"Risk arises as certain individuals may escape accountability on the left's watch"
Holding the Left Accountable: The Debate Over Israel and Antisemitism
The Left Party's decision to support the Jerusalem Declaration (JDA) on antisemitism, in a swift five-minute debate at their congress in Chemnitz, has sparked controversy and criticism. Critics argue that the JDA may be too lenient, potentially misused, and a threat to antisemitism awareness efforts.
In response to the Left's adoption of the JDA, Bundestag Vice-President Bodo Ramelow stated, "Anyone who wants to eliminate Israel and destroy or expel Jews is an antisemite!"
Historian and antisemitism expert Juliane Wetzel compares the IHRA definition, often endorsed by governments and institutions, and the JDA, an alternative viewpoint that sometimes softens the boundaries between antisemitism and legitimate political criticisms of Israel.
The IHRA definition, embraced by 31 member countries, is more prescriptive and specific, outlining manifestations of antisemitism like targeting Jewish individuals, institutions, or property. It explicitly states that criticism of Israel comparable to that of other countries is not antisemitic. However, the IHRA definition also labels claims of Jewish dual loyalty and Israel's existence as racist endeavor as antisemitic. Conversely, the JDA aims to clarify and separate antisemitism from anti-Zionism, presenting a more permissive stance on political expressions regarding Israel that the IHRA definition may deem antisemitic.
Critics argue that the JDA's more lenient approach could enable antisemitic expressions beneath the veil of political discourse, potentially hindering global efforts against antisemitism. Moreover, the JDA's stance on Jewish self-determination and Israel comparison to Nazi Germany has raised eyebrows among those who view such positions as veiled antisemitism.
The controversy surrounding the adoption of the JDA by a mainstream left-wing party in Germany, a country with a sensitive antisemitic history, illustrates the ongoing debate over how to deal with antisemitism in the context of Israel-Palestine politics.
- The ongoing debate over the Jerusalem Declaration (JDA) raises questions about the community policy and employment policy of the Left Party, particularly in relation to education-and-self-development and general-news, as its adoption of the JDA has sparked controversy on the boundaries between antisemitism and legitimate political criticisms of Israel.
- The adoption of the Jerusalem Declaration (JDA) by the Left Party has led to a political discourse analyzing its implications for antisemitism awareness efforts, raising concerns that its more lenient approach to political expressions regarding Israel could potentially misuse the efforts against antisemitism and hinder global efforts in this area.
