With German federal elections set for the end of February, the country’s anti-Semitism commissioner, Felix Klein, is warning parties against the Alternative for Germany (AfD), saying that they must not remain neutral on the AfD, but instead actively distance themselves from the party.
While speaking to Tagesspiegel, Klein said that developments in Austria, which currently has brought the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) into talks to form a new government, will encourage the AfD in Germany.
“I am concerned about the developments in Austria, where we see what happens when democratic parties do not clearly distance themselves from the right,” he said while speaking to Tagesspiegel.
He said parties must take a stand against the AfD “especially because the issue of internal security will play a major role in the current federal election campaign, I very much hope that the democratic parties will continue to distance themselves from right-wing extremist and right-wing populist content.”
The leader of Germany's increasingly popular @AfD, @Alice_Weidel, slams the hypocrisy of a recent call by former Chancellor Angela Merkel for Jews to feel safe in Germany amid a dramatic rise in anti-Semitism. pic.twitter.com/ngcCA2hlW7
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) November 9, 2023The call to action against the AfD comes as the party jumps in the polls to 22 percent shortly before federal elections next month. There are fears from the German establishment that if the party strengthens, it may jeopardize a potential coalition between the Christian Democrats (CDU) and other parties, most likely the Greens or the SPD. Currently, the CDU is at 30 percent, and if the election were held today, it would likely have the numbers to potentially form coalition governments with both left-wing parties. The AfD is aiming to overcome the CDU’s lead before the February election date, making it impossible to form a government without its support.
Klein makes a number of allegations against the party, saying that any party that proposes limiting the criminal offenses associated with incitement to hatred or uses symbols of an unconstitutional organization will threaten democracy and are working against the fight against anti-Semitism.
“I would like to point out that around 60 percent of all anti-Semitic crimes are incitement to hatred. These make up by far the largest proportion of this category of crimes,” said the commissioner.
He said supporters of right-wing extremism are the minority, and there are far more opponents.
“But we must not gamble away this advantage, but must actively campaign for democratic values. The greatest danger here is the indifference of the majority population,” he said.
Klein’s official title is the federal commissioner for Jewish life in Germany and the fight against anti-Semitism. He has served in the role since 2018.
In a number of areas, the AfD has positioned itself as the defender of Jews in Germany, arguing that the majority of anti-Semitic crime comes from migrants from countries hostile to Jews. In her interview with Elon Musk, Alice Weidel, the AfD party co-leader, also said she supports Israel.
“Do you unequivocally support the existence of the state of Israel?” asked Elon Musk , to which Weidel replied, “Yes, of course.”
However, the other party co-leader, Tino Chrupalla, has called for the end of “one-sided partisanship” in support of Israel. He said he also rejects weapons shipments to the country.
Chrupalla said that “exclusive expressions of solidarity” with Israel should end and that there should be no more “blanket Islamophobia.”
“With your arms deliveries to Israel, you accept the dehumanization of all civilian deaths on both sides. You are not contributing to de-escalation, but are constantly pouring oil on the fire,” he said. It is “time to critically and objectively engage with the Israeli government.”
Chrupalla stated that Israel has a right to self-defense, but that it should not be with German-made weapons.
