Following the motion “Gegen jeden Antisemitismus! – Jüdisches Leben in Berlin schützen” (Against every form of antisemitism! – Protecting Jewish life in Berlin) passed by the Berlin Abgeordnetenhaus (House of Representatives), we wrote to the signatories of the motion from the SPD, CDU, Greens, FDP and DIE LINKE:
Dear Sir or Madam,
how dreadful and how good!
How dreadful that the atmosphere in society has developed in such a way that antisemitism has once again become a topical issue; how good that you have helped the Land of Berlin to take such an unequivocal stance. Sad as it is: we thank you for it!
Our concern with regard to antisemitism is to make clear that, although the fight against antisemitism at first protects “only” Jewish life in Germany, in a wider context it is clear that anyone who combats antisemites preventively, through integration, through education, through law enforcement and through sanctions is thereby serving the good of society as a whole. For antisemitism usually occurs in a cluster with other attitudes that run counter to the free democratic basic order and thus endanger the values and the cohesion of our society as a whole.
As a politically non-partisan, Jewish-German non-profit association, we too make our contribution in this spirit to protecting a free society. We raise the issues that, in our view, are pressing and we offer our input so that our Jewish civil-society voice is heard as well. Many of the subject areas named in the motion are the very issues that we see too; we put them into words emphatically and accompany them with practical commitment! In this respect the above-mentioned motion, and above all its adoption, confirms us in the meaningfulness of our work and in our resolve to continue it.
For the sake of completeness, we point out that we shall publish this letter and any responses to it. Individual contact details will be redacted.
Yours faithfully
Dr. Elio Adler
Chairman of the Board
