The party Alternative for Germany wants to establish an Association for members of the Jewish faith. Representatives of the Jewish communities consider this to be a publicity stunt that is unlikely to mobilize.
There will be resistance to the announcement of the Alternative for Germany suggests, at 7.October, a party-affiliated Association for “Jews in the AfD”. Levi Salomon, managing Director of the Jewish forum for democracy and against antisemitism (JFDA), the Initiative for an “advertising trick” that will probably never get caught. In an interview with DW, he says: “The AfD can never be an ally for the Jewish people”. The reason for this is Salomon sees in the “völkisch-nationalist brand core” of the right-wing populists, the hidden changes, will changes made to the public.
for Gauland, the NS-time is just a “bird shit”
The Berlin Holocaust memorial: AfD-front man Höcke want a “reminder of a political 180-degree turn”
He mentioned in this connection the speech of the Thuringian AfD-Chairman Björn Höcke, who criticised the fact that Germany has been planted with the Berlin Holocaust memorial a “monument of shame in the heart of his capital.” Höcke Association to the call for a “reminder of the political 180-degree turn”, causing outrage among the Jewish communities in Germany triggered. And also the quote of the AfD group Chairman Alexander Gauland, spoke of the Nazi years as a “bird shit” in the “thousands of years of successful in German history”, keeps Salomon for a document of this völkisch-nationalist attitude, the would have to reject Jews. Also in a more subtle Form, the AfD act of anti-Semitism, says Salomon. He refers to events in this summer, in which the top personnel of the party, the linearized verbally with Israel is solid and the microphone eloquently against anti-Semitism say. “On exactly the same events in books of the extreme right publishers, but who deny the Holocaust and the historical guilt of Germany into perspective”, writes Solomon. Jews could not participate in such parties.
Islam should serve as a common enemy
A group of at least 20 founding members do not seem to bother this kind of criticism, however. In less than two weeks, the inaugural ceremony is to be in the Hessian Offenbach for the Jewish Alliance in the AfD. Beatrix von Storch, a member of the AfD Federal Executive, on demand, know that you are happy about the Initiative of the Jewish party members. “According to the Christians, the Jews in the AfD now have a voice and a point of contact.” In addition, it will show how open the party to the dialogue was, and how vehemently she is advocating for the “preservation of our Judeo-Christian heritage”.
Can Christians and Jews, in good conscience, be a member of the Alternative for Germany?
Dimitri Schulz, AfD party member from the state of Hessen and the self-proclaimed founding member, published a “Declaration of principles”, which explained the aim and purpose of the Initiative. Schulz writes in the two-sided Pamphlet, that the Jewish AfD-the Alliance had to address the “Muslim hatred of Jews”, because this “was not in dispute and inextricably linked with the emergence of Islam”. Publicist Michel Friedman, formerly a functionary of the Central Council of the Jews, in the face of this racist write-UPS of properties and population groups of significant words: “no one should enter the AfD, a Jew.”
Lindner: “such A platform can only be a Fig leaf”
The party leader of the liberal Democrats, Christian Lindner, said in an interview with DW: “The AfD has been able to pull in the last few years, there is no clear border line to anti-Semitism.” Again and again there have been relevant events and debates, including provocations in memorials. “Now, such a platform can only have the character of a figleaf,” says Lindner, and recommends that Jewish citizens, not to engage. The outer green politician Omid Nouripour argues in a similar way. In an interview with DW, he is a reference to the Gauland-Expression. “Have a label with the inscription ‘tolerance and awareness of history’ on a pile of bird shit, nothing will change shit on the Bird.”
It is still unclear how many Jewish AfD members will come to the Foundation.
Russian-born Jews as the Motor of the Initiative?
Advances of the AfD-tip in the direction of Judaism, there were in the past. The Ex-party leader of the AfD, Frauke Petry, announced in a newspaper interview that the AfD “is one of the few political guarantor of Jewish life even at times illegal anti-Semitic Migration to Germany”. And, in fact, there are some party is in the ranks of the AfD members, confessing to the Jewish Faith. The weekly newspaper “die Zeit” counted alone in the baden-württemberg land Association of the party of four Jewish members. One of the founding members of the group “Jews in the AfD” holds a Membership of 1400 people. It is striking that, so far, mainly Russian-came-born Jews in the AfD medially in appearance. This group is also the engine of the Initiative?
In an Interview with the Russian edition of DW a Russian squat member of the group speaks about his reasons to participate. The Jew with roots in the former Soviet Union want to stay up to the constituent Assembly, however, is still anonymous. “We see in the desire of the AfD then that Germany may again become a self-confident Nation, certainly not contrary to Jewish interests,” he log. That, in particular, Russian pressed-born Jews to the AfD, he denies. Around half of the 20 founding members of the AfD-party group of Jews from the former Soviet Union. Since around three-quarters of all Jews were in this country from the former Soviet Union, not to be over-represented in the Eastern European Judaism here, however, says the AfD member who lives in the South of Germany.
Jewish representatives feared a usurpation attempt
Solomon: “you need this legitimacy, but they don’t get you”
Jews with roots embassies in the former USSR for AfD-susceptible, holds Levi Salomon, however, is nonsense. The founder of the Jewish forum came in 1991 from the former Soviet Union into the country and founded in 2008, the Association that helps since Victims of racial and religious persecution. “I’m part of this group, and for me, the AfD is not an Option.” Solomon advises the media to overestimate the movement. There were a handful of people, a small sect that get too much attention. That right-wing populists always have access to the Jewish community are looking for, he agrees with their striving, acceptance and recognition of catch. “You need this legitimacy, but they don’t get you.”