Anti-Semitism debate | Jewish Berliners defend the Left

The well-known Jewish writer Deborah Feldman is one of the first signatories. Photo: Henning Kaiser/dpa Berlin. A group of Berlin Jews is defending the left against accusations of anti-Semitism. "The fact that the left in particular are constantly accused of anti-Semitism is not only a cynical political instrumentalization, but also equates almost every criticism of Israeli politics with anti-Semitism," says an open letter from 150 people, including the well-known authors Eva Menasse, Deborah Feldman and Esther Dischereit as well as the US-American-Israeli-German philosopher Susan Neiman, who is, among other things, director of the Einstein Forum in Potsdam.

It continues: “This flood of accusations aims to suppress different opinions and undermine international law. Against the backdrop of rising anti-Semitism everywhere, singling out a democratic left-wing party is not simply a neutral observation, but a political tool to distract and redirect attention.

"Precarious employment, overloaded schools, a health system at its limits, growing social divisions - all of this creates exactly the same social tensions that also promote hatred of Jews."

The signatories continue to write: “Precarious employment, overburdened schools, a health system at its limit, growing social divisions – all of this creates precisely the social tensions that also promote hatred of Jews.” A red-green-red coalition would have the power to “address the material causes of social tensions.”

The Left won the election to the House of Representatives on Sunday. Top candidate Elif Eralp is to become governing mayor. The Central Council of Jews in Germany subsequently warned the Greens and the SPD against helping the party into government, saying this would endanger Jewish life in the capital. According to the Central Council, anti-Semitism is trivialized in parts of the left.

Israel's ambassador Ron Prosor sees an "immediate threat to the existence" of the Jewish community in the German capital as a result of the Left's election victory. "The completely uninhibited anti-Semitism that has broken out in this party is taking on a new political dimension as it becomes the strongest force," he said.

Recently, several active and former politicians have expressed criticism regarding the possible formation of a government. Sigmar Gabriel (SPD), Cem Özdemir (Greens) and former Bundestag President Wolfgang Thierse (SPD), among others, warned against forming a coalition with the left in Berlin. dpa/nd

The »nd.Genossenschaft« belongs to its readers and authors. They are the ones who make our journalism accessible to everyone through their contribution: We are not backed by a media company, not a large advertising customer or even a billionaire.

With your support we can continue to:

→ report independently and critically → address overlooked topics → give space to marginalized voices → counter misinformation → advance left-wing debates

With “Pay voluntarily” you can take part. You help ensure that this newspaper has a future. So that nd remains.