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CRIME

Jewish Council says anti-Semitism still rife

The Central Council of Jews in Germany sees anti-Semitic forces on the march in Germany, despite last month’s banning of the neo-Nazi youth group the Heimattreue Deutsche Jugend (HDJ).

Jewish Council says anti-Semitism still rife
The now-banned HDJ Photo: DPA

Stephan Kramer, general secretary of the council said that much of the mainstream political protest against anti-Semitism was largely window-dressing.

Talking to news agency DDP, Kramer said anti-Semitism was “once again widespread in all areas of German society.” He said fighting it was, “mostly only a dutiful expression in the political arena,” rather than real conviction.

He said the presence of neo-Nazis in state legislatures was a damning indictment of all democratic parties, and added, “The question must be must permitted of whether Germany is at best a fair-weather democracy. Until now no-one has been able to give a convincing answer to this question, in order to contradict it.”

He said the NPD, the neo-Nazi party which remains legal despite government attempts to ban it, played an important role not only in fostering but also in enabling anti-Semitism in Germany.

“Although the NPD is tail-spinning from one institutional and financial crisis to the next, there is no reason for an all-clear signal – just the opposite, as the radical powers are going about taking over the leadership of the far-Right scene.”

He said the concentration on the NPD had distracted from other, less visible organisations. The debate about whether to ban it was a pointless one he said, and simply served as an alibi to show that the politicians were engaging with the problem while other problems were ignored.

The HDJ case simply illustrated what a broad basis the radical Right scene already had, he said, adding, “Happily it has now finally been banned, but it had already been carrying out its mischief for far too long.” It demonstrated, he said, “how the neo-Nazis are very successfully active with their long-term aims of working on recruiting the next generation.”

He warned, “The ban of the HDJ will remain just a cosmetic measure if we do not now finally pay more attention to the area of youth work and offer alternatives.” He criticised the family ministry for its inaction, saying it continued to disappoint, particularly in youth work in rural areas.

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BUSINESS

Elon Musk visits Tesla’s sabotage-hit German factory

Elon Musk travelled Wednesday to Tesla's factory near Berlin to lend his workers "support" after the plant was forced to halt production by a suspected arson attack on nearby power lines.

Elon Musk visits Tesla's sabotage-hit German factory

The Tesla CEO addressed thousands of employees on arrival at the site, accusing “eco-terrorists” of the sabotage as he defended his company’s green credentials.

With his son X AE A-XII in his arms, Musk said: “I am here to support you.”

The billionaire’s visit came a week after power lines supplying the electric carmaker’s only European plant were set on fire in an act of sabotage claimed by a far-left group called the Vulkangruppe (Volcano Group).

READ ALSO: Far-left group claims ‘sabotage’ on Tesla’s German factory

Musk had said then that the attack was “extremely dumb”, while the company said it would cost it several hundred million euros.

A week on, the lights have come back on at the site, but Andre Thierig, who heads the site, said on LinkedIn that it would “take a bit of time” before production is back to full speed.

Industry experts have warned that the reputational impact caused by the sabotage on the region could be more severe than the losses suffered by Tesla.

Tesla’s German plant started production in 2022 following an arduous two-year approval and construction process dogged by administrative and legal obstacles.

Tesla wants to expand the site by 170 hectares and boost production up to one million vehicles annually to feed Europe’s growing demand for electric cars and take on rivals who are shifting away from combustion engine vehicles.

But the plans have annoyed local residents, who voted against the project in a non-binding ballot last month.

After the vote, Tesla said it might have to rethink the plans. Environmental activists opposed to the expansion of the factory have recently also set up a camp in a wooded area near the plant.

READ ALSO: Why is Tesla’s expansion near Berlin so controversial?

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