A recent antisemitic Christmas carol sung during the relaunch show for the state-owned TV channel TVR has triggered a harsh reaction from the Israeli Embassy to Romania.

The Embassy condemned the broadcast, and expressed their deep concern over it.

TVR have moved to distance themselves from the song decision, with an official stating they did not have any say in the choice of the traditional carol sung by the group from Cluj.

The Group for Social Dialogue and the magazine Revista 22 have asked the Romanian audiovisual watchdog CNA to take note of the antisemitic content.

The TVR 3 show included a broadcast from the regional TV station TVR Cluj, and the media company's officials said they want to set themselves apart from such manifestations, adding the carol choice had been made locally in Cluj.

The Christmas carol included lyrics such as (in an approximate translation) “The Jew is awful/May God not tolerate him/In the skies, nor on Earth/Only at the chimney, near smoke/That is where the Jew is good.” After the performance finished, the TVR Cluj anchorwoman thanks the group for the Christmas carol.

Romania's Foreign Minister Titus has also released a statement condemning the episode, saying antisemitism was unacceptable and calling for an investigation.

The carol was yet another PR disaster for the show, which has been lampooned by the Romanian press for the uninspired choices of words of its main anchor, who used a sheep toy, called Pufulica, as a speech pretext.

The anchor, Cristian Nitulescu, opened the show which marked the re-launched of TVR into a more 'agrarian TV station', by presenting the sheep toy Pufulica (later on re-named Pufulita), and saying it was the newsroom's toy, that everyone pets on the head when feeling stressed.

He went on to describe the changes at TVR 3 by mentioning its 'greening' and reciting some uninspired lyrics. The scene became a hilarious viral in Romania media.

The recent re-launch of TVR 3 is a partnership with the country's Ministry of Agriculture.

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo source: TVR 3 screen capture via Hotnews.ro)