The Central Council of Jews expresses concern over escalating radical elements.
The Central Council of Jews in Germany is concerned about the results of the recent elections, where the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) made significant gains. "To see the AfD, with its clear ties to right-wing extremism and connections of its key members to dictatorial regimes, receiving such strong support is extremely worrisome," said Central Council President Josef Schuster.
Schuster highlighted that not only did right-wing populist parties receive around 20% of the votes, but also left-populist parties. "This cannot simply be chalked up to protest voting," he added.
Charlotte Knobloch, President of the Israelite Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria, shared similar sentiments. "I had hoped that after all the recent events, the AfD would see a decline in support," she said on Monday. "Instead, we saw once again on election night that far too many people are not won over by facts and arguments in our democratic discourse."
Despite this, Knobloch noted that the majority of voters supported democracy in the election and sent a strong message against the AfD. "This offers us some comfort," she said. "However, this is not enough for Jewish people and other minorities to maintain their trust in the stability of this democracy in the long term." Knobloch urged the political majority in the center of the spectrum to become stronger and take on a greater responsibility in combating established extremist networks.
The AfD emerged as the second most powerful force in Germany's European election, with a leading position in Eastern Germany, except for Berlin. Their success came after simultaneous local elections.
Original text:
https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/bundestag-juden-in-deutschland-fuehren-angst-vor-verstarkerung-der-rechten-kräfte/24159026.html
