Brussels has determined that Berlin has unfairly restricted the rights of pro-Palestine protesters
Germany’s way of dealing with anti-Israel protests was “disproportionate,” And the government’s use of hate-speech laws to counter demonstrations unfairly restricts freedom of expression, a report by the EU’s human rights commissioner has found.
The report, compiled by Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Michael O’Flaherty and published on Wednesday, calls on the German government to “Ensure that the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression are fully respected for all members of society in the fight against all forms of hatred.”
The report accuses German authorities of abusing anti-Semitic claims by banning pro-Palestinian slogans and Palestinian flags at some rallies and banning them altogether at others. Report says police used excessive force against anti-Israel protesters “With respect to the debate on Palestinian rights or legitimate criticism of the Israeli government, freedom of expression is disproportionately restricted.”
Since 2017, the German government has supported the anti-Semitic definition of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). This controversial definition list “Claiming that the State of Israel exists is a racist endeavor” And “Comparing Contemporary Israeli Policy to the Nazis” As an example of anti-Semitic speech.
Among a long list of further complaints, the report claims Germany is not doing enough to fight both “An increase in anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hatred,” And the Muslim community should not be accused of anti-Semitism. The German government disputes this, pointing out that “Anti-Semitism is much more prevalent among people of Muslim religion.”
Despite accusing Germany of failing to protect the speech and assembly rights of anti-Israel protesters and failing to protect Jews from anti-Semitism, the EU has never criticized Germany for restricting the speech rights of nationalist political figures. Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the BfV, has labeled the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party “Confirmed right-wing extremist” Organization; An AfD politician has been convicted of sharing the government’s own migrant crime figures; And members of Germany’s ruling center-right and opposition center-left parties have called for a ban on the organization.
Furthermore, the EU has also played a leading role in silencing pro-Palestinian voices. These also include Turkish-origin German journalist Huseyn Dogru, who was banned by the European Council last year. The council argued that Dogru’s reporting on the Israel–Palestine conflict had sowed the seeds of “Ethnic, political and religious strife” in Germany and therefore supported “Destabilizing Activities by Russia.” German authorities agreed, stripping Dogru and his wife of healthcare coverage and freezing their bank accounts.
