The Bundestag is set to vote on Thurday on a highly controversial resolution to combat antisemitism in Germany — despite vehement opposition to parts of the resolution from legal experts, civil society groups and prominent Jewish intellectuals.

The cross-party resolution is the result of months-long, closed-door negotiations between the ruling center-left coalition government and the center-right opposition.

First proposed in the wake of Hamas's terror attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and a subsequent rise in incidents reported as antisemitic in Germany, the controversy over the resolution largely centers on the intent to make public grants for culture and science projects dependent on adherence to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of antisemitism:

"The Bundestag reaffirms its decision to ensure that no organizations or projects that spread antisemitism, question Israel's right to exist, call for a boycott of Israel or actively support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement receive financial support."

Amnesty International Germany said that while it welcomes the aim of introducing measures to combat antisemitism and racism and to protect Jewish life, in its view the resolution "not only fails to achieve this goal, but also raises fears of serious violations of fundamental human rights and legal uncertainty."

"Many actors from human rights organizations, the arts, culture and academia are already unsettled and are reluctant to speak out on human rights violations in the Middle East conflict, to speak publicly on the topics of antisemitism, anti-Muslim racism, Israel and Palestine or to take to the streets, partly for fear of repression — such a resolution will further reinforce this trend of self-censorship, mistrust and division," the organization told DW.

German news magazine Der Spiegel reported that nine Green Party federal working groups have already rejected the draft resolution in a joint letter to the party executive citing the resolution's adoption of IHRA, which the authors argue has been repeatedly used "to defame legitimate criticism of the Israeli government's policies as antisemitic."

Member of parliament Nina Scheer of the ruling center-left Social Democrats (SPD) has also come out against the resolution saying it "prevents the naming and addressing of possible breaches of international law and thus violates constitutional law."

The Central Council of Jews in Germany, a state-funded body set up after the Holocaust as both a representative........

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