The Telegraph corrects claim that German author was arrested over social media posts critical of Netanyahu

The Telegraph has issued a correction after wrongly reporting that German author and politician Jürgen Todenhöfer had been arrested for social media posts criticising Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The clarification, published on October 21, confirms that Mr Todenhöfer was investigated but not arrested, as the original article, published on October 19, had stated.

The initial wording created the false impression that German authorities had detained the former MP over his online comments, a framing that inadvertently suggested a wider European crackdown on criticism of Israel. In reality, police questioned Mr Todenhöfer as part of a preliminary inquiry but made no arrest, and he remained free throughout.

The Telegraph said it was “happy to correct the record”.

The error risked reinforcing perceptions of an overly aggressive state response to speech surrounding the Gaza conflict and Israel’s leadership, a narrative that has fuelled growing controversy across European media and political circles.