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President of the Central Council of Jews, Josef Schuster: "Modern Israel emerged as a counter-model to contempt for human beings and injustice"
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Nicolas Armer / dpa
The President of the Central Council of Jews, Josef Schuster, has sharply criticized the new Israeli government.
"Right-wing extremists with relevant criminal records in the cabinet or changes in the law so that corrupt politicians can become ministers are a low point in Israeli political history," Schuster wrote in an article in the "Tagesspiegel".
But at the same time he warned: "There must be no reflexive turning away from Israel."
Positions in the Jewish world are not capable of winning a majority
Schuster wrote that many Jews around the world are moved when a new government is sworn in in the Jewish state: “It does not leave the Jewish communities of the diaspora unaffected – not when ministers of this government express themselves in a racist, discriminatory and disturbing way. « Such positions are not capable of winning a majority in the Jewish world.
"Modern Israel emerged as a counter-model to contempt for human beings and injustice," emphasized Schuster.
»Even in these times, our solidarity belongs to the country and its people.« One should not fall into »purely emotional assessments, but use reason and moderation, as is customary in democratic states, even if individual positions and actions fall outside of this canon of values like".
Large sections of the Israeli population rejected the course announced by the new government, Schuster continued.
"The majority of people are afraid and worried about their country." Democracy and the rule of law in Israel have survived wars and crises for decades.
Now they are facing another test, said Schuster.
Over the weekend, thousands of people demonstrated in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv against the new ultra-right government of re-elected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
She was sworn in at the end of December.
Right-wing extremist politicians are represented in the coalition for the first time.
muk/dpa