Will the “Palestine Conference” in Germany be subject to a ban?

Demonstrators in Berlin carry Palestinian banners and flags to protest the Israeli aggression on Gaza (Anatolia)

Berlin -

News about the organization of the “Palestine Conference” next April, in the German capital, Berlin, caused a media and political wave rejecting the organization of the conference. The naysayers attacked the organizers and considered them “anti-Semitic,” which prompted the Berlin state parliament to seek to restrict or even ban the conference. Completely.

The Ministry of Interior confirmed during a meeting in the state Senate that it "will work in accordance with all legal means to prevent crimes such as incitement to hatred, using prohibited symbols, and spreading hatred against Israel and the Jewish people."

She said that she was monitoring the conference and its relationship with anti-Israel groups, including the Palestinian “Samoun” group in solidarity with prisoners in Israeli prisons, a group that was banned by Berlin, according to the ministry.

Criticism of the organization also came from some parties, including the Christian Democratic Union, as the head of his group in the state parliament, Dirk Stettner, stated that the conference was a “disgrace to Berlin,” saying from within parliament that the event “does not address the people who are dying in the war in Gaza. Rather, the goal is to spread racism, hatred of Jews, and hatred of Israel.”

Dror Dayan believes that Palestine has become the rock on which a false image of Germany as an anti-racist country will be shattered (Al Jazeera)

Smear campaigns

The attacks also came from multiple newspapers, even those that were not known for their explicit support for Israel. The Tagesspiegel newspaper headlined a report, “Conference of those who underestimate terrorism in Berlin.” It stated in the description of the news: “Israel haters want to gather thousands of people in the capital.”

As for the Berlin Kurier newspaper, it published the headline, “Anti-Semites from the world want to meet in Berlin...and the Senate is considering a ban.” It opened the report with the phrase, “Thousands of anti-Israel extremists may meet in Berlin.”

While the newspaper "Bild", known for its strong support for Israel, was one of the first to write against the conference, with a report entitled "Jew haters plan a summit in Berlin," saying that its goal was "to call for the eradication of the Jewish state."

A spokesman for the conference’s coordinating body (who preferred to remain anonymous) told Al Jazeera Net, “The accusations that it is a conference for perpetrators of terrorism are very ridiculous, but at the same time they are expected, especially when it comes to the media and politicians who overlook the killing of 30,000 people and call it defense.” self".

He adds that this is not surprising, as those who “criminalize solidarity with Palestine are the ones who declare opposition to this conference,” pointing out that “all those who stood against apartheid and oppression have been smeared as terrorists by those who were in power,” noting that Nelson Mandela example.

For his part, Israeli Dror Dayan, a filmmaker and participant in the conference, told Al Jazeera Net, “The false accusations against the conference are clear evidence that this event has struck a sensitive chord, as it is a non-sectarian gathering of left-wing and progressive people of different nationalities, religions, and political currents. They all oppose the genocide currently being committed by Israel and supported by Germany.”

He continues, "Palestinian solidarity is misleadingly framed in Germany as an issue of 'unintegrated Muslim immigrants' or 'imported anti-Semitism,' but this no longer works. It is clear that Palestine is a global, non-sectarian issue."

He says that Palestine has become "the rock on which the false image of Germany as a progressive and anti-racist country will be shattered, and all that will remain is a leading imperialist member of NATO, inciting genocide and benefiting from arms sales."

Conference with the slogan “We will judge you”

The conference raises the slogan "We will prosecute you," and notes in its introductory declaration that "German public opinion can no longer remain silent about the crimes in Gaza."

The organizers explain that the majority of Germans, based on opinion polls, “believe that the Israeli military action in Gaza is unjustified,” which, according to them, indicates that “the ruling regime’s propaganda is no longer able to persuade or influence.”

The organizers assert that "despite this clarity, the German media, German politicians and decision-makers still belittle and even downplay the atrocities committed by the State of Israel and consider them self-defense."

They also point out that German arms shipments to Israel will increase tenfold in 2023, to the point that “genocide in Gaza has become a profitable business,” according to the announcement.

Among the conference's demands is an end to ethnic cleansing, an end to the German government's moral and material support for Israel's crimes in violation of international law, and an end to the criminalization and suppression of the solidarity movement with Palestine in Germany.

Jewish activists are participating in the conference, including Wieland Hopanen, head of the Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in the Middle East, as well as Palestinian-German lawyer Nadia Samour, former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, Palestinian surgeon Ghassan Abu Sitta, and Yuval Gal, a member of the Dutch “Pige” party. And the Palestinian-American activist Ali Abu Nimah, and others.

Parliamentarian Dirk Stettner pushes with other representatives to restrict the conference (Al Jazeera)

Can the conference be banned?

It is legally difficult to prevent the conference, especially if it is organized in a private hall, as in this case the organizers do not need to request a license from the authorities.

But Dirk Stettner, who acknowledged the difficulty of the ban, is pushing, along with other MPs who rejected the conference, for public institutions, non-governmental and private organizations to not rent their headquarters to the organizers, and even to prevent foreign guests of the conference from entering Germany, according to his previous statements, reported by the “Welt” website.

Associations in Berlin have previously been subjected to significant restrictions due to hosting seminars and events for groups supporting the Palestinians, including the threat to close the headquarters of the Oyoun Cultural Center, due to it hosting the activity of a Jewish association that supports the BDS movement against Israel.

Organizers confirm to Al Jazeera Net that "there are no signs of an end in sight for this abuse and oppression, especially with the ban on several demonstrations in support of Gaza, and the prevention or banishment of other activities from public and even private halls."

They believe that the possibility of the Berlin City Council succeeding in preventing the conference depends on the strategy they will adopt, including legally criminalizing those organizing the conference, or implementing Dirk Stettner’s suggestions, by putting pressure on the hall owners, “which is considered an explicit threat to them and to everyone who dares to support the conference.”

Representatives "against international law"

“I am extremely shocked and appalled by the efforts made by the Senate in Berlin to ban the conference,” Irish MP Richard Boyd Barrett, one of the conference’s guests, said in a press statement, a copy of which was obtained by Al Jazeera.

Barrett added that this "deliberate repression by the authorities represents a clear threat to freedom of expression and democratic principles."

He added, "Through his allegations, the Berlin Senate has aligned itself against international law and the principles of human rights themselves, especially since International Justice has confirmed that the genocide accusations against Israel are credible, with the support of German judge George Nolte."

For his part, Dror Dayan says, "Confusing solidarity with Palestine with anti-Semitism is a deliberate insult to German history."

He adds that the reason for this “deliberate” confusion is “to stifle debate and deter people who are not sufficiently knowledgeable about the topic from taking a principled position, and secondly, to try to steal the Palestine Solidarity Movement’s time and resources by combating baseless accusations.”

He asserts that "the inability of any German party or politician to discuss the Palestine issue based on its objective foundations proves that they are once again fighting a losing battle on the wrong side of history."

Source: Al Jazeera