Member of Parliament (MP) from the Jewish community addresses AfD: "You represent the most significant threat" - Adf Jewish Parliamentarian Warns: "You Present the Most Significant Threat"
Düsseldorf, Germany -
In a heated political debate, Jewish SPD MP Rodion Bakum has reportedly accused the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party of being the "greatest threat" to Jewish life in Germany. Caught in a heated discussion on anti-Semitism, Bakum exclaimed, "No Jew in Germany needs you, needs your hypocritical solidarity. You're the greatest threat to Jewish life in Germany."
The statement was part of a unified response from the CDU, SPD, Greens, and FDP, who spoke out against the AfD during a state parliament debate on the matter. These political parties have accused the AfD of using the fight against anti-Semitism for political incitement and xenophobic purposes.
The debate was called following a sharp increase in anti-Semitic incidents in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), with the Research and Information Centre on Anti-Semitism (RIAS) NRW recording 940 incidents last year, a 42% increase compared to 2023. The observations have intensified since the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023.
AfD MP Enxhi Seli-Zacharias has allegedly accused other parties of submitting to radical Islamists, using the suspected Islamist attack in Solingen with three fatalities as an example. The government, according to Seli-Zacharias, is "simply no longer capable" and has "lost control."
CDU MP Günther Bergmann responded calmly, stating that the AfD had dropped its facade. "What you've just spewed here in terms of poison and bile is unprecedented," Bergmann said, adding that the AfD continues to radicalize and has not committed a single word in their election program to protecting Jewish life in Germany.
The Greens and the SPD have echoed Bergmann's sentiments, criticizing the AfD's selective approach to addressing anti-Semitism and accusing the party of propagating anti-Semitic ideologies. National Integration Minister Josefine Paul (Greens) emphasized the need for solidarity with Jewish people in Germany while the FDP MP Dirk Wedel expressed concern that the AfD's motion only addresses anti-Semitism selectively.
The debate comes at a crucial time for the AfD, as Germany's domestic intelligence agency classified the party as a "confirmed far-right" entity early May. In response to the classification, the AfD filed an urgent application to defend itself, and a decision from the competent administrative court in Cologne is pending.
Keywords: AfD, Antisemitism, CDU, SPD, Germany, FDP, NRW, Düsseldorf, RIAS, Christina Kampmann, Hamas, Israel, Islamists, Solingen
Enrichment Data:
- The debate over a potential ban on the AfD is drawing renewed attention to their link to right-wing extremism and extremist ideologies.
- While the AfD has not written anything about protecting Jewish life in their election program, some fear a potential ban could strengthen the party among its supporters.
- Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) has suggested the legal grounds for a ban be explored, as a "defensive democracy" is protected by the German Constitution.
- Meanwhile, calls from civil society groups demanding the ban of the AfD have intensified, underlining the party's perceived threat to human dignity and democratic values.
- The legal process for banning a political party in Germany is complex and high legal barriers must be surmounted, leaving skeptics to question the feasibility of such a move.
- Amidst the ongoing debate about a potential ban on the AfD, the commission has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of the environment, as it is essential to address issues beyond politics and general news, such as policy-and-legislation and crime-and-justice.
- The discourse surrounding the AfD's link to extremism and their lack of commitment to protecting Jewish life in Germany has been elevated to the realm of policy-and-legislation, with politicians from various parties criticizing the party's selective approach and accusing them of propagating anti-Semitic ideologies, which falls under crime-and-justice, a critical aspect of policy-and-legislation.
