Berlin Left Party Demands Resignation of Anti-Israel Lawmaker Vanessa Emde
Translated & summarized from Jüdische Allgemeine by baba
The Berlin Left Party's leadership will demand lawmaker Vanessa Emde resign her seat for repeatedly denying Israel's right to exist, violating a party agreement. Emde's actions, including associating with a politician facing party expulsion and demonstrating against "Palestine solidarity" criminalization, have drawn criticism from the Central Council of Jews. The party's parliamentary group leaders have stated they see no basis for further cooperation with Emde.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Berlin Left Party leadership to demand lawmaker Vanessa Emde resign over anti-Israel statements.
- Emde allegedly violated party agreement by denying Israel's right to exist multiple times.
- Parliamentary group leaders state no basis for further cooperation with Emde.
- Emde appeared with politician Hannah Bruns, who faces party expulsion for anti-Israel remarks.
- Central Council of Jews criticizes Left Party's handling of the situation.
The leadership of the Berlin Left Party is set to demand that lawmaker Vanessa Emde resign her seat in the House of Representatives due to her repeated denial of Israel's right to exist. A party board meeting scheduled for late afternoon will address the issue. Emde has allegedly violated the agreement signed with the party before the September elections more than ten times. This agreement stipulated that representatives must adhere to the party's platform, which includes acknowledging Israel's right to exist.
Emde had previously stated that states, unlike individuals, do not possess a right to exist. To join the Left Party's parliamentary group, she signed a declaration affirming the Jewish state's right to exist. However, she later reiterated her claim that it is a consensus in international law that states lack such a right, calling her group's acceptance of her a "small gain against state reason." Following an invitation for a clarifying discussion from the parliamentary group's leadership, Emde reported sick. The group's leaders subsequently declared they no longer saw a basis for cooperation with her.
Further escalating the situation, Emde appeared at a parliamentary group meeting on Tuesday with fellow Left Party politician Hannah Bruns, who is facing expulsion from the party. Bruns is a prominent figure in the state working group for Palestine solidarity and has stated that Palestine will only be liberated when "Tel Aviv is back in Palestinian hands." Earlier in the week, Emde demonstrated with the Palestine solidarity group against the "criminalization of Palestine solidarity" outside the venue for a party conference where coalition talks with the SPD and Greens were being decided.
Josef Schuster, President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, criticized the Left Party's handling of the situation, stating he would not believe their commitment to fighting antisemitism unless their position papers were backed by concrete personnel consequences at all levels. Former Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth called criticism of directors at the Berlinale film festival for their anti-Israel statements a "total mistake," attributing the pressure to the Central Council of Jews.
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