious community. And that’s not all: he was criticized in the comments under his video primarily for his self-centered statement, which lacked a real apology. For example, he had no words for the Westin hotel employee, “Mr. W.”, who may have been threatened with termination – and who received death threats. The Westin Hotel in Leipzig, which was exposed to a shitstorm, was also not mentioned.