Left's Unfortunate Clash: Antisemitism Debacle Shakes Peace
The political spectrum's left wing appears undeniably overly entitled or privileged.
By Hubertus Volmer, Chemnitz
It was meant to be a harmonious party gathering, yet the old disagreements kept exploding - from antisemitism to Israel, arms, and Russia. Even the unity of the left wasn't guaranteed for all.
At the final moments of the Left Party's conference in Chemnitz, the party leadership faced a decisive blow. A motion, over which party leader Jan van Aken had explicitly taken a stance, managed to narrowly gather support: 213 delegates voted for a resolution where the Left officially endorses the so-called Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism.
What seems mundane is a scandal, even if it didn't look like it in the chaos of the conference. "A disastrous resolution," comments the Thuringian state parliamentarian of the Left, Katharina König, on Bluesky. With this, the majority determines that "the Left no longer stands #againstEveryAntisemitism."
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The Jerusalem Declaration is contested, and for good reason. Van Aken had opposed the motion. Some experts view this declaration as a trivialized form of antisemitism. The applicants are mainly upset that their motion was to be quietly dispatched to committees - for the second time.
Only 183 Delegates Side with Van Aken
Van Aken contends that at the conference in Halle last year, the Left found a reasonable compromise. That painstakingly negotiated resolution dealt with the party's stance in the Middle East conflict. That's not enough for the applicants. One says, "We need content clarity to refute false, defamatory accusations against the Left."
Jan van Aken delivers a brief counter-speech, and there's no real discussion due to time constraints. "I am against ending a scholarly debate through party resolution; we cannot do that." He doesn't delve deeper into the discussion. In the morning, the party conference had honored the late Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer.
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The Left's MEP, Özel Demirel-Böhlke, strongly opposes van Aken, stating there's no academic debate, only two contrasting definitions: the Jerusalem Declaration and the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition. Demirel-Böhlke asserts that based on the IHRA, any criticism of the Israeli government can be tagged as antisemitism. While controversial, she receives loud applause. In a digital vote, 183 delegates support van Aken's plea - not enough. 40 abstain. Many delegates are no longer present at that point.
Is It About Definitions or Cooperation?
The debate is the highlight of an underlying issue that has run throughout the entire conference. Several delegates in Chemnitz don red-and-white checkered keffiyehs to express solidarity with the Palestinian people, as they put it.
Not just Katharina König, but other leftists are troubled on Bluesky. It's not about definitions, writes former MP Martina Renner, but about being able to vindicate individuals and groups from antisemitism charges in order to carry on cooperating. Indeed, the Jerusalem Declaration contains no hint that doubting Israel's right to exist is antisemitic.
The debate about how to deal with Israel and the Middle East conflict has been going on in the party for a long time, and it's increasingly tilted against Israel. The Left has already lost several prominent members over this, including former Berlin cultural senator Klaus Lederer. He might not see much reason to return: On Tuesday, the party executive distanced itself from "any call, statement, or visual representation that, under the guise of solidarity with the Palestinian population, denies the existence of Israel or promotes its elimination." (Read more here).
Majority for compromise paper on the Middle East
In Chemnitz, the party executive has already negotiated a Middle East resolution intended to calm nerves. It only references the accusation that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, but does not explicitly claim it. The resolution receives a majority with the party executive's blessing.
The Same Old Sticking Points
The relationship with Israel and the dispute over antisemitism definitions were two aspects of the ongoing leftist feud that flared up in Chemnitz. It was meant to be a party congress of harmony, and for the most part, it was. Delegates celebrated their return to parliament and reassured each other that the winning streak would continue in the next year's elections.
"Berlin's first left mayor, that's a goal," faction leader Heidi Reichinnek stated in her speech on Friday. She listed all the upcoming elections: communal elections in North Rhine-Westphalia in September, state elections in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate in March 2026. The Left has never been in parliament in both federal states, and the party leadership hopes that will change. Elections are also coming up in Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania next year.
"A System we Reject"
But the Left seems to be doing too well to avoid conflicts. The other sticking points are about power, defense, and, consequently, the relationship with Russia. A delegate from Hesse expressed her views in the evening debate on Friday that she sees parts of the party "chronically clinging to beliefs increasingly detached from reality." This applies mainly to questions of war and peace, ignoring the fact that calls for rearmament have a real cause: the Russian attack on Ukraine.
Politics Left Party Leader Confident: "CDU Should Realize: They Can't Ignore Us Anymore" While such views are far from being a majority within the Left Party, it was still surprising that they were openly expressed at all. The conference on Saturday unanimously rejected the reintroduction of conscription and other compulsory services.
A motion calling for the resignation of the Left Party ministers and senators in the state governments of Bremen and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern receives much applause. "We are accountable to our class and the people, and we have no responsibility towards a system we reject," said one of the proposers. This stems from the rejection of "war credits"; several speakers draw a parallel to 1914. However, the general rejection of participation in "capitalism" also appears to be reflected in these views - a sentiment likely only supported by a minority. But it exists, and it is clearly heard.
Success Marked by a Question Mark
In the end, all the lingering disagreements were overshadowed, one could also say: concealed. There was reliable applause for the familiar slogans. This should work for a while, especially as new members probably won't be immediately interested in debating the old disputes - the party has doubled its membership to over 112,000 in just a year and a half, part of the comeback. But will the discontent last? There's a question mark over the success of the Left Party.
- The Left Party's conference in Chemnitz, intended to be harmonious, erupted into disagreements about Antisemitism, Israel, arms, and Russia, threatening the unity of the left.
- In a controversial move, 213 delegates voted to endorse the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism, prompting a backlash from party members like Katharina König and Martina Renner who argue that trying to define Antisemitism serves to cooperate and vindicate individuals and groups from such charges.
- Regarding the Middle East, the Left Party negotiated a resolution in Chemnitz to calm nerves, focusing on Israel's treatment of Palestinians without explicitly accusing it of genocide in Gaza.
- Despite the party's successes and growth in membership, internal conflicts over power, defense, and the relationship with Russia continue to persist, as demonstrated by a delegate from Hesse who criticized certain party beliefs as increasingly detached from reality.
