On September 1, Germany saw a seismic shift in its political landscape. For the first time since 1945, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party won regional elections, securing 35% of the vote in Saxony and 33.5% in Thuringia. This historic victory, a significant turn toward right-wing populism, has sent shockwaves through the German body politic and raised concerns internationally.<\/p>\n
Amid this upheaval, another political force has emerged: the \u201cSahra Wagenknecht Alliance\u201d (BSW), a new left-wing populist party that secured third place in both states. As Germany approaches its final regional election in Brandenburg on September 22, Israel faces an urgent challenge in its relationship with its most important European ally.<\/p>\n
The rise of the BSW, alongside the AfD\u2019s growth, presents an immediate threat to both Israel\u2019s interests and Germany\u2019s Jewish communities. These developments are reshaping German political dynamics and the country\u2019s relationship with Israel, particularly in the eastern states where anti-establishment sentiment runs high.<\/p>\n
Wagenknecht, a former leader of Die Linke (the Left), has positioned the BSW as a unique political force. Unlike some of its left-wing counterparts in Europe, the BSW adopts a more conservative stance on immigration while promoting a left-wing economic agenda. This blend has attracted voters from both ends of the political spectrum.<\/p>\n
BSW\u2019s position on Israel has evolved in an alarming way. Initially, following the October 7 Hamas attacks, Wagenknecht affirmed Israel\u2019s right to self-defense. However, her rhetoric quickly hardened. Two weeks post-attack, she warned against a ground offensive in Gaza, describing it as \u201can open-air prison.\u201d<\/p>\n
In November, at a Berlin peace rally, she stated that Germany\u2019s special responsibility towards Jewish life and Israel\u2019s existence did not mean \u201cwhitewashing [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu\u2019s unrestrained conduct of the war and supporting it as if it were self-defense.\u201d<\/p>\n
The BSW\u2019s position further radicalized after the death of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza. Wagenknecht called for an embargo on German arms exports to Israel, accusing the Israeli government of war crimes. She said it was \u201ctotal hypocrisy\u201d to organize humanitarian aid while supplying weapons \u201cfor the continuation of massacres, mainly of women and children.\u201d<\/p>\n
Following Iran\u2019s mid-April attack on Israel, Wagenknecht used the loaded term \u201cwar of annihilation\u201d to describe Israel\u2019s actions in Gaza, drawing a direct comparison to the Holocaust. Her husband and the party\u2019s ideological mentor, Oskar Lafontaine, has also made problematic statements, suggesting a \u201cdual responsibility\u201d of Germany toward both Jewish victims of the Nazis and the Palestinians, whom he called \u201cvictims of the victims.\u201d<\/p>\n
Responding to accusations that the BSW was spreading anti-Israel hatred leveled by Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Wagenknecht retorted: \u201cIf everyone who criticizes Netanyahu\u2019s brutal conduct of the war in Gaza is an enemy of Israel, then a significant portion of Israelis are enemies of Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n
This situation presents Israel with a complex dilemma. While Israel boycotts the AfD due to its right-wing extremism, despite its pro-Israel positions, how should it react to the BSW? The emergence of the left-wing populist party represents a new challenge in Israeli-German relations, forcing Jerusalem to navigate a changing political landscape while balancing the defense of its interests and maintaining crucial diplomatic relations.<\/p>\n
For Israel and the Jewish communities of Germany, support for Israel poses an antisemitism risk to local Jews. Conversely, left-wing movements like the BSW potentially threaten both Israel\u2019s international standing and local Jewish communities.<\/p>\n
As these critical elections conclude and Germany\u2019s political landscape continues to evolve, Israel must remain vigilant. The rise of parties like the BSW and the AfD presents new challenges that require careful consideration. Israel should closely follow these developments, maintaining an acute awareness of the changing dynamics of German politics.<\/p>\n