Özdemir Slams Roth Over Jewish Central Council Comments on Israel-Palestine Conflict

Baden-Württemberg’s Minister-President Cem Özdemir (Green Party) criticized his former co-chair, Claudia Roth, regarding her comments about her handling of the Israel-Palestine issue. Özdemir told “taz” on Tuesday that he finds the claim that the Central Council of Jews pressured her “difficult to accept.” He stated that he has always maintained a good working relationship with the Central Council of Jews. The green politician argued that Roth’s statements are problematic because “they feed this narrative: that there is a lobby that determines German politics,” adding that caution should be exercised regarding this idea.

The background to this controversy is Roth’s appearance in the “Jung und Naiv” podcast, where she previously called it a personal mistake for criticising figures related to the film “No Other Land” during her tenure as Culture Minister. She has since expressed regret over her stance. These comments came following a debate over antisemitism in the cultural industry that was sparked by remarks made by several award winners at the 2024 Berlinale closing gala, which concerned the war in Gaza. Roth herself faced criticism for her behaviour at that time.

Roth stated in the podcast that the media pressure she experienced was “massive,” describing it as “unimaginable pressure from the Central Council, and from countless circles.” Furthermore, she recounted that some friends, both local and international, had questioned her, asking when she would finally “free herself from this historical guilt” or how she would deal with it differently. Regarding this segment, Roth has since sought to qualify her remarks to “Stern”, clarifying that she did not adopt these views from her friends but merely quoted them.

Over the weekend, 50 Green Party members wrote an open letter to the party leadership, demanding a clear public rejection from the federal board. However, the party leadership defended Roth. Party Chairwoman Franziska Brantner described Roth’s comments as an “unfortunate phrasing,” stating that she should have contextualized remarks made by third parties to prevent them from being misinterpreted.