Ramsis Kilani, a German-Palestinian activist, has been expelled from Die Linke on spurious charges
Die Linke has expelled Ramsis Kilani (front) (Photo: X/ @RamsyKilani)
By Yuri Prasad
Friday 13 December 2024 SOCIALIST WORKER Issue
The German left party, Die Linke, last weekend expelled leading German-Palestinian activist Ramsis Kilani on unsubstantiated charges of antisemitism.
Ramsis is a long standing party member known for his campaigning over Palestine and for an end to German complicity in Israel’s genocidal war. For this, he has been the target of continuous attacks by right wing newspapers.
Party bosses want to drive out the pro-Palestine left by falsely claiming that criticism of Israel is a form of anti-Jewish hatred. This, they hope, will ingratiate them into Germany’s political establishment and improve the party’s electoral fortunes.
Yet, even if the witch hunt is successful, Die Linke’s popularity is in freefall, and the party has lost a string of recent regional elections. It is unlikely to make a good showing in next year’s general election.
Ramisis issued a statement after a Die Linke administration panel expelled him.
“One of the main arguments for my expulsion was that there had been a media campaign waged against me because of my activities in support of Palestine solidarity, which resulted in institutions questioning cooperation with Die Linke,” he wrote.
“While the oral argumentation of the decision certified that no accusations of antisemitism had been made and that I had inflicted no intentional damage to Die Linke, I was expelled with immediate effect.”
Ramsis said the officials that expelled him are “following the logic of unconditional support for the State of Israel” and that they have put that above “the right to existence of, and equal rights for, Palestinian people.”
“The current development of the mass killing of the Palestinian civil population, which has also been confirmed by Amnesty International as a genocide, was given no import in the judgement of the context of my statements,” he said.
“My expulsion cannot be justified, either factually or politically.”
Ramsis remains defiant in the face of injustice. “I will continue to do everything possible with comrades within and external to Die Linke to build the solidarity movement with Palestine,” he said.
“The delivery of weapons for Israel’s genocide in Gaza must be ended. Human rights are indivisible—that is more than a ‘beautiful dream’.
“Let us stand up for them together.”
Friday 13 December 2024 SOCIALIST WORKER Issue
The German left party, Die Linke, last weekend expelled leading German-Palestinian activist Ramsis Kilani on unsubstantiated charges of antisemitism.
Ramsis is a long standing party member known for his campaigning over Palestine and for an end to German complicity in Israel’s genocidal war. For this, he has been the target of continuous attacks by right wing newspapers.
Party bosses want to drive out the pro-Palestine left by falsely claiming that criticism of Israel is a form of anti-Jewish hatred. This, they hope, will ingratiate them into Germany’s political establishment and improve the party’s electoral fortunes.
Yet, even if the witch hunt is successful, Die Linke’s popularity is in freefall, and the party has lost a string of recent regional elections. It is unlikely to make a good showing in next year’s general election.
Ramisis issued a statement after a Die Linke administration panel expelled him.
“One of the main arguments for my expulsion was that there had been a media campaign waged against me because of my activities in support of Palestine solidarity, which resulted in institutions questioning cooperation with Die Linke,” he wrote.
“While the oral argumentation of the decision certified that no accusations of antisemitism had been made and that I had inflicted no intentional damage to Die Linke, I was expelled with immediate effect.”
Ramsis said the officials that expelled him are “following the logic of unconditional support for the State of Israel” and that they have put that above “the right to existence of, and equal rights for, Palestinian people.”
“The current development of the mass killing of the Palestinian civil population, which has also been confirmed by Amnesty International as a genocide, was given no import in the judgement of the context of my statements,” he said.
“My expulsion cannot be justified, either factually or politically.”
Ramsis remains defiant in the face of injustice. “I will continue to do everything possible with comrades within and external to Die Linke to build the solidarity movement with Palestine,” he said.
“The delivery of weapons for Israel’s genocide in Gaza must be ended. Human rights are indivisible—that is more than a ‘beautiful dream’.
“Let us stand up for them together.”
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