I've shared this article on Facebook with the following comment:
I think that this well-intentioned article, like so much written about Germany's supposed "swing to the right" and the huge recent demonstrations against "rightwing extremism", makes things too easy for itself.
"While plenty of Germans are willing to consider restricting immigration, Alternative für Deutschland’s Potsdam meeting was a bridge too far. The ideas mooted at the now notorious confab would have involved the expulsion of a fifth of Germany’s population of 84.7 million. That’s 17,480,000 people."
But Germany - the German state as well as the AfD - is content to enable the ethnic cleansing - not to mention the genocide - of far more than a fifth of the population of Gaza, as if this somehow, miraculously, "atoned" for Germany's past crimes against European Jews. Note that this "atonement" also entails the silencing of progressive German and other Jews, including Israelis, who disagree with Germany's support for fascist Israel. The brutal police repression of pro-Palestinian demonstrators - including Jews - at the above-mentioned demonstrations is a case in point.
I read this comment on what I wrote and I don't disagree. I'm certainly aware of the disjuncture between expressions discomfort at AfD's rightward career and the general unwillingness to apply the same standards to Gaza. I habitually avoid talking about things relating to Israel and its policies in Gaza and the West Bank, much as addressing it would have been apposite here. Ultimately, I'd rather be accused of naiveté by people with whom I generally agree than get flamed as an antisemite by people with whom I don't. I suppose at this point one has to do a better job of standing up for the victims than I have done here, and that means being willing to get labelled by extremists, since remaining silent simply plays into their hands. Speaking out is the least one owes the victims.
I've shared this article on Facebook with the following comment:
I think that this well-intentioned article, like so much written about Germany's supposed "swing to the right" and the huge recent demonstrations against "rightwing extremism", makes things too easy for itself.
"While plenty of Germans are willing to consider restricting immigration, Alternative für Deutschland’s Potsdam meeting was a bridge too far. The ideas mooted at the now notorious confab would have involved the expulsion of a fifth of Germany’s population of 84.7 million. That’s 17,480,000 people."
But Germany - the German state as well as the AfD - is content to enable the ethnic cleansing - not to mention the genocide - of far more than a fifth of the population of Gaza, as if this somehow, miraculously, "atoned" for Germany's past crimes against European Jews. Note that this "atonement" also entails the silencing of progressive German and other Jews, including Israelis, who disagree with Germany's support for fascist Israel. The brutal police repression of pro-Palestinian demonstrators - including Jews - at the above-mentioned demonstrations is a case in point.
I read this comment on what I wrote and I don't disagree. I'm certainly aware of the disjuncture between expressions discomfort at AfD's rightward career and the general unwillingness to apply the same standards to Gaza. I habitually avoid talking about things relating to Israel and its policies in Gaza and the West Bank, much as addressing it would have been apposite here. Ultimately, I'd rather be accused of naiveté by people with whom I generally agree than get flamed as an antisemite by people with whom I don't. I suppose at this point one has to do a better job of standing up for the victims than I have done here, and that means being willing to get labelled by extremists, since remaining silent simply plays into their hands. Speaking out is the least one owes the victims.