Middle East protests - The Office for the Protection of the Constitution did not receive a list
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has, according to its own statements, not received a list of scientists from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, who had criticized the eviction of a pro-Palestinian protest camp at a Berlin university in an open letter. The Federal Office denied on Tuesday in Berlin, upon inquiry, having received such a list. According to dpa information, requests in the database of the domestic intelligence service are generally recorded, so that this could also be determined retrospectively in such a case.
In the government press conference on the previous Friday, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research was asked whether a list of scientists, who had supported the open letter, had been compiled and given to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Such a list existed, according to their knowledge, a ministry spokeswoman answered.
Federal Minister of Education and Research Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP) had criticized the open letter of the scientists and accused the authors of one-sidedly whitewashing the terror of Hamas. Later emails from her house became known and sharply criticized, in which a reduction of funding for the authors of the letter was considered. However, Stark-Watzinger had subsequently separated from her state secretary Sabine Doering. She had ordered the investigation herself, but had not given the order and did not want it, the minister explained.
- Bettina Stark-Watzinger, the Federal Minister of Education and Research, has already denied considering a reduction of funding for scientists who authored an open letter criticizing the eviction of a pro-Palestinian protest camp at a Berlin university.
- Universities in Germany have become a hotbed of conflicts, with demonstrations frequently occurring, especially over political issues such as the Israel-Palestine conflict.
- The Protection of the constitution is an essential aspect of Germany's democratic structure, and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution is tasked with ensuring its integrity.
- The existence of a list of scientists who supported the open letter was confirmed by a ministry spokeswoman during a government press conference, though it remains unclear whether this list was shared with the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
- The War of words between Stark-Watzinger and the scientists over the open letter has added another layer of complexity to the ongoing discussions about academic freedom in Germany.
- The notorious Berlin protest camp, which was the subject of the open letter, has sparked debates about the balance between free speech and order on university premises.
- Despite the controversy, the BMBF continues to fund various universities across Germany, maintaining its commitment to supporting academic research and institutions.
