14 DAY TRIAL // Christmas carols are all about spreading the holiday spirit, but some particular ones touch a more delicate area of history like the story of the Jewish population persecuting Jesus. Well, this particular story led to a more unusual and offensive carol sang on a Romanian National TV channel.
An outrage sparked when one choir performing on the state-run TV channel sang a rather anti-Semitic melody about burning Jews that tortured Jesus, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. The show broadcasted on December 5 was bashed for promoting the Holocaust and the burning of the Jewish population.
Lyrics containing the phrases like Jews “burning on chimneys” or “making smoke” caused a massive reaction concerning Romanians’ attitude towards the population who has been persecuted during the Holocaust. The TV channel blamed a local cultural committee for the choosing of the song and reported that they were not involved in the cultural material presented.
The show was inspired by the rural life in Romania and because TVR3, the channel responsible for the show is run by the state, the country was publicly criticized for racism and xenophobic behavior. Anti-Semitic groups from Romania and other countries heavily condemned the broadcast, calling it unacceptable and outrageous, according to Daily Mail.
The archaic folk carol has been criticized but the blame fell on the Romanian channel that refuses to take the fall for allowing the song. An official letter was sent to the country's President Traian Basescu and Prime Minister Victor Ponta reading “It is outrageous that members of the public weren't scandalized by an anti-Semitic song calling for people to burn Jews.”
The TV channel is now facing major changes after this unfortunate event lead to a change in management, with all the bosses' contracts being immediately terminated. Officials have expressed their sincere apologies and assure anti-Semitic group that no harm was ment by the broadcast and it was just a mistake.