Brandenburg's naturalization: Commitment to Israel divides the coalition!

Brandenburg's naturalization: Commitment to Israel divides the coalition!

In Brandenburg, a new regulation on naturalization is causing excitement and conflict within the political coalition. Recently, applications for naturalization must include a recognition of Israel's right to exist. This is reported by, among others, World. The obligation to confess has not only sparked a debate about Germany's stance on Israel, but is also leading to tensions within the SPD coalition with the Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW).

BSW state chairwoman Friederike Benda sharply criticized the regulation and described it as an attack on democracy. She sees this as a step towards a state of mind. The CDU parliamentary group leader Jan Redmann also expressed concerns and questioned whether the BSW was allowed to question Israel's security as a German reason of state. However, there is agreement among supporters of the rule; Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) considers the new practice in Brandenburg to be worth considering.

Reactions and resistance

The non-party Interior Minister René Wilke explained that the commitment does not mean that one has to agree with all decisions of the Israeli government. However, he emphasized that the regulation was introduced in consultation with Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD). Despite these explanations, Benda sees the introduction as a slap in the face of democracy, which also met with strong response on social media. Critics described the regulation as a “humiliation” for Palestinian migrants.

The new naturalization law, which came into force in Germany on Thursday, provides for a “declaration of loyalty” to the free-democratic basic order of the Federal Republic. This measure supplements the previous questionnaire of the naturalization test, which contains information about the history of Germany and the Basic Law. Now issues such as anti-Semitism, Israel's right to exist and Jewish life must also be taken into account. The British daily newspaper Financial Times also picked up on this aspect, triggering further discussions.

Similar regulations in other federal states

The approach in Brandenburg follows a trend: a similar regulation was introduced in Saxony-Anhalt in 2023. Here, those seeking naturalization must specifically recognize Israel's right to exist as long as there are no anti-Semitic attitudes. It turns out that the implementation of the new requirements is the responsibility of the federal states, which can lead to different procedures and wording. This poses challenges for many applicants and contributes to uncertainty in the naturalization process, with the decision on the validity of the declaration of loyalty being at the discretion of the processing officer, which could lead to additional tension.

The introduction of such regulations on naturalization underlines the complex discussions surrounding national identity and integration policy in Germany. Whether these new requirements actually add value to naturalization or raise more questions remains to be seen. What is clear is that the dialogue within the coalitions and with civil society must continue in order to promote coexistence that is acceptable to all sides. The German wave reports on heated debates and necessary clarifications in the course of these regulations.