Khaberni - The CEO of the German media group "Axel Springer", Matthias Dopfner, has sparked a wave of controversy following statements he directed at employees of "Politico", giving them a choice between adhering to what he called the fundamental principles of the company—including supporting Israel—or leaving the organization, which has raised concerns about the editorial independence of one of the largest media conglomerates in Europe.
His statements came during a tense meeting held on Monday, April 27, with journalists and officials at Politico following a letter from employees who warned that opinion pieces written by Dopfner could undermine the institution's image as a neutral news source.
According to audio leaks obtained by "Jewish Insider", Dopfner said, "No one should work at Axel Springer if they disagree with any of the group's fundamental principles".
The "fundamentals" imposed by the group, which also owns the newspapers "Telegraph" and "Bild" and the platform "Business Insider", revolve around values including freedom, free markets, and "Israel's right" to exist.
In his speech, Dopfner emphasized that supporting Israel comes directly after the values of individual freedom, considering that questioning this principle touches the core of the company's values, necessitating an individual decision by the journalist to leave if they do not align with this direction.
The head of the media group, who is sometimes called "Germany's Robert Murdoch", rejected the employees' accusations that the opinion articles he writes undermine the neutrality of the institution, especially following articles in which he called for Europe to stand with Washington and Tel Aviv against Iran.
He defended his use of harsh language towards Tehran, saying he prefers to describe its leadership as "terrorists" or "mass murderers" rather than "aggressors", considering Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons "a self-evident truth that needs no proof".
These developments come at a time when Israel faces accusations of genocide in Gaza before the International Court of Justice, where statistics indicate the martyrdom of more than 72,000 Palestinians and the injury of approximately 172,000 others.
Observers and journalists within the institution fear that this rigid ideological stance could skew media coverage and change editorial lines, especially after the group's recent acquisition of the newspaper "Daily Telegraph".
It is worth mentioning that previous leaks had revealed an email from Dopfner that he concluded with the phrase "Zionism above everything.. Israel my country", a formulation that caused severe sensitivities in Germany due to the association of the term "above everything" with the Nazi era.
The Israeli President Isaac Herzog awarded Dopfner the Presidential Medal of Honor in October last year in recognition of his supportive role and positions.
