Heated debate
Left forces its way to Gaza position
November 18, 2023, 2:34 a.m
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On the one hand, the federal party conference of the Left is about leaving the ongoing dispute with Sahra Wagenknecht behind and looking forward. However, there is a difficult issue for the party: the positioning on the Gaza war after the Hamas massacre of well over a thousand people in Israel.
After a very heated debate at its party conference in Augsburg, the Left agreed on a position on the Gaza war. In the resolution, a large majority of delegates called for an immediate ceasefire and the immediate release of the Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas. The paper emphasizes Israel’s right to exist and the goal of a two-state solution. Anti-Semitism in Germany is condemned, but also warned against anti-Muslim sentiments.
In his speech, Left leader Martin Schirdewan called for an immediate end to the Gaza war. The left’s position includes unambiguous condemnation of the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7th, explained Schirdewan in his speech manuscript. But he added: “The war that has subsequently taken place in the Gaza Strip, with its terrible consequences, particularly for the Palestinian civilian population, and thousands of deaths, must end immediately.” The bombing of civilian facilities and the withholding of humanitarian goods contradict international law – as does the use of civilians as protective shields. “That’s why I’m calling for an immediate ceasefire to stop the deaths,” emphasized Schirdewan. “The Hamas hostages must be released immediately.”
Chairmen signal departure after division
The compromise proposal, which was negotiated in advance, was important to the party leadership so that the Left did not appear divided on the issue. However, it became clear during the debate that some leftists took more extreme positions. Delegate Nick Papak Amoozegar accused Israel of “genocide”, the “targeted destruction of a people” and “ethnic cleansing”. There were shouts of protest from the ranks of the delegates.
Former Berlin Senator for Culture Klaus Lederer complained that some leftists did not understand the profound turning point of Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel on October 7th. The attackers acted with unimaginable cruelty with determination and precision. It is an “act of eliminatory disinhibition” and a new category, said Lederer.
Large parts of the federal party conference were about putting the ongoing dispute with Sahra Wagenknecht behind them and polishing up their brand core. “The Left is back,” said co-chair Janine Wissler at the start in the hall at the Augsburg exhibition center. It’s not an easy situation at the moment. But the separation from Wagenknecht is also accompanied by a clarification process. A chapter is closed, a new one is being opened. “My impression is that there is a sigh of relief in the party that the conflicts of the past are being left behind,” said Wissler. A new party logo in bright red, which Wissler presented together with her co-chair Martin Schirdewan, is intended to symbolize the departure.