Mathias Dopfner, the CEO of Axel Springer and owner of The Telegraph and Politico, told the World Jewish Congress (WJC) that “anti-Zionism is racism” during a speech in Geneva.
Addressing the organisation’s governing board on Monday, Dopfner delivered a wide-ranging speech laden with anti-immigrant rhetoric, calls for censorship and attacks on musicians, artists, universities and the UN.
The media executive made headlines in April after telling journalists at Politico that they must back Israel or resign, fuelling concerns that the newsroom’s independence is under threat. Axel Springer acquired the political news site in 2021.
He has also been explicit about his ideological position, telling the audience: "I'm a goy, and I'm Zionist, with all my heart, out of conviction, and with passion."
In the same speech, Dopfner lashed out at the UN Human Rights Council, which he accused of unfairly maligning Israel by highlighting war crimes, human rights abuses and apartheid in the occupied Palestinian territories, deriding it as the “human rights Twistings Council”.
