On Instagram he announced a concert for April 17th in Bochum. “I’m looking forward to my first real concert in years!” he wrote under a photo of himself that was titled “Correction of Time.”
Reactions to the announcements were mixed. Some accused the singer of calculation. “Sorry Gil, but I don’t think this is going well with your concert right now,” someone wrote. The “Bild” wrote about a “comeback without apology”. There were also positive voices: “Let the one who is without sin cast the first stone.”
Ofarim asked “for a second chance”
Just a few days ago, Ofarim also asked his 110,000 followers on Instagram for a second chance. The 42-year-old said in a video on the social media platform that he wanted to try to win back his fans and his life. In it he also describes that he sought professional help and now sees things and himself more clearly.
Without specifically naming the anti-Semitism scandal, he spoke of an escalating debate that his behavior had caused. “In doing so, I disappointed and hurt a lot of people. I think everyone knows what I’m talking about.”
Accusations of anti-Semitism against the hotel
Ofarim made anti-Semitism allegations against a Leipzig hotel in a video in October 2021. The musician said that a hotel employee asked him to take off his Star of David necklace so he could check in. The video went viral on social media. Ofarim later filed a complaint, but the hotel manager also defended himself and in turn reported the musician for defamation.
Ofarim, the son of the 1960s star Abi Ofarim, who died in 2018, finally made a confession and apologized in front of the Leipzig regional court. The proceedings were discontinued. The musician had to pay a sum of 10,000 euros as a condition.
Looking for professional help
He took responsibility for what he did, he said in the video. “In the last few months I have sought professional help and started working on myself. 25 kilos lighter and without a drop of alcohol, you see things much more clearly and take a closer look at yourself, even if you don’t always like what you see . But that’s the reality.”
He knows that it will be a long road to rebuild trust and respect. “I don’t know whether I will succeed. But I would like to try to win you and my life back,” said Ofarim. Every person deserves a second chance.
