The Central Council of Jews in Germany views the AfD’s rise to power as a threat to Jewish life in the Federal Republic. “The AfD in the federal government would put Jewish life in Germany at risk,” said Central Council president Josef Schuster to the Welt am Sonntag.
He expressed concern that “the AfD would deliberately go against Jewish life if it fits into their concept. Already today, the AfD provides a home for antisemites.” Although he does not expect the AfD to participate in government after the election in February, Schuster explicitly warns, “But if that were the case, I would ask if Jewish life in Germany would still be possible.”
Schuster further said, “With statements from functionaries on remembrance culture in National Socialism, unchallenged and right-extreme demands from numerous functionaries, and the talk of ‘massive re-migration’, the AfD is positioning itself outside the democratic spectrum.” He advises other parties to address the theme of uncontrolled migration, stating, “Whenever it’s against migrants, the AfD is always the first one there. That’s why one has to take the concerns of the people seriously with a view to migration and not let the AfD dominate this field.”
The Central Council president also warns explicitly about the alliance of Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW). “I’m for anyone who doesn’t vote for the AfD. However, it doesn’t make me happy if one instead votes for BSW. I consider both parties dangerous, even if they differ in their nature. In some areas, they’re very close, such as in their understanding of Putin’s politics and in their populist tendency to conspiracy theories. BSW is also strongly anti-Israel and thus fuels the mood in the country. Wagenknecht represents positions that demonize and delegitimize Israel.”
Furthermore, Schuster took a stance on the Berlin House of the Wannsee Conference, the NS-Documents Center in Munich, and the Jewish Museum of Munich leaving the platform X. “If democratic and Jewish organizations leave the platform X, I can understand that. What is massively distributed on this platform often lies far outside the democratic boundaries,” said Schuster.