Suggested agenda

19.00 : Introductions and basic orga

• Africa meeting – what happened? Do we want to repeat?
• Christmas party
• Setting up a group to organise Summer Camp

19.30: Discussion on what’s happening in Palestine (kicked off by Ramsy Kilani)

20.15: What is die LINKE doing? How do we react?

20.45: What will we do concretely about Palestine?

21.00: End. Go to the Syndikat together

Die LINKE was formed in 2007 as tens of thousands of anti-capitalist activists were protesting against the G8 Summit in Heiliegendamm. In its early years, the party played a significant role in anti-fascist mobilisations like Dresden Nazifrei. In the 2009 general election, the party got 12% of the vote, and looked like a serious representative of the anti-capitalist movement in parliament and on the streets.

Over a decade later, things look much less rosy. The party scraped into the Bundestag at the last election. Leading party representatives like Sahra Wagenknecht have attacked refugees, while members of the “reformer wing” sit in coalition governments which implement cuts and deportations, and attempt to make the party more NATO-friendly.

All this was before the recent events in Gaza, when the LINKE parliamentary fraction shared a picture with the hashtag #Istandwithisrael. Party leader Janine Wissler, from the left of the party, issued a statement saying that “the terror [from Palestians] must be strongly condemned”. She did not offer similar condemnation of Israel’s bombing of civilians in Gaza and cutting off their power supply, which contravenes international human rights laws.

The LINKE Internationals group receives some funding from die LINKE; which enables us to offer people join our annual Summer Camp for free. We also profit from connections with international Left parties. Above all, we work together with LINKE groups in places like Neukölln and Wedding, and local councillors like Ferat Kocak, to build movements against racism and capitalism, and for the rights of migrants, including the many Palestinians in Berlin.

This means that we are deeply concerned about recent statements by party leaders and would like to discuss our relationship to the party. We would also like to continue to use our influence as international activists in Berlin to show the German Left that no other Left the party is so dismissive of the occupation of Palestine and the repression of Palestinians.

For this reason, we will devote the main part of our next meeing in discussing Die LINKE, partly regarding its position towards Palestine, but also the current state of the party, This discussion will be kicked off by Ramsis Kilani, leading Palestinian activist and member of die LINKE in Neukölln. We welcome everyone to join this discussion, whether you are a member of die LINKE, the Left Internationals, or just someone who is interested in the debate.

PLACE: Schierker Straße 26 (Ferat Kocak’s office)

TIME/DATE: Monday, 6th November, 7pm

Before the debate, there will be a 30 minute discussion of our coming activities.