In the past we criticised the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung (HBS), in writing and publicly, over what we considered to be a very one-sided, anti-Israeli event and statements by its foundation directors in Ramallah . This then led to a meeting today with those responsible at the foundation.
We discussed both incidents and, alongside our substantive concerns, were able to make clear why we had spoken out about them: not least because they can have a negative effect on Jews in Germany. Anyone who communicates the Middle East conflict in a one-sided way automatically fuels antisemitism in Germany.
We stressed that combating antisemitism – including Israel-related antisemitism – requires leaving well-trodden paths, and that for all the understandable interest in a plural portrayal of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, red lines must be respected. Israel’s right to exist is one such red line, and in this case it is crossed by the BDS movement. On this there was agreement.
The representatives of the HBS explained that they reject the methods and aims of the BDS movement, since resolving the conflict requires dialogue, which supporters of the BDS movement refuse. The defamation of Israel – for example by comparing Israel with an apartheid regime – was also clearly rejected. It became clear to us that the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung has understood the problem underlying our criticism.
Present at the meeting were: Dr Antonie Katharina Nord (Head of the Middle East and North Africa Unit), Michael Alvarez-Kalverkamp (HBS press spokesman) and Niko Pewesin (Officer for Israel, Palestine, Egypt and Jordan), together with Dr Elio Adler (Chairman of the Board) and Aras-Nathan Keul (board advisor).
