The German parliament is preparing to pass a resolution titled “Never again is now: protecting, preserving and strengthening Jewish life in Germany.”
What sounds like a noble goal threatens to erode the democratic fabric of our society, which helps to guarantee the protection of vulnerable individuals in the first place.
Parliamentarians aim to pass the resolution ahead of 7 October – no specific date has been set for the vote as yet – to send a sign of solidarity to Israel on the first anniversary of the Hamas attack.
The move has fuelled debate within Germany. Civil society groups, artists and academics, myself included, have criticised the draft resolution in an open letter. We are particularly worried about the threat it presents to freedom of speech, alongside academic and artistic freedoms, while failing to achieve the goal it rightly sets itself. ….more
