Wann wird mann je verstehen?
JVL Introduction
When Will Germany Ever Learn?
In this detailed analysis of the many ways in which Germany is getting it so very wrong in its suppression of free speech on Palestine and Israel; its clamping down on protest and opportunities for learning. Furthermore, as he reports, Germany has created a Commissioner for Anti-Semitism (Antisemitismusbeauftragte) with “representatives are now present in almost every state institution, in public administrations, cultural institutions, organisations and universities.”
We can add that they are usually not Jewish and yet feel free to tell Jews who oppose the actions of Israel or the ideology of Zionism that they do not understand antisemitism (as well as they do, presumably). “These commissioners are powerful and obviously know infallibly what is anti-Semitic. Their main task is therefore to accuse anyone who opposes the official German position on what the Zionists are up to of anti-Semitism, baselessly and slanderously.” Should they judge you to be guilty of ‘antisemitism’ this “has the effect of destroying professional careers and thus the life plans of individuals, withdrawing funding from cultural institutions or civil society organisations and creating a repressive social climate of fear.”
LL
This article was originally published by Brave New Europe on Mon 3 Feb 2025. Read the original here.
Germany: On the way to authoritarianism in the service of Zionism
Germany gone astray – again
Loading article text…
Just chilling, utterly chilling. The make up of the coalition group is cause for extreme concern in my view.
It is worth noting that the cross-party consensus vote in favour of the Bundestag resolution against supposed antisemitism in universities once again consisted of not only the right and centre-right parties including the Greens, but also the extreme right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD).
The left-wing party Die Linke, which has been ambivalent at best about Palestine and has suffered a split on the issue between its activist base and its more centrist leadership, some of whom had resigned in protest at what they saw as insufficient support for Israel, could only bring itself to abstain.
Only the small Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) voted against the motion. This grouping, named after its leader, had split from Die Linke last year and has since been the only party consistently to criticise Israel’s war crimes and demand an arms embargo; in the last week it called for a minute’s silence in the Bundestag for the victims in Gaza, but the parliament’s president and the other party leaderships (including Die Linke) refused.
Meanwhile the Berlin authorities have further tightened the restrictions on pro-Palestine protests. Demonstrators are no longer allowed to march and must remain static. The use of the Arabic language for speeches, slogans, placards or songs has been banned.
Last year the Berlin police prohibited the use of Gaelic and, believe it or not, Hebrew, even for prayers – all in the cause of combatting antisemitism and protecting Jewish life of course.