The German parliament is preparing to vote on a resolution this week to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism, aiming to equate all criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism itself.

In addition, though the full text of this resolution is not yet publicly available, it is expected to officially criminalise the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, significantly intensifying its censorship reach.

Another effect of this is that DiEM25/MERA25 will lose whatever chance we still had to speak at universities or to rent large venues that receive public funding, which is the overwhelming majority of them.

This dangerous move represents a direct assault on free speech and democratic principles. Under the guise of combating anti-Semitism, the German government is set to enforce mass censorship, silencing those who speak out against Israeli war crimes and the ongoing suffering of Palestinians.

What will this resolution do?

• Erasing Palestinian Human Rights: The resolution weaponises the IHRA definition to brand criticism of Israeli government policy as anti-Semitic, erasing Palestinian human rights and delegitimising ALL critical discourse on illegal occupation, apartheid, war crimes and human rights abuses.
• Public Funding: Civil society organisations applying for public funding should be checked for “supporting or reproducing anti-Semitic narratives” — it was even considered that the Office for the Protection of the Constitution should conduct this check.
• Cultural Censorship: Universities, media, and cultural institutions will adopt strict “anti-Semitism-critical” codes, making extra-matriculation from German universities easier. Academic freedom and open debate on Israel-Palestine will be highly censored.
• Under the new resolution, public funding and residence laws will be weaponised to silence criticism of Israeli government policy:
• Tightening of asylum and citizenship laws: The resolution will make it easier to deny asylum/citizenship to those deemed to engage in “anti-Semitic” activities through criticism of Israeli government policy.
• Surveillance and Sanctions: Increased online censorship will monitor and suppress “undesirable” voices. Criticism of Israel could soon mean facing state surveillance.
• Threat to Pluralism and Jewish Identity: By equating Jewish Identity with Israeli State policy, the resolution endangers all Jewish critics of Israeli occupation or human rights abuses who may now be branded as “self-hating” or anti-Semitic. Many Jews in Germany feel that supporting Palestinian rights and opposing occupation are integral to their Jewish values. This resolution erases the diversity and pluralism within Jewish communities, silencing those who critique Israeli policies or support Palestinian rights, and delegitimises anti-Zionist forms of Jewish identity that have historically existed. It also raises important questions regarding the separation of state and religion.

Behind closed doors, German MPs, ministers, and party leaders are reportedly facing strong pressure from both pro-Israeli lobbying groups and the Israeli embassy, as well as the Central Council of Jews in Germany. At the same time, they are contending with pressure from lawyers, academics, and artists advocating for open discussion. This toxic debate has created a climate of fear among political ranks, where individuals worry that dissent or criticism could lead to being defamed as anti-Semitic by prominent media, such as Bild newspaper.

Over 2,000 civil society actors such as scientists, lawyers and art and culture workers are sounding the alarm over the resolution’s secrecy and lack of transparency, warning of its serious dangers to fundamental rights and proposing alternatives.

While global attention centers on the US elections, this resolution – an attack on fundamental rights – must be stopped.

We denounce the German government’s drift toward authoritarianism.

We stand against the censorship of Palestinian and Jewish voices for human rights and call for accountability of politicians abusing their power.

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