Last-Minute Drama: Left Party's Divided Stance Wounds Cohesion
Extreme Leftists Appear Overly Confident in Their Stance
Written by Hubertus Volmer, Chemnitz
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The party conference was meant to be harmonious, but the old conflicts keep resurfacing: antisemitism, Israel, armament, and Russia. Even alliance is not guaranteed for all leftists.
At the finale of the Left Party's conference in Chemnitz, the party leadership suffers a clear defeat. A motion, against which party leader Jan van Aken had stood firm, still manages to gain a narrow majority: 213 delegates vote for a resolution that officially aligns the Left behind the controversial Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism.
A minor victory on paper, this resolution sparks controversy and unease, even if it may not appear so in the hectic conference. "A fatal resolution," comments the Thuringian Left state parliamentarian Katharina König on Bluesky. With this decision, the majority has made it clear that the Left no longer stands "#againstEveryAntisemitism."
Debate Jerusalem Declaration: Critics See a Trivialization of Antisemitism Van Aken opposes the motion, raising concerns that the Jerusalem Declaration trivialize antisemitism. However, supporters argue that their motion was intended to provide substantive clarity to disprove false accusations against the Left. They see the Jerusalem Declaration as the correct definition of antisemitism.
Majority Votes Against van Aken's Appeal
Van Aken delivers a counter-speech, but there is no open discussion due to time constraints. "I am against ending a scientific debate through a party conference resolution," he says, but does not delve further into the discussion. In the morning, the party conference had remembered Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer.
The debate is a symptom of an underlying dispute that echoes throughout the conference. Several delegates wear a keffiyeh to show solidarity with the Palestinian people. Not only König, but other leftists are dismayed by this move, expressing their disapproval on Bluesky. The issue is not about definitions, writes former MP Martina Renner, but about the ability to clear persons and groups of antisemitism charges in order to continue cooperation. The Jerusalem Declaration does not indicate the denial of Israel's right to exist as antisemitic.
A Long-standing Dispute Over Israel and Antisemitism
The dispute over the handling of Israel and the Middle East conflict has plagued the party for some time, and it increasingly veers against Israel. Several prominent members have already left the party due to this issue, including former Berlin senator for culture Klaus Lederer. He may not see much reason to return: On Tuesday, Left party federal board member Ulrike Eifler posted a vague map of Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank on X, where Israel's borders were difficult to discern. Two days later, the party executive distanced itself from any statement or visual representation that denies Israel's existence or promotes its elimination.
A Compromise Paper on the Middle East is Adopted
In Chemnitz, the party executive had already negotiated a Middle East resolution meant to calm the waters. It only accuses Israel of committing genocide in Gaza while stopping short of making the accusation itself. This paper receives a clear majority with the party executive's blessing.
A Question Mark over the Left's Success
The conference in Chemnitz provided a stage for the party's familiar slogans and a renewed sense of pride in the Left's resurgence. However, the continuing disputes cast a shadow over the party's future. The internal conflict within the party may prove to be a significant challenge as the Left moves forward.
- The Jerusalem Declaration, a contentious definition of antisemitism, has become a point of contention within the Left Party, with supporters arguing it provides substantive clarity and supporters of party leader Jan van Aken expressing concerns that it trivializes antisemitism.
- In Chemnitz, a compromise paper on the Middle East was adopted by the Left Party, which only accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza while stopping short of making the accusation itself, in an attempt to calm the waters and navigate the party's long-standing dispute over Israel and antisemitism.
- The Left Party's conference in Chemnitz, marked by internal divisions over issues such as antisemitism, Israel, armament, and Russia, ended with a narrow majority vote that officialized the party's alignment behind the controversial Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism, a decision criticized by many as positioning the Left against portraying every form of antisemitism as unacceptable.
- The party conference was marred by a debate over the adoption of the Jerusalem Declaration, with some delegates donning keffiyehs as a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people, which sparked strong disapproval and unease among some leftists who view the issue as being about the ability to clear persons and groups of antisemitism charges in order to continue cooperation, rather than a matter of definitions.
