Left Party and anti-Semitism: The ace up the sleeve

Was it actually a coincidence that the debate about whether anti-Semitism in the Berlin left was a serious problem or rather a small industrial accident somewhere in the Neukölln district of Berlin gained momentum on Yom Kippur, the highest Jewish holiday? It was the House of Representatives election in Berlin, and many Jews were either sitting in the synagogue or with family and friends at the time, with their cell phones far away.

A silly joke that my somewhat feverish brain made up as I lay coughing on the couch, my cell phone not far away, of course, watching this madness. But the core is true: anti-Semitism does not need the Jews. So neither is the debate about it.

We're experiencing this again right now. The left could end this debate fairly quickly and perhaps benefit from it by taking action. She had enough time and reasons to react. That would be a strong statement towards Friedrich Merz, who is trying to exploit the failure of the left in an equally embarrassing way.

The Left explicitly sees itself as an anti-fascist party, as one that fights against every form of misanthropy. This includes the fight against anti-Semitism. Anyone who wants to be measured by this must not only explain themselves, but also draw conclusions if anti-Semitism occurs in their own store. How else is a party that doesn't have its people under control, that allows itself to be represented by a district association, to govern?

There is hardly a party that has not exploited the fight against anti-Semitism and Jews as such for political purposes. However, pointing the finger at others and portraying oneself as victims of a media campaign is not crisis management. It leaves the impression: We don't care about the topic. Anti-Semites are always other people.

After the reactions of many leftists to October 7th, the Hamas massacre in Israel, I was clarified. And yet this time it doesn't stop me how carelessly anti-Semitic outbursts within the Berlin Left Party are now being declared an unimportant secondary contradiction after the election. How people react reflexively instead of viewing anti-Semitism and how to deal with it as something that does not go together with one's own left-wing self-image.

It would be easy to play the concern card: report on your own experiences or explain that most of the Jews living in Germany do not know about anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism from the left from articles. The older generations suffered from this in their countries of origin. Stories that younger people grew up with - and that were later repeated for them at universities or in political groups. So the circle closes.

But as soon as I had played this card, a good German leftist would probably say: Yes, from your perspective that is of course understandable. As a Jew, yes, of course. As if it were just a matter of sensitivities.

And perhaps the good German leftist would then play his ace up his sleeve: present a Jew who sees things completely differently than I do, namely like himself, like the good German leftist.

Once again it becomes clear that Jews are treated like cardboard cutouts in this country. They are moved back and forth as needed. Will they suffer a dent in the process? So be it.

Anyone who wants to get through these times as a Jew has to show a great deal of repression. Or humor. Musician Igor Levit posts a Jewish anecdote on Instagram every morning. Maybe I’ll tell you my favorite one next time.