Merkel criticizes leader of her own party for cooperating with German far right
'I believe it is wrong,' Merkel said, referring to the outcome of a vote in parliament on Wednesday when a Christian Democrat motion was passed with support from the nationalist Alternative for Germany (AfD), breaking a long-held political taboo in Germany.
Holocaust survivor Albrecht Weinberg, who survived Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, returned his Federal Order of Merit medal to the German state in protest, while Michel Friedman, a Jewish community leader and member of the CDU's presidency in the 1990s, quit the party.
Berlin mayor Kai Wegener, a fellow conservative, also indicated dissatisfaction.
'With me - you can rely on it - there will never be cooperation or a coalition with the far-right,' he said.
Christian Democrat leader Merz, frontrunner to become chancellor after the February 23 election, rejected suggestions he had breached mainstream parties' 'firewall' against the AfD, saying his bill was necessary, regardless of who chose to back it.
In a rare intervention into domestic politics, Merkel accused Merz of going back on a vow he made in November to seek majorities with mainstream parties rather than with the AfD.
She urged 'democratic parties' to work together to prevent violent attacks like those recently seen in Magdeburg and Aschaffenburg. In both instances, the suspects had applied for asylum in Germany, bringing border and asylum policy into sharp focus in the election campaign.
The AfD, which is polling second in most surveys behind Merz's conservative bloc, is being monitored by German security services on suspicion of right-wing extremism.
Thousands protested outside the CDU party's Berlin headquarters on Thursday, prompting the police to urge staff to leave work early for their own safety, a party official wrote on social media.
Addressing a rally in Dresden, Merz told protesters they were over-reacting.
'The right to demonstrate only goes so far,' he said, adding that Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats and the Greens represented a 'dwindling minority' in society.
The job of the conservatives, he said, was to ensure 'a party like the AfD is no longer needed in Germany.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
French authorities investigate if Jewish passengers were removed from flight due to religion
French authorities are trying to establish whether a group of young French citizens was removed from a plane bound for Paris from Spain this week because they are Jewish. The airline, Vueling, has denied the claims. Several dozen French passengers on Wednesday were kicked off a flight leaving the Spanish city of Valencia for Paris, for what Spanish police and the airline described as unruly behavior. French authorities are trying to establish whether a group of young French citizens was removed from a plane bound for Paris from Spain this week because they are Jewish. AFP via Getty Images France's ministry for Europe and foreign affairs said in a statement on Saturday that the minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, contacted the CEO of Vueling, Carolina Martinoli, to express his deep concern 'about the removal of a group of young French Jews from one of the company's flights.' Barrot also requested more information to 'determine whether these individuals had been discriminated against on the basis of their religion.' A similar request has been made to the Spanish ambassador to France. 'Ms. Martinoli assured Mr. Barrot that a thorough internal investigation was underway and that its findings would be shared with the French and Spanish authorities,' the ministry said. Vueling previously denied reports that the incident, which involved the removal of 44 minors and eight adults from flight V8166, was related to the passengers' religion. Several dozen French passengers on Wednesday were kicked off a flight leaving the Spanish city of Valencia for Paris, for what Spanish police and the airline described as unruly behavior. AP Some Israeli news outlets reported that the students were Jewish and that their removal was religiously motivated, a claim that was repeated by an Israeli minister online. Spain's Civil Guard said the minors and adults were French nationals. A Civil Guard spokesperson said the agents involved were not aware of the group's religious affiliation. A Vueling spokesperson said the passengers were removed after the minors repeatedly tampered with the plane's emergency equipment and interrupted the crew's safety demonstration. A Civil Guard spokesperson said the captain of the plane ordered the removal of the minors from the plane at Valencia's Manises Airport after they repeatedly ignored the crew's instructions. On Thursday, the Federation for Jewish Communities of Spain expressed concern about the incident. The group said that Vueling needed to provide documentary evidence of what happened on the plane.
Chicago Tribune
3 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
How France's recognition of the state of Palestine could shift Middle East dynamics
PARIS — France's bold decision to recognize the state of Palestine could help to shift conversations about the future of the Middle East, even if it's unlikely to have an immediate impact for people in Gaza or on Israel's war with Hamas. In a world where nations are again using military force to impose their will on others — notably Russia in Ukraine, and the U.S. and Israel with their recent strikes on Iran and its nuclear facilities — French President Emmanuel Macron is attempting to strike a blow for diplomacy and the idea that war rarely brings peace. With less than two years left of his second and last term as president, Macron also has his legacy to think about. Not acting decisively as a humanitarian disaster unfolds in Gaza could be a stain when history books are written. Macron has levers to influence world affairs as leader of a nuclear-armed, economically and diplomatically powerful country that also sits at the big table at the United Nations, as one of the five permanent members of its security council. Being the first member of the G7 group of industrialized nations to take this leap carries domestic risks. Presiding over a country with both Europe's largest Jewish population and largest Muslim population, Macron is on a public opinion tightrope. His words will please some voters but infuriate others — a fact reflected by deeply divided political reactions in France to his decision announced on X on Thursday evening. But after staunchly backing Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas and its Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war, Macron is signaling that France's support can only go so far. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the shift by one of his country's closer allies in Europe. 'Such a move rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became,' he said in a statement. 'A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it.'' The idea that Palestinians and Israelis could live side by side in peace in their own states has perhaps never looked more unrealistic — with Gaza in ruins and the occupied West Bank facing increasing settlement by Israelis. Macron's words alone won't change that. Still, the French leader's message is that the hope of a 'two-state solution' achieved through diplomacy must not be allowed to die — however unattainable it may seem. 