German Jews 'Appalled' by Historic AfD Win as Israel Avoids Direct Condemnation
While a German Jewish establishment leader said the far-right’s result in Saxony-Anhalt was ‘something I couldn’t have imagined in my worst nightmares,’ Israel’s envoy in Berlin called for a political ‘firewall’ against the left as well
Germany’s Jewish establishment said it was “appalled” by the far-right Alternative for Germany’s landslide victory on Sunday, while Israel’s ambassador called the result a “flashing red warning light” but did not directly condemn a party Israel has kept at arm’s length over senior members’ Holocaust distortion and antisemitism.
The party’s triumph in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt marked the biggest victory for a far-right party in Germany since World War II, putting the AfD in a position to lead a state government for the first time. It fell short of an outright majority to govern alone, but may be able to form a coalition with the left-wing populist BSW.
Following the results, Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, a federally funded umbrella organization representing the country’s established Jewish communities, said he was “personally appalled by this election result,” adding that the damage caused by the AfD was “immense.”
Israel’s ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, told Israel’s Kan public radio on Monday morning that the events in Saxony-Anhalt light “a flashing red warning light not only for Germany, but for anyone who cares about Jewish life in Germany.” He criticized the far-right party’s “ignorance” and noted its calls for an arms embargo on Israel following the outbreak of the Gaza war.
Asked whether the AfD was a neo-Nazi party, Prosor declined to characterize it as such. “We are dealing with a party that primarily wants to address what its supporters say the mainstream parties are failing to provide answers to,” he said. While acknowledging that “there is also an antisemitic element,” Prosor said the result was also “a wake-up call for established parties that really are not providing answers.”
He said that the Jewish communities are “shocked and worried,” but that the focus should not only be on the AfD, citing the left-wing Die Linke and saying that “antisemitism is antisemitism, regardless of its political source.”
“Germany must wake up,” he said, suggesting that there should also be a political “firewall” against the left, invoking the term used in Germany to describe the established parties’ refusal to cooperate with the AfD.
As voting was underway on Sunday, Prosor wrote on X that “the danger of right-wing extremism is obvious. It is discussed, named and condemned,” but “left-wing antisemitism deserves exactly the same clarity.”
Israelis for Peace, an anti-occupation group in Germany, said the results were “terrifying to us as Jews and immigrants.”
The group called Prosor’s response “despicable,” accusing him of saying nothing about “neo-Nazi-aligned forces winning a huge majority in a German state” and instead “hurrying to warn against left-wing antisemitism.”
“This is indicative of the Israeli mainstream perception of the rising European far right,” the group said, arguing that Jerusalem is building an alliance with far-right forces “which they see as a bulwark against Muslims and the left.
“It is a distorted and dangerous worldview,” the group added. “What we need is a popular front that stands up not only to the fascists in eastern Germany, but also to the fascists in Jerusalem.
“The AfD’s win in Sachsen-Anhalt is terrifying to us as Jews, as immigrants, and as democrats. Not only do their Hitler salutes and the Völkisch symbolism remind us of the Nazi era, but also their real proposed policies against migrants, minorities, and people with disabilities.”
On Israel’s far right, Yishai Fleisher, a prominent West Bank settler, close associate of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and No. 12 on his Knesset slate, who also advised him on international outreach, celebrated the result, describing it as part of “a global conservative and nationalistic wave forming.”
“We will push back on Jihadism and the pro-slavery axis,” Fleisher wrote. “Congratulations Germany and Europe – there may be hope for you yet!”
No Israeli government official other than Prosor has yet commented publicly on the result.
Last year, Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, who has expanded and cultivated Israel’s ties with Europe’s far right, wrote that AfD co-leader Alice Weidel is “easy to connect with,” describing her worldview as representing “a healthy liberal patriotism, responsible immigration policies, and a clear-eyed view of the dangers of radical Islam.”
At the same time, Chikli said that “time will tell whether this party will be able to purge itself of bullies who see no problem with serving in the SS,” adding: “I sincerely hope so.”
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has moved to end Israel’s diplomatic boycotts of some European far-right parties, but has so far excluded the AfD. In a statement last year, he said Israel would continue its boycott of the party “at this stage.”
