German Vice President of the Bundestag, Bodo Ramelow, has publicly challenged elements within his own Left party (Die Linke) regarding their stance on Israel and antisemitism, signalling a growing internal divide.
In an interview with Welt newspaper, Ramelow drew a firm line, stating he would distance himself from party members who fail to condemn groups like Hamas or the Houthi rebels. This declaration follows a contentious party congress in Chemnitz where members rejected the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism-a decision that drew sharp criticism from the Central Council of Jews in Germany.
Ramelow described the fallout from his criticism of the IHRA decision as a “shitstorm” and specifically targeted what he termed a “watermelon faction” – individuals focused solely on criticizing Israel. “Those who only want to talk about the destruction of Israel should not talk to me about antisemitism. They should not talk to me about Auschwitz or Buchenwald. That has nothing to do with antifascism” he stated.
He emphasized the gravity of the October 7th attacks in Israel, characterizing them as the largest mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust and asserted that anyone dismissing this reality could not be a political partner for him. However, Ramelow also reiterated his strong opposition to the escalating military actions in Gaza and Israeli settlement construction, maintaining that a two-state solution remains essential.
The experienced politician revealed a sense of growing estrangement from factions within his party, though he expressed support for the new direction set by party leaders Ines Schwerdtner and Jan van Aken, who are refocusing on traditional leftist issues. “It’s about class struggle – those with wealth and those who are completely overlooked. And I share that” Ramelow said. He highlighted concerns over rising rental costs as a particularly pressing issue, calling it a “social explosive” overlooked for too long.
While acknowledging the importance of addressing socio-economic inequalities, Ramelow indicated a reluctance to solely engage in protest rhetoric. “If I just shouted ‘Alerta’ and ‘class struggle’ all day, that would be too little for me. But if we talk about rent control, I’m on board” he explained, contrasting his pragmatic approach with the more demonstrative activism recently displayed by some within the party, exemplified by the “Alerta, alerta, antifascista” slogan adopted during their parliamentary debut.
