According to latest news (including in Der Spiegel), a resolution on the protection of Jewish life in Germany is to be passed in the Bundestag on 9 November 2024. This resolution is an important signal in view of the rise in anti-Semitism in Germany and worldwide.
In a recent joint article for the FAZ, colleagues from various disciplines drew attention to the fact that this initiative needs to be carefully considered. We have already made it clear in the past that we as the board of the GASCA wholeheartedly support all efforts to combat anti-Semitism, which, however and wherever it manifests itself, poses a dangerous threat to democratic society as a whole.
However, the important and necessary fight against anti-Semitism must not be at the expense of fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution. It is therefore alarming that drafts of the resolution that have become known have been accompanied by very far-reaching encroachments on fundamental rights and, in particular, on the right to public funding. The draft resolution to be discussed in the Bundestag has not yet been publicised in detail, but could have very far-reaching consequences for research. The freedom of art and science is a central pillar of our democratic society; restrictions could represent a dangerous blueprint for future attacks on these areas of social life that are so rich in fundamental rights.
As the GASCA board, we have signed an appeal to the members of the Bundestag to consider the carefully presented arguments in the FAZ article.
The article in the FAZ with suggested wording for the resolution can be found at the following link:
The appeal can be found here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyErqrcDRrzrZ1EPuk6iX9x10g8JrwishN2rlnAhRyYZQwPg/viewform