Radical Left seek dismissal of officials combating anti-Semitism
In Brandenburg, nine members of the Left Party have initiated a move to expel Andreas Büttner, the party's anti-Semitism commissioner, due to his public opposition to the party's stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The petition for Büttner's exclusion accuses him of violating party resolutions and international law, particularly his support for Israel in its conflict with Hamas and his criticism of Germany's recognition of the Palestinian state. His party colleagues argue that these public positions contradict the party line and damage its stance on the Middle East conflict.
Büttner, however, maintains his focus should be on combating antisemitism locally rather than criticizing the Israeli government’s policies. He has faced severe online abuse, being called names such as "child murderer" and "Zionist pig".
Brandenburg's Left Party leader, Sebastian Walter, supports Büttner and believes that exclusion applications should not replace content-related debates. He thinks Büttner's application has no chance of success.
Anti-Semitic incidents in Brandenburg have seen a significant increase, with a 28% rise reported last year. Büttner has been vocal in his criticism of the infiltration of the UN Palestine aid organization by Hamas terrorists.
A notable incident occurred when Büttner rebuked Left Party chairwoman Ulrike Eiffert for spreading a map without Israel on the internet. Büttner emphasizes that it is important to focus on the impact of attacks on Jews in Brandenburg, regardless of Israeli government decisions.
Despite the ongoing conflict, Büttner does not consider it his role to criticize the Netanyahu government. Instead, he fights against antisemitism daily, serving as the anti-Semitism commissioner in Brandenburg.
Sources: [1], [4], [5]
The ongoing debate within Brandenburg's Left Party regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict has led to a proposal to expel Andreas Büttner, the party's anti-Semitism commissioner, due to his public support for Israel and criticism of Germany's recognition of the Palestinian state. Despite this, Büttner remains committed to combating antisemitism locally in Brandenburg, and views his role as combating antisemitism rather than criticizing Israeli policy-and-legislation or the Netanyahu government in politics. General-news outlets have reported a significant increase in anti-Semitic incidents in Brandenburg, further highlighting the importance of Büttner's work in this area.
