Linksjugend Factions Seek Exclusion of Pro-Israeli Members at Federal Congress

A faction within Linksjugend, the youth organization of Germany’s Left Party (Die Linke), has submitted a proposal to bar members of pro-Israeli groups from belonging to the association. Delegates are scheduled to vote on the motion during the group's federal congress in Nuremberg from 6 to 8 November, according to internal conference documents reported by the daily newspaper taz.

The proposed resolution targets individuals affiliated with the German-Israeli Society, the European Leadership Network, and the Middle East Peace Forum. Initiated in part by Limes Schäfer, a member of the Linksjugend federal executive council, the motion asserts that these organizations maintain close contacts with the Israeli government to influence German politicians. A delegate from the Berlin branch has requested an amendment seeking to apply the same exclusion criteria across the parent party, Die Linke.

The motion has drawn strong opposition from within the youth organization. The internal working group BAK Shalom condemned the initiative in a counter-proposal as a manifestation of modern antisemitism and criticized assertions of Israeli political control as antisemitic rhetoric. In an additional submission, the group stated that Linksjugend had actively fostered antisemitic tendencies within its own structure.

The proposal follows previous controversy in June, when public broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk reported on internal chat logs showing Linksjugend officials questioning the Islamist character of Hamas and expressing support for communist dictatorships. Addressing the upcoming congress, Die Linke federal managing director Janis Ehling pointed to the youth wing's operational autonomy while reiterating the party's support for a two-state solution. Ehling noted that not every criticism of Israeli organisations or actors is antisemitic, adding that he expected the congress to reject antisemitism while criticizing the policy of the Israeli government.

Journalists have been excluded from attending the federal congress in Nuremberg. The final decision on the proposed membership restrictions will be taken during the closed-door proceedings.

Written by Thorben Thiede thorben.thiede@alpineweekly.com