Leading German NGOs on Tuesday accused Social Democratic Mayor Albrecht Schröter, from the city of Jena in the state of Thuringia, of advocating a boycott of Israeli products that is so aggressive it recalls the Nazi-era campaign “Don’t buy from Jews” and contributes to the delegitimization of the Jewish state.
In an email to The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday, Kevin Zdiara, deputy representative of the German- Israeli friendship society in Erfurt, Thuringia’s capital city, wrote, “The campaign makes no distinctions; de facto, all Israeli products are to be boycotted, which does not contribute to peace. It also strongly recalls the Nazi slogan ‘Don’t buy from Jews.’” Zdiara added that “Schröter has been known for years for his attitude toward Israel. The mayor has participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the West Bank and with a lecture at a pro-Hamas conference in Bad Boll. Schröter is an example of the classic Christian peace activist who only accuses Israel but closes his eyes to Palestinian crimes.”
Klaus Faber and Daniel Kilpert, two representatives of the Coordinating Council of German Non-governmental Organizations against Anti-Semitism, told the Post on Tuesday in a statement that the mayor’s conduct “crosses the line into anti-Semitism and delegitimizes the state of Israel. Why does Mr. Schröter see no occasion to call for a boycott against products from the anti-Semitic Islamic Republic of Iran, or from North Sudan, which has engaged in many massacres?” Klaus Faber, a prominent member of the Social Democratic Party, served as a high level minister in the department for education, science, research, culture and religious communities in the East German state of Saxony-Anhalt.
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