Steinmeier Says Antisemitism Must Be a Condition in German Coalition Talks
Germany’s president says anyone chanting “Death to the Jews” must find no applause in any party. He calls rejecting antisemitism a condition wherever governments are formed.
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German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier says antisemitism must be ruled out wherever coalitions are formed. He calls that a “condition” for any party seeking power.
He spoke on Monday, Nov. 2, at the opening of the Jewish Academy in Frankfurt, his office listed. The Central Council of Jews calls it the first nationwide, non-university Jewish education institution since the Holocaust, Deutschlandfunk reported.
Clash Report posted the remarks. Our translation follows the German text published by Jüdische Allgemeine.
What Steinmeier Said
Steinmeier says he has “a clear expectation of all political parties.” Protecting Jewish life must never become a “bargaining chip” in the struggle for power.
Anyone who chants “Death to the Jews” must find “no understanding or applause in any political party,” he says. The same goes for anyone demanding “the annihilation of the Jewish state.”
He says antisemitism must be pushed back “without a back door or reservation.” He adds that it does not matter whether it comes from the right or left.
He then adds: “Wherever coalitions are negotiated and governments are formed, this must be a condition.” In German, he says antisemitism may gain no influence on “Regierungsarbeit,” or government work, anywhere in Germany.
The remarks come from his prepared text, n-tv noted. He also said all parties must confront Jew-hatred “from the party leadership to the party base.”
Criticism of Israel Versus Hatred
Steinmeier says criticism of Israel is legitimate. Concern over Gaza’s “catastrophic” situation or criticism of West Bank settlements is “part of democratic debate,” FAZ reported.
But he says using it to deny Israel’s right to exist, or to call for violence, crosses the line. “Jew-hatred remains Jew-hatred,” he says, “whatever side it comes from.”
Which Coalition He Means
Steinmeier named no party or state, n-tv reported. The timing points to Berlin, where the Left, Greens and Social Democrats opened coalition talks on Monday morning, tagesschau reported.
The Left won the Sept. 20 election with 25.7 percent and 45 of 153 seats, the official result shows. The three parties together hold 91 seats.
After the vote, a Left politician shared a call for a “Wahlintifada.” MP Ferat Koçak was photographed with Ibrahim Ibrahim, a reported supporter of the PFLP. Koçak distanced himself, tagesschau reported.
A FAZ commentator wrote that everyone understood whom Steinmeier meant, in a comment piece. That is the paper’s reading, not Steinmeier’s own statement.
Reactions
Berlin Left leader Elif Eralp has pledged that antisemitism has “no chance” with her, tagesschau reported. Her party’s congress on Saturday rejected a weaker antisemitism pledge and then backed the talks, FAZ reported.
Left caucus chief Tobias Schulze rejected outside interference on Monday, FAZ reported. The paper did not say he was answering Steinmeier directly.
Hesse’s conservative premier, Boris Rhein, said a party in Berlin was elected “because of” its antisemitism, dpa reported. He said one does not form coalitions with such people. He said the same applies to the far right.
Nearly 1,000 Social Democrats have signed an open letter doubting the Left’s fitness to govern, tagesschau reported. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is among them.
Central Council president Josef Schuster spoke at the same event. He said parties where antisemitism “found a home” are preparing to lead state governments, per his speech text. He named no party.
On the far-right side, see our report on the AfD’s historic win.
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