Despite a call by the head of Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, the Franco-German TV network Arte has refused to broadcast an undercover film on the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe because it is considered ‘‘pro-Israel.’’

Arte commissioned the 90-minute documentary titled ‘’Chosen and Excluded – Jew Hatred in Europe’’, in 2015.

The film, by Joachim Schroeder and Sophie Hafner, shows the most serious outbreaks of violent anti-Semitism in Europe, including the murders of Jews and Israelis by Islamist terrorists in Belgium and France.

The European political support of anti-Semitism targeting Israel is presented in the film, including a speech by the Palestinian Authority’s Mahmoud Abbas who told European lawmakers that rabbis urged Israel’s government to poison Arab water supplies. The European Parliament rewarded Abbas with a standing ovation.

The film also shows the growth of the anti-Israel BDS campaign in Europe.

Anti-Semitism is traced, among others, in Germany, France, Belgium, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank, including that of Muslims.

Arte's editors rejected the broadcast, because they argued that the film treats the central theme "only very partially" and does not correspond to the approved project.

Josef Schuster wrote to Arte president Peter Boudgoust,criticzing the devision and asking the broadcasters to reconsider it. He argued that the film is highly relevant against the backdrop of growing anti-Semitism that is related to Israel. WDR and ZDF tv stations are Arte’s partners in Germany.

In a reply letter to Schuster, the program director, Alain Le Diberder, said that Arte had delivered a film "in essential parts not in accordance with the project approved by the program conference". Arte claimed that Joachim Schroeder, who filmed the documentary, violated its program plan and focused largely on the Middle East, and did not address anti-Semitism in Norway, Sweden, the UK, Hungary and Greece.

Diberder said he was deeply affected by accusations of censorship and anti-Semitism, although he could understand why the Jewish leader was perplexed by the decision. The Arte head reiterated that "honorable and good reasons" had formed the basis of the channel's decision to pull the plug on the documentary's broadcast.

Schroeder denied Arte’s account, saying that he delivered by filming anti-Semitism in Germany and France. A 90-minute film can’t possibly cover antisemitism “from Oslo to Minsk,” he added.

He told The Jerusalem Post that Arte’s editors failed to recognize that “modern anti-Semitism is anti-Zionism.”

He added that there is fierce opposition within European television outlets to refrain from bashing Israel.