A video of Jewish supporters of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD)— a party believed widely to harbour neo-Nazi elements and downplay the Holocaust — has gone viral. The AfD scored a major victory in the regional elections over the weekend, ringing alarm bells across Europe and fuelling concerns about the resurgence of fascist ideology in Germany, an ideology that led to the horrors of the Holocaust.
While much of Europe has been unsettled by the AfD’s victory, some members of Germany’s Jewish community have been seen celebrating the party’s success. A video featuring Jewish supporters of the far-right AfD has gone viral. The party has been accused of attempting to relativise the atrocities of the Nazi era, with some leaders making inflammatory statements about the Holocaust.
Commentators on social media pointed to the deep ties between sections of the global Zionist community and far-right groups fuelling Islamophobia. Experts on anti-Muslim racism have pointed out that the Zionist movement is one of the five key pillars of Islamophobia.
The four additional key players include the modern security state, the neoconservative movement, the counter-jihad movement (encompassing far-right political parties and groups), and certain factions within liberal, left-wing, secular, and feminist movements.
Ties between Zionist groups and Germany’s far-right AfD have garnered considerably attention, not least because it was the German far-right that murdered millions of Jews in the Holocaust.
A 2018 article titled “Meet The Jews Of The German Far Right” by NPR expressed growing concern over the emerging ties between sections of Germany’s Jewish community and the AfD. The formation of a group called “Jews in the AfD” has unsettled many, given the party’s association with racism and downplaying of Germany’s Nazi past. Critics argue that the AfD, known for its anti-Islam stance, is using Jewish members to bolster its image while ignoring its own internal anti-Semitism.
Despite these concerns, some Jewish supporters of the AfD claim that their allegiance is based on fears of rising anti-Semitism. However, many within the broader Jewish community warn that aligning with a party rooted in exclusionary and xenophobic ideologies could have dangerous consequences, pointing out the parallels between the AfD’s treatment of Muslims today and the discrimination faced by Jews in the past.
Also in 2018, the Financial Times reported on how Jewish supporters have aligned themselves with the AfD, viewing it as a defender against what they perceive as an Islamic threat to Europe. These individuals argue that the party is committed to preserving so-called Judeo-Christian values and combating anti-Semitism from Muslim refugees.
Zionist supporters of the AfD have ignored critics who point out that the party’s history of downplaying the Holocaust and its associations with neo-Nazi sympathizers is proof that it is no place for Jews.
