German authorities stop UN representative from speaking. Their pretext: “antisemitism”. An alternative meeting, on daily newspaper premises, is intimidated by armed police.
Bureaucratic and police interventions to prevent a United Nations representative from speaking on Palestine mark a new low point in Germany’s ongoing suppression of free expression and assembly. In recent days, planned appearances by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, have been cancelled at short notice in both Berlin and Munich under pressure from politicians and state authorities. The pretext for this latest crackdown is a policy of rigorous action against anyone alleged to hold antisemitic views. A replacement venue was found at short notice on Tuesday for Albanese: in the editorial offices of the leftist daily ‘junge Welt’. But the organisers then found themselves under intense surveillance by armed police. Police vehicles surrounded the building and officers forced their way in despite objections by the organisers. This ugly episode took place against a background of growing repression of those demonstrating against war in Gaza. Rallies are being violently dispersed, one formal reason being the language used by speakers: any language other than German or English can lead to arrest. This also goes for anti-Zionist Jewish protesters speaking Hebrew. Moreover, having adopted a controversial catch-all definition of antisemitism, the German government is now effectively curbing academic freedom. Renowned academics have been sharply criticising these policies – in vain.
The disputes surrounding state action against actual or alleged expressions of antisemitism recently escalated last autumn. With a large majority, Bundestag lawmakers adopted a resolution on combatting antisemitism. Passed on 7 November 2024, the resolution defines antisemitism in accordance with the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) definition – internationally considered a highly controversial position. It is criticised for enabling those in power to brand criticism of the state of Israel as “antisemitic”. Its legal adoption results in the marginalising and silencing of a range of opinions, including those voiced by Jewish critics of Zionism, by classifying them as antisemitic under the IHRA definition (german-foreign-policy.com reported). In November, Amnesty International, along with various other non-governmental organisations and with academics, artists and many others, warned that “disproportionate interference in freedom of expression, artistic and academic freedom, and freedom of assembly must be feared” in the event of the resolution’s implementation in law. These fears have proved to be well-founded. The latest example of repressive legislation occurred on 30 January 2025 when Bundestag passed another resolution calling for action to be taken against antisemitism in schools and universities. Here, too, the IHRA definition, which was never intended by its authors to become legally binding, provides for comprehensive repressive measures “up to and including the expulsion” of students. (more...)
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