Chaos at the Eleventh Hour: Left's Comfort Leads to Controversy
The political left appears to be overly influential, based on current observations.
By Hubertus Volmer, Chemnitz
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The Left Party's conference in Chemnitz was supposed to united, but the old conflicts resurfaced: antisemitism, Israel, arms, and Russia. Even unity within the Left wasn't a given.
At the close of the Left Party's conference in Chemnitz, the party leadership suffered a crushing defeat. A motion that party leader Jan van Aken had explicitly opposed garnered a narrow majority in the final moments of the gathering: 213 delegates supported a resolution that placed the Left officially behind the so-called Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism.
What might seem insignificant caused a scandal. "A catastrophic resolution," comments the Thuringian state parliamentarian of the Left, Katharina König, on Bluesky. With this decision, the majority has decided that "the Left no longer stands for #AgainstAnyAntisemitism".
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The Jerusalem Declaration is contentious, and it's no surprise van Aken opposed the motion. Several experts view this declaration as trivialize antisemitism. The applicants contest this. They are primarily angry that their motion was to be quietly referred to committees - for the second time.
Van Aken argues that the Left found an admirable compromise at last year's conference in Halle. That painstakingly negotiated resolution addressed the party's positioning in the Middle East conflict. That's not enough for the applicants. One of them claims, "We need to create content clarity to counter false, degrading accusations against the Left."
Jan van Aken delivers a brief counterargument but offers scant discussion. Time was short. "I'm against ending a scholarly debate through a party conference resolution; we can't do that." He refrains from delving deeper into the conversation.
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The Left's MEP Özil Demirel-Böhlke vehemently opposes van Aken, asserting no such scholarly debate exists, only two conflicting definitions: the Jerusalem Declaration and that of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). Demirel-Böhlke asserts that, based on the IHRA, any criticism of the Israeli government can be labeled as antisemitism. This is controversial, but she receives strong applause. In the digital vote, 183 delegates follow van Aken's plea - not enough. 40 abstain. Numerous delegates are no longer present at this point.
Is it About Definitions or Cooperation?
The debate underscores an underlying dispute permeating the entire conference. Several delegates don kufiya scarves to express solidarity with the Palestinian people, as they put it.
Not only Katharina König, but other leftists, are equally dismayed on Bluesky. It's not about definitions, Martina Renner, former MP, posts on Bluesky, but about being able to acquit persons and groups of the antisemitism charge in order to maintain cooperation. Indeed, the Jerusalem Declaration does not indicate that denying Israel's right to exist is antisemitic.
The conflict over handling Israel and the Middle East has been ongoing within the party for quite some time, progressively leaning more anti-Israel. Several prominent members have already departed, including former Berlin cultural senator Klaus Lederer. He may not find much reason to return: On Tuesday, Left Party federal board member Ulrike Eifler posted a map of Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank on X, where Israel's borders were unrecognizable. Two days later, the party executive distanced itself from "any call, statement, or visual representation that, under the guise of solidarity with the Palestinian population, negates the existence of Israel or promotes the destruction of Israel." (More on this here.)
Majority for Compromise Paper on the Middle East
At Chemnitz, the party executive already negotiated a Middle East resolution intended to calm tensions. It only quoteth the accusation that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, but does not explicitly make this charge itself. The resolution received a strong majority with the party executive's blessing.
Perennial Points of Contention
The relationship with Israel and the constant debate about the antisemitism definition were just two aspects of the Left's long-standing debate that flared up in Chemnitz. It was meant to be a harmonious party congress, and for the most part, it was. Delegates celebrated their return in the federal election, and several assurance each other of continued success in the next year's elections.
"A mayor from the Left for Berlin, that's a goal," faction leader Heidi Reichinnek said in her speech on Friday. She listed all the upcoming elections: municipal elections in North Rhine-Westphalia in September, state elections in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate in March 2026. The party leadership hopes that the Left will finally enter parliament in both federal states. Elections are set for Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the coming year.
"A System that We Reject"
But the Left may be doing too well to avoid conflicts. Other points of contention revolve around the relationship with power, defense policy, and, in consequence, the relationship with Russia. A Hessian delegate voiced her frustration in the evening debate about witnessing "a persistent adherence to beliefs increasingly detached from reality" in some parts of the party, particularly concerning questions of war and peace. "The repeated call for rearmament is overlooked, which is the real reason, namely the Russian invasion of Ukraine."
Politics Left Party Leader Confident "CDU Should Realize: You Can't Bypass Us Anymore" While such positions are far from being a majority within the Left Party, it was surprising that they were expressed publicly at all in Chemnitz. On Saturday, the party conference unanimously rejected the reintroduction of conscription and other compulsory services.
A motion seeking the resignation of the Left Party ministers and senators in the state governments of Bremen and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern received widespread cheers. "We are responsible to our class and the people, and we have no responsibility towards a system that we reject," said one of the proposers. Behind this is the rejection of "war credits"; several speakers drew a parallel to 1914. However, the overall rejection of government participation "under the conditions of capitalism" also seems reflected in these views - a sentiment likely only a minority supports. But it exists, and it is clearly audible.
Admittedly, all the long-standing conflicts were overshadowed - one could also say: papered over. Reliable applause for the familiar slogans was heard. This will likely continue to hold for a while, especially as many new members may not yet be interested in clarifying the old disputes. But in the long run? There is a question mark hanging over the success of the Left Party.
Source: ntv.de
- The Left Party
- Chemnitz
- Party Conference
- Jan van Aken
- Antisemitism
- Israel
- Anti-Semitism
Enrichment Data:- The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) defines antisemitism as "a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities." Critics of the IHRA definition argue that it is not legally binding, overly broad, and can be used to suppress legitimate criticism of Israel's actions.- The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (JDA), adopted by several academic institutions and organizations, emphasizes the need to protect freedom of speech, academic freedom, and artistic freedom in discussing Israel and the Middle East, while also condemning all forms of antisemitism. The JDA reverses the IHRA's definition of antisemitism to prioritize recognition of Israel's right to exist and the need to combat political manipulations and distortions that seek to conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitic rhetoric.
Summary: The debate around antisemitism and Israel/Palestine issues at the Left Party's conference in Chemnitz reveals deep-seated disagreements on how to define antisemitism and engage with Israel. Some delegates, including Katharina König and Martina Renner, criticized the party's stance on antisemitism as allowing for acquittal when cooperating with other parties. The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism, which seeks to protect academic freedom and freedom of speech in discussing Israel, is one alternative definition that some delegates might support. In contrast, the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which has faced criticism for its vagueness, was rejected by some members and deemed too restrictive in terms of criticizing Israel. Ultimately, these disagreements reflect broader tensions between left-leaning parties and mainstream politics over how to balance fighting antisemitism with advocating for Palestinian rights.
- Amidst the turmoil at the Left Party's conference in Chemnitz, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resurfaced as a contentious issue, with debates over the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism and the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.
- Critics of the IHRA definition, such as Martina Renner and Katharina König, argue that it is too restrictive and can be used to suppress legitimate criticism of Israel. They assert that the Left should be able to acquit parties of antisemitism charges in order to maintain cooperation.
- The Jerusalem Declaration, which emphasizes protection of free speech and academic freedom when discussing Israel, is one alternative stance some delegates advocate for.
- Despite these disagreements, the debate underscores a long-standing dispute within the Left Party concerning the relationship with power, defense policy, and the relationship with Russia, which may pose ongoing challenges for the party's success.
