German Far-Right's Electoral Gains Create Dilemma for Israel
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has achieved a significant electoral victory in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, securing 39 out of 83 seats in the regional parliament. This result, a substantial increase from five years ago, places the AfD as the largest political force in the region, falling just short of a majority needed to form a government independently. The election dealt a blow to the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which lost its long-held leadership position in the state, securing only 15 seats. Other parties, including the Social Democrats, Greens, Left Party, and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, each won eight seats.
The AfD's success has raised concerns within Germany's Jewish community and for Israel due to the party's controversial stances on historical memory and its rhetoric. While some Jewish voters are drawn to the AfD's hard line on Islamism and migration, others are alarmed by certain party members' associations with neo-Nazi symbols and their downplaying of Nazi-era crimes. AfD leader Ulrich Sigmund has faced accusations of relativizing the Holocaust and has expressed views against a perpetual "guilt complex" for Germany's past, while also questioning the ranking of historical atrocities.
The party's educational platform also poses a challenge, advocating for a reduced focus on Nazi crimes in schools and questioning state funding for research into the provenance of art, which can be crucial for identifying Nazi-looted Jewish property. Despite these concerns, a small faction within the AfD's Jewish members supports the party primarily due to its anti-migration and anti-Islamism platform, viewing it as a potential ally against "imported anti-Semitism."
Adding complexity, the newly elected Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance holds a strongly pro-Palestinian stance, advocating for an end to German arms sales to Israel and the suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement. This creates a difficult choice for some German Jewish voters, caught between the AfD's problematic historical views and the Wagenknecht Alliance's direct opposition to Israeli policies.
While the AfD's regional victory does not grant it control over Germany's foreign policy or its relationship with Israel, it provides the party with significant administrative influence over education, culture, and police within Saxony-Anhalt. This regional power is seen as having long-term political implications, demonstrating the AfD's growing ability to approach governmental power.
