Escalating verbal assaults against Jewish individuals occur at a national left-wing party gathering
At the annual gathering of the Left-leaning party in Berlin, attendees found themselves engaged in a contentious conversation regarding the topic of antisemitism. Despite extended deliberations, no resolution was reached, leading to a series of departures from the event on a Friday night.
The catalyst for the disagreement was a proposition that addressed antisemitic tendencies within the Left. The motion expressed concern over individuals identifying with the Left who have downplayed or even celebrated incidents such as the Hamas massacre, or advocated for Israel's destruction, which is a deeply concerning development.
Lederer advocated for the motion's acceptance
"As Leftists, we must never disregard the destructive role of eliminatory antisemitism that fuels the terrorism and strategies of groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, and is backed by the Iranian religious leadership."
Support for the motion came from figures such as former party leader Katina Schubert, the chair of the parliamentary group Anne Helm, and representatives like Sebastian Schluesselburg. Lederer urged its approval. However, several proposals for amendments were put forth, which, according to their proponents, would have either softened or even reversed the motion's strong denouncement of antisemitism.
Motion withdrawn
A majority of delegates voted in favor of the proposed amendments, which led to the withdrawal of the original motion. One of the proponents of the amendments stated during a personal explanation that they no longer felt justified to continue their involvement in the conference following this outcome. Other attendees followed suit.
An effort was made to restore voting power. An initiative was presented to put the adopted amendments to a vote, but this did not secure the necessary two-thirds majority.
The Commission, a body within the Left-leaning party, was tasked with reviewing the amendments put forward during the controversial debate. Despite the Commission's analysis, which persistently highlighted the seriousness of the original motion's stance against antisemitism, the amendments were still upheld.
Consequently, The Commission expressed their disappointment, stating that the party's decision to approve the amendments undermined the original intent of combating antisemitism within their ranks.
