Overall, I find your comment exaggerated and its logic doesn’t hold up entirely:
A clearer line would be good, but it’s wrong to frame the entire political class as unfettered warmongers when in practice only defensive material is being delivered. If you read the article – the last time actual weapons were delivered was in February 2024. What was delivered since are helmets and other defensive material, and (possibly maybe!) spare parts for weapons. Future weapons deliveries were never categorically excluded though, as Germany does not want to cross Israel (there’s “a special relationship”). Within the coalition the party most opposed to [weapons deliveries] are the left-of-center Greens, whereas the barely-left-of-center SPD and the libertarian FDP would likely not have put in the brake.
Delivering weapons to Israel won’t actually help you gain votes in Germany. Claiming that weapon deliveries to Israel is a populist move (which is how I interpret “out-fashing the fashs”) is disingenuous when 70% of Germans are against weapon deliveries to Israel.
Centrists will feel bound to support Israel because this is the “reason of state” and we’ve always done it that way. They are the most likely to support weapon deliveries.
Right-wingers are isolationist. They hate Jews and they hate Muslims. Their belief system is fluid enough that their support can go either way: Fairly right-wing people solidarizing with Gazans or Afd in parliament decrying antisemitism because it helps them further their goal of sowing distrust against Muslims.
Left-wingers are usually pro-humanitarian and also traditionally largely pro-Palestinian, although I guess that support has gotten weaker.
There’s many things going on. Scholz’ peraonal weakness, the weakness of the ruling coalition, and the special relationship that you mentioned is certainly some of them. I also feel like there is a move to the right in order to meet the challrnge from the AfD. Maybe to a degree that’s even necessary, but the way it appears to me it’s as if the whole political establishment is just stumbling over itself.
Not necessarily just from these news, it’s more a general frustration. And you are probably right that I exaggerate, that tends to be a side effect of frustration. I am trying to understand what’s going on in Germany as well, to which your comment is insightful - so thanks for that! :)
I also feel like there is a move to the right in order to meet the challrnge from the AfD.
That shift does exist, unfortunately across all major parties. The Left Party is sorta excluded from that dynamic but only because the left/right hybrid BSW split off.
However, it’s centered around stoking fear in/picking up fears from the majority society against immigrants/LGBTQ people (and other perceived societal outsiders). It is largely independent of behavior toward Israel [though] - [behavior toward Israel] follows a script that may be problematic too but [is not] defined [or majorly influenced] by Afd. Except for the aspects I named before: Right-wing isolationism (which may mean not delivering weapons to Israel and protesting for peace) as well as making refugees, many of whom are Muslims feel unwelcome (which may means using their [real or perceived] antisemitism against them).
Is there no notable internal opposition in the SPD against the alliance with Netanyahu, the anti-European symbolic politics, and the creeping towards the right?
I interpret the situation as being several unwelcome trends that might in part be predictable, but not inevitable, and especially not as the chancellor is a social democrat. No matter how much sense these things make, I can’t shake off the feeling that Merkel stepping down and the SPD taking over in many ways feels like a step to the right.
I attribute that to the weakness of Sholz, who seems to be doing what he can to cling to power. But I might indeed be completely (or at least partially) missing the mark.
Overall, I find your comment exaggerated and its logic doesn’t hold up entirely:
You’re making valid points.
There’s many things going on. Scholz’ peraonal weakness, the weakness of the ruling coalition, and the special relationship that you mentioned is certainly some of them. I also feel like there is a move to the right in order to meet the challrnge from the AfD. Maybe to a degree that’s even necessary, but the way it appears to me it’s as if the whole political establishment is just stumbling over itself.
Not necessarily just from these news, it’s more a general frustration. And you are probably right that I exaggerate, that tends to be a side effect of frustration. I am trying to understand what’s going on in Germany as well, to which your comment is insightful - so thanks for that! :)
That shift does exist, unfortunately across all major parties. The Left Party is sorta excluded from that dynamic but only because the left/right hybrid BSW split off.
However, it’s centered around stoking fear in/picking up fears from the majority society against immigrants/LGBTQ people (and other perceived societal outsiders). It is largely independent of behavior toward Israel [though] - [behavior toward Israel] follows a script that may be problematic too but [is not] defined [or majorly influenced] by Afd. Except for the aspects I named before: Right-wing isolationism (which may mean not delivering weapons to Israel and protesting for peace) as well as making refugees, many of whom are Muslims feel unwelcome (which may means using their [real or perceived] antisemitism against them).
Thanks!
Is there no notable internal opposition in the SPD against the alliance with Netanyahu, the anti-European symbolic politics, and the creeping towards the right?
I interpret the situation as being several unwelcome trends that might in part be predictable, but not inevitable, and especially not as the chancellor is a social democrat. No matter how much sense these things make, I can’t shake off the feeling that Merkel stepping down and the SPD taking over in many ways feels like a step to the right.
I attribute that to the weakness of Sholz, who seems to be doing what he can to cling to power. But I might indeed be completely (or at least partially) missing the mark.