Less than two weeks before the German state elections in Saxony and Thuringia, the Central Council of Jews in Germany and the American Jewish Committee (AJC) in Berlin are warning of the rise of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD).
In a brochure published on Tuesday, the AfD is described as a “far-right” and “anti-Western” party with a “clearly anti-Semitic ideology.”
The document provides examples, statements and actions from individuals within the AfD to support these claims. It also addresses disparaging remarks made by the party about German remembrance culture, particularly the Holocaust.
Josef Schuster, chairman of the Central Council of Jews, said that while the AfD is not anti-Semitic by definition, it does target anti-Semites.
During a joint press conference with the AJC on Tuesday in Berlin, Schuster criticized the party’s ethno-nationalist ideologies.
The brochure states that the party maintains a “tactical relationship with anti-Semitism”, emphasizing “imported anti-Semitism” from countries with an Islamic majority, while ignoring anti-Semitic sentiments within German society.
Schuster worried that the greatest threat to Jewish life in Germany still comes from the right.
Regarding the ongoing discussions about banning the AfD, Schuster expressed skepticism. He fears that a ban could backfire, potentially increasing the prominence of the AfD and worsening the situation.
He said earlier in an interview with SWR radio: “I think it should be possible to use political means to stop such a party before it is too late – ultimately even without a party ban procedure.”
The AfD, whose strongly anti-immigration policies are rejected by Germany’s mainstream parties, is expected to make major gains in state elections on September 1 in Saxony and Thuringia.
