Link Attacks Brandenburg's Commissioner Against Antisemitism - Radical individuals target Brandenburg's commissioner combating anti-Semitism
Andreas Büttner, the antisemitism commissioner for Brandenburg, Germany, finds himself at the heart of a heated political debate within his party, The Left. The controversy stems from Büttner's support for Israel in the conflict with Hamas, a position that conflicts with his party's official stance and international law principles, according to some party members.
Nine members from Brandenburg, Baden-Württemberg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Rhineland-Palatinate have called for Büttner's expulsion, accusing him of violating party resolutions and criticizing the Palestinian cause and UN Palestinian refugee agencies in his social media statements.
Büttner's focus has been on the safety of Jews in Brandenburg due to Israeli government decisions. He advocates for a policy requiring new citizens to accept Israel's right to exist, a move intended to show German solidarity with Israel. However, some local leaders oppose this policy as undemocratic.
Büttner defends his position, stating that party resolutions bind the party leadership, not each individual member, and that members can have their own positions. He has been criticized for expressing solidarity with Israel, with some members calling him names such as "Zionist pig," child murderer, and Holocaust denier.
One of Büttner's controversial social media posts reads, "Recognizing a state of Palestine would be the worst step we could take." He has also criticized the party leadership for not meeting with the Central Council of Jews, as he suggested in October.
The Left Party, however, is adamantly against antisemitism. Büttner's statements about the Middle East conflict on social media have been deemed by some to violate existing party resolutions and, in some cases, to ignore international law.
The debate remains active as Büttner retains his role but faces political challenges stemming from his stance on Israel. In May, The Left Party's federal conference called for "Stop the expulsion and famine in Gaza - Implement international law!" with the resolution stating that Israel's method of starving the civilian population is aimed at destroying all the Palestinians' livelihoods. The focus on Jewish safety in Brandenburg, as Büttner advocates, continues to be a contentious issue in this ongoing dispute.
- The heated political debate within The Left Party, Germany, revolves around employment policy, as Andreas Büttter's stance on Israel's right to exist has been perceived as a violation of the party's traditional employment policy.
- Despite the ongoing political conflict and accusations of violating party resolutions, Büttner insists on the importance of policy-and-legislation that promotes solidarity with Israel, advocating for a policy requiring new citizens to accept Israel's right to exist.
- Amidst war-and-conflicts in the Middle East, the employment policy debate within The Left Party has taken a turn towards general-news and crime-and-justice, as Büttner's social media statements criticizing Palestine and UN Palestinian refugee agencies have faced severe criticism.
