Germany: Pro-BDS antisemitic teacher investigated by politician

From the Jerusalem Post (Benjamin Weinthal):

A German lawmaker launched an investigation involving a German school teacher and his alleged antisemitic statements and conduct at a public school in the city of Oldenburg in the state of Lower Saxony.

“Antisemitism and antisemites are not tolerated in our schools,” Jörg Hillmer, the deputy chairman of the Christian Democratic Union Party in the state government, told the Jerusalem Post by email on Friday, adding “We will increase the pressure on the state government with a parliament questionnaire to clarify” the case of the teacher Christoph Glanz.

Social Democratic Party (SPD) MP Michaela Engelmeier originally accused Glanz of anti-Semitism and racism.

A spokesman for the SPD faction in the Lower Saxony parliament, Michael Höntsch later agreed, stating “I share completely the statements of my friend and comrade Michaela Engelmeier.” Höntsch is the SPD spokesman against right-wing extremism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia. Höntsch also told The Post he agreed with Engelmeier’s remark that “BDS is, to the core, anti-Semitic.”  [...]

The Lower Saxony parliamentary inquiry appears to be first instance of a public school teacher under investigation for allegedly playing down the Holocaust in the school system, advocating a full boycott of the Jewish State, and calling for the destruction of Israel.  [...]


In a similar case last year involving allegations of antisemitism, school authorities suspended Daniel Krause, a 34-year old school teacher from the town of Unna in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Krause called in to a radio show program on Holocaust Remembrance Day and  said: "Personally, I'm not at all privately interested in Auschwitz... actually, industrial livestock farming affects me more emotionally."

Krause also spoke at an extremist right-wing political rally in 2012 for the anti-immigrant political party “Pro NRW.”

Klaus Thörner, the head of the German-Israel friendship society in Oldenburg, accused Glanz of minimizing the Holocaust, after Glanz said at a school event commemorating the Holocaust in 2013 that Israel committed a genocide on the Palestinians.

Glanz said he has been involved in anti-fascist activity. The only German political parties calling for a total boycott of Israel along the lines of Glanz are the neo-Nazi parties NPD and The Third Way. Multiple Post email press queries to Glanz’s email address were not returned. Glanz has said that the allegation of antisemitism leveled against him is “absurd.”

Glanz has defended in a YouTube comment the idea that Israel should be relocated to Baden-Württemberg in southwestern Germany.

Glanz’s twitter feed, which is named “intifada of peace,” is filled with attacks on the Jewish state, including “Israel's government is a racist freak show.” He accused Israel of a “crime of against humanity” and “ethnic cleansing.” Glanz wrote Israel is guilty of “immoral child abuse under the disguise of memory of the Holocaust victims.”

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