Jews in Germany’s far-right party feeling buyer’s remorse

(November 11, 2022 / JNS) In October 2018, around two dozen Jews met in a nondescript conference hall in Wiesbaden, outnumbered by reporters, to inaugurate the Jewish faction of the right-wing Alternative for Deutschland party (JAfD). Going against the condemnation of an alliance of established German-Jewish groups who castigated the AfD as racist towards Jews and Muslims alike, these right-wing Jews argued that the party was “kosher” and could serve as a protector of German Jews given its leaders’ pro-Israel, anti-Muslim immigration positions.

Four years later, some pro-AfD Jews are experiencing buyer’s remorse. They had pinned their hopes on the moderate flank consisting of old-school conservatives who had been disillusioned by former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s leftward turn on immigration, energy and Israel but who were recently overrun by a pro-Russian wing known to be apathetic towards anti-Semitism and Israel, at best.“Within the party, the more radical and anti-Western people are succeeding in getting the majority,” said JAfD (Juden in der AfD, or Jews in the AfD) co-chair Artur Abramovych, also a research associate for an AfD parliamentarian.

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