War in the Middle East: Özdemir criticizes left-wing anti-Semitism

Green Party politician Cem Özdemir has called for consistent action against anti-Semitism in Germany in view of crimes in connection with the Gaza war. “If we say that anti-Semitism must have no place in our society, then we have to follow up with action,” writes the Agriculture Minister in a guest article for the magazine “Stern”.

“If slogans are chanted in Arabic at demonstrations, the security authorities should be able to translate them and, if necessary, prosecute them.” If the limits of freedom of expression are exceeded into incitement and incitement to hatred and violence, this must be brought to court and made public.

In the article, Özdemir sharply criticized left-wing anti-Semitism. “It is disturbing how some on the left fail to show humanity, especially in the face of Hamas’s terror – or even to recognize that it is terrorism,” writes the politician. When anti-Semitism comes from the left, it is often said that it is not anti-Semitism, but an anti-colonial liberation struggle. But he opposes a “selective view of the reality of anti-Semitism.”

“There is no less serious anti-Semitism. It is dishonest and does not serve the safety of Jews to play one anti-Semitism against the other – this applies to political actors and parties on the left and right of the center,” emphasized Özdemir.

Terrorists carried out massacres of civilians in Israel on October 7th on behalf of the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Since then, Israel has been attacking targets in the Gaza Strip. As a result, there are repeated demonstrations by Palestinians and supporters in Germany, in which some participants cheered the Islamist Hamas. In some cases there were riots. Since the Hamas attack, the number of anti-Semitic incidents nationwide has recently increased.