Israel and the AfD divide

What reactions to the war in the Middle East tell us about the AfD

Dear Reader,

The dominant motivation behind pushing Trump-esque deportation policies is so prevalent in the AfD that it is easy to overlook the substantial ideological divides that split the party beneath the surface. What often gets lost in these debates is that this hardening of rhetoric forms part of a broader trajectory that has accompanied the rise of the AfD over the past decade, rather than a single, coherent ideological project.

In fact, while the AfD can agree on its approach to mass migration, the ideological underpinnings of two broad camps can even be seen within this contentious issue.

On the one hand, there is the völkische wing, influential in the east of the country, which places the integrity of German ethnicity at the centre of its ideology. This faction of the party views the preservation of a German Volk as a goal in itself. They advocate the removal of migrants from German lands out of a desire to preserve the native population, its culture, and language.

While comparisons are often drawn between this group’s ideology and that of the Nazis, it is interesting to note that they spend less time publicly vilifying migrants than the party’s other wing. For them, it is simply self-evident that Germany belongs to the Germans — no further justification is needed for wanting to ensure it remains so.

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This perspective is also subtly reflected in how they discuss migrants themselves. Raised in East Germany, many leaders of this wing are still influenced by the anti-capitalist narratives of communism. They view migrants as instruments in the machinations of wealthy ‘globalists’ or as victims of Western imperial wars. (Given that many of the migrants who arrive in Germany come from Iraq and Afghanistan, that certainly isn’t a crazy proposition.)

The AfD’s völkische wing: ethnicity, anti-imperialism and hostility to NATO

When it comes to world affairs, this faction of the party is almost indistinguishable from the hard left in its idealism. They see Germany’s current rearmament programme as a provocation to Russia, believe NATO is an imperial, expansionist project, and blame it for the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. They argue that ending the war in Ukraine requires compromising with Putin.

At the leadership level, the völkische wing is represented by co-leader Tino Chrupalla—a former painter and decorator from Saxony. Chrupalla isn’t known for harsh rhetoric against migrants. Instead, he has gained attention by claiming that Germany is a “vassal state” of the US. Chrupalla has tried to rebrand the AfD as a “party of peace”—his faction has even held hippie-style “peace concerts” calling for an end to the war in Ukraine.

Recently, Chrupalla stated that Germany should consider leaving NATO because it “isn’t a defence alliance” but rather an organisation through which “Europe has been forced to implement America's interests.” He suggested that Europe needs a new alliance that takes account of Russian concerns.

Photo by 卡晨 on Unsplash

On the Middle East, Chrupalla’s rhetoric also mirrors that of the anti-imperialist left. Although his public statements are carefully phrased, he makes it clear that he holds Israel responsible for inflaming regional tensions. On October 7th, 2023, he referred to the civilians massacred by Hamas as “war dead” and called for restraint. When the Israeli air force began attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities last month, he claimed they had “lit a fuse on the Middle East powder keg.”

Still, Chrupalla’s criticism of Israel is moderate compared to that of völkische AfD lawmakers in less prominent positions. Dominik Kaufner, an AfD member of the Brandenburg state parliament, has said the Arab world has been “bought by the Zionist-Atlantic side” and warned that Israel’s actions could “escalate into a Third World War and drag us all in.” Others accuse the Jewish state of committing genocide and claim Israel “emotionally blackmails” Germany into silence over its (alleged) war crimes.