'This solution is the only path that can address the legitimate aspirations of both the Israelis and the Palestinians. It must now be brought about as quickly as possible,' Macron said in a letter to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas which confirmed his decision to recognize Palestine as a state. 'The prospect of a negotiated solution to the conflict in the Middle East seems increasingly distant. I cannot resign myself to that,' he said. The first impacts are likeliest not in Gaza but in world capitals where leaders may face pressure or feel emboldened to follow France's lead. Attention is focusing on other G7 nations, because of their economic and diplomatic sway. 'Macron's declaration could create a precedent because it would be the first Western country in the G7 to do so, which could have the effect of leading others,' said David Rigoulet-Roze, a researcher at the French Institute of Strategic Analysis. Although more than 140 countries recognize Palestine as a state, France will be the biggest, most populous and most powerful among those in Europe that have taken this step. 'It creates some small momentum,' said Yossi Mekelberg, a senior consulting fellow at the Chatham House think tank in London who also added, however, that 'this is not enough.' 'France should be congratulated, and Macron should be congratulated for doing that and showing the courage,' he said. Until now, China and Russia were the only permanent members of the U.N. Security Council that recognized Palestinian statehood. France will join them when Macron makes good on his promise in September at the U.N. General Assembly. The new trio will leave the U.S. and the U.K. in a security council minority as its only permanent members that don't recognize Palestine as a state. The so-called P5 nations are divided on many other issues — including Ukraine, trade and climate change — so France's shift isn't, in itself, likely to spur radical and rapid change for Palestinians. Still, if only mathematically, the U.S. — Israel's most important ally — and the U.K could find themselves more isolated among the big powers in any discussions on solutions for the Middle East. U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed Macron's decision on Friday, saying 'What he says doesn't matter. It's not going to change anything.' France may have better traction with the U.K. Putting Brexit behind them, the U.K. and France are now drawing closer, most notably in support for Ukraine. If British Prime Minister Keir Starmer follows Macron's example, Trump could become the odd man out on Palestinian statehood among the security council's big five powers. Starmer has signaled growing disquiet over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying in a statement Thursday that suffering and starvation there 'is unspeakable and indefensible.' But he doesn't seem ready to take a leap like Macron, suggesting that fighting must stop first. 'Statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people,' Starmer said. 'A ceasefire will put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution.'
New York Post
8 hours ago
- New York Post
I'm a proud American who wanted to stay on the frontlines in Ukraine rather than come home to Columbia University
United States Air Force drone pilot Sam Nahins just returned to NYC after three weeks volunteering on the frontlines in Ukraine. Nahins, 32, — a Jewish graduate student in fine arts at Columbia University was among those trapped inside Butler Library in May when it was taken over by anti-Israel protesters — tells The Post's Doree Lewak about his anxious homecoming. I'm a proud American patriot — I love this country to death. That's why I enlisted in the US Air Force for six years as soon as I graduated high school in North Carolina. I spent three weeks this summer volunteering on the frontlines in Ukraine with the relief group Help is on the WayUA, providing supplies to the frontlines. Advertisement We survived getting shelled, being attacked by drones and skirted artery fire 24/7. 4 US Air Force veteran Sam Nahins just returned from three weeks of volunteering in Ukraine. Courtesy of Sam Nahins But when it was over, my feeling was, 'I don't want to come home.' Advertisement Just look at my school's recent history. Last month, the notorious group Unity of Fields — the same group which took over Columbia's Butler Library — posted on X an image of mass veterans coffins draped in American flags accompanied by a heart emoji and caption reading, 'soon inshallah.' It means 'G-d willing.' That's who I'm going to school with. Of course I'm not going to feel welcome. Veterans aren't looking for a thank you. We just don't want to be called baby killers anymore. We don't want to be threatened and disrespected like this. Advertisement 4 Nahins says he was trapped inside Butler Hall when a mob of anti-Israel protesters invaded. REUTERS My friend, fellow veteran and Columbia classmate, Brandon Christie, stopped attending classes in the weeks following Oct. 7, 2023 – and ultimately took his own life. So when Columbia sits by as Veterans Day is hijacked for Martyrs Day and laud groups like Unity of Fields, you start to get the picture. My motivation for going to Ukraine was simple: I've flown drones for the US Air Force, flying a plane remotely somewhere in the Middle East fighting ISIS and al Qaeda. Advertisement 4 Nahins, a Columbia student, said he felt more at ease in Ukraine than New York. Courtesy of Sam Nahins I served overseas in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. But I'd never actually been to a warzone. I needed that perspective. I was getting shelled and attacked by drones while embedded with Ukraine's 25th battalion. But I was in good hands. No one was trying to stab me in the back — at least I knew what the enemy was. Turns out, I felt more at ease in Ukraine than I do in New York. As a grad student at Columbia, where 20-year-olds who have never seen a war in their lives call me 'baby killer,' 'murderer' and 'colonizer,' I feel like my own school and city don't have my back. In Ukraine, people proudly wave American flags. By contrast, at Columbia, we had Martyrs Day on Veterans Day. It's crazy. Advertisement Here in New York, it feels like everyone hates each other. In Ukraine you have a full spectrum of individuals and yet somehow they're all united. We need a lot more of that. In America, we have this feeling of 'Oppression Olympics,' but the Ukrainians in no way want to be pitied. Sure, the people want and need support, but they're not playing the victim game. 4 Nahins alleges he was called a 'baby killer' by fellow students. Courtesy of Sam Nahins Advertisement My experience felt sobering: Ukrainians love America more than Americans. They joke, 'Where is your Iraqi scarf?' They know how ridiculous Columbia is. I'm not giving up on my school or city – and definitely not my country. But I feel very unwanted here. Before I left Ukraine, I put my resume out there, and was offered three jobs for non-military positions. I'm still deciding whether to go back.
