Ill-Timed Leftist Tussle: Jerusalem Declaration Adopted Amidst Controversy
The political left is evidently overly influential, or in other words, they wield too much power.
By Hubertus Volmer, Chemnitz
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The Left Party's convention in Chemnitz was anticipated as a unifying event, and for the most part, it was. But the embers of age-old disagreements lingered: antisemitism, Israel, armaments, and Russia. Even the concept of co-governing remains contested among Leftists.
As the dust settled from the Left Party's convention in Chemnitz, the party leadership suffered a clear setback. An initiative against which party leader Jan van Aken explicitly positioned himself nonetheless garnered a narrow majority in the final minutes of the gathering: 213 delegates voted for a motion that aligns the Left with the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (JDA).
Although it might not seem overly remarkable, this decision is a sensation in the realm of politics. As Thuringian state parliamentarian of the Left, Katharina König, contends on Bluesky, the majority has effectively decided that "the Left no longer stands for #againstEveryAntisemitism."
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The JDA is a contentious topic, and rightfully so. Van Aken had stood against the motion. There are those who believe that the JDA trivializes antisemitism. The advocates, on the other hand, are primarily indignant that their proposal was to be quietly referred to committees - for the second time.
Van Aken defends that the Left reached a workable compromise last year during the convention in Halle. In this resolution, he argues, the party found a balance for its Middle East policy. The supporters find this insufficient. As one of them states, "We need to establish a clear stance to counter false and defamatory accusations against the Left."
Jan van Aken delivers a brief rebuttal, but there's no real discussion, nor the time for it. In the morning, the congress had commemorated the late Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer.
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The Left's MEP Özel Demirel-Böhlke passionately opposes van Aken. She asserts that there is no such ongoing debate but only two opposing points of view: the JDA and that of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). Demirel-Böhlke maintains that IHRA-based criticism of the Israeli government can be labeled as antisemitism, a position considered controversial. Nonetheless, she receives a round of applause. In the electronic voting, 183 delegates back van Aken's plea, but it's not enough, while 40 abstain. Absent delegates are numerous at this juncture.
Is it about Definitions or Cooperation?
The debate serves as a reflection of a long-simmering discussion that set the tone for the entire convention. Numerous delegates wear a kuffiyya to express solidarity with the Palestinian people, as they describe.
Not Just Katharina König, Other Leftists Also Shocked on Bluesky. It's Not About Definitions, Writes Former MP Martina Renner, "But About Being Able to Exonerate People and Groups From Anti-Semitism Accusations to Continue Cooperating." Indeed, the Jerusalem Declaration Contains No Indication That Denying Israel's Right to Exist is Anti-Semitic.
The Dispute Over How to Handle Israel and the Middle East Conflict Has Been Raging in the Party for Years, Increasingly Tipping Against Israel. Several Prominent Members, Including Former Berlin Culture Senator Klaus Lederer, Have Already Been Lost Over This. He's Likely to See Little 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 Not Recognizable. Two Days Later, the Party Executive Distanced Itself "From Any Call, Statement, or Visual Representation That, Under the Pretext of Solidarity with the Palestinian Population, Denies or Promotes the Elimination of Israel." (More on This here.)
Majority for Compromise Paper on Middle East
In Chemnitz, the Party Executive had already negotiated a Middle East resolution intended to pacify tensions in the party. It illustrates the allegation that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, albeit not explicitly. "The Israeli government and its henchmen must be held accountable," says Frankfurt Main delegate Hana Qetinaj, one of the supporters, in this argument. The Left has lost credibility in this issue, she laments. "A false relativism during a genocide does not do justice to what is happening there." With the approval of the Party Executive, the paper receives a clear majority.
The Same Old Points of Contention
The Relationship to Israel and the Dispute Over the Definition of Antisemitism Were Just Two Aspects of the Left's Everlasting Divide that Flared Up in Chemnitz. It Was Intended as a Congress of Harmony, and for the Most Part, It Was. The Delegates Celebrated Their Return in the Federal Election and Encouraged Each Other that the Success Story Would Continue in the Next Year.
"The First Left Mayor of Berlin, That's a Goal," Fraktion Chair Heidi Reichinnek Shouted During Her Speech on Friday. She Outlined All the Upcoming Elections: In September, Local Elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, in March 2026, State Elections in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. The Party Leadership Hopes that the Left Will Finally Enter Parliament in Both Federal States. Elections Are Also Coming Up in Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the Coming Year.
But the Left Seems Too Successful to Avoid Conflicts. The Other Points of Contention Are About the Relationship to Power, Defense Policy, and, Connected to That, the Relationship to Russia. Wiesbaden City Councilor Brigitte Forßbohm Said in the Evening Debate, "I Experience a Notorious Clinging to Beliefs That Are Increasingly Detached from Reality in Parts of the Party." This Particularly Applies to Questions of War and Peace. "Meanwhile, the Repeated Call for Rearmament Has a Real Cause, Namely the Russian Invasion of Ukraine."
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A motion advocating for the resignation of Left Party ministers and senators in the state governments of Bremen and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern received much applause. "We are accountable to our class and the people, not to a system we reject," said one of the proposers, paralleling opposition to "war credits" - a term several speakers associated with 1914. There also seemed to be a general rejection of government participation "under capitalist conditions" - a sentiment held by a minority but one that is audible.
Success Has a Question Mark
Party leader Ines Schwerdtner offered a counterargument to the motion against the state associations of Bremen and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. "Dear comrade, I agree with everything you've said in essence." She argued procedurally, stating that the main motion already decided that such a case should not happen again. Schwerdtner urged the party conference not to "set a precedent." This motion was decisively rejected: 219 to 192, with 39 abstentions.
Ultimately, all lingering disputes were overshadowed - or rather, covered up - by success. There was reliable applause for familiar slogans. This will likely work for a time, especially since many new members are unlikely to be interested in resolving old disputes - the party has doubled its membership to over 112,000 in just a year and a half, which is also a part of its comeback. But can the dissent last? The success of the Left Party has a question mark shadowing it.
- The Left Party's convention in Chemnitz was fraught with age-old disagreements, including antisemitism, Israel, armaments, and Russia, despite initial expectations of unity.
- The party's leadership suffered a setback when a motion aligning the Left with the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism (JDA) garnered a narrow majority, against the explicit position of party leader Jan van Aken.
- Martina Renner, a former MP, contends on Bluesky that the debate is not about definitions but about being able to exonerate people and groups from antisemitism accusations to continue cooperating, as the Jerusalem Declaration does not indicate that denying Israel's right to exist is antisemitic.
- The dispute over how to handle Israel and the Middle East conflict has been ongoing in the party for years, with several prominent members already lost over the issue. The relationship to Israel remains a contentious point of contention in the Left Party.
