The German right-wing party Alternative for Germany (AfD) won an absolute majority in local elections for the first time ever. The government-funded German Jewish Council was appalled, but AfD is the most pro-Israel party in Germany.
A wave of outrage and disgust from around the world greeted the election of a modest lawyer named Robert Sesselmann to the provincial office of county commissioner in Sonneberg, Thuringia, a woodland province in Eastern Germany. The reactions must seem familiar to Israeli voters who support the Conservative government Netanyahu VI. You would think they elected Itamar Ben-Gvir as police minister.
The attention showered on an obscure by-election for the humble office of county commissioner in East Germany’s tiniest county is quite astounding. The real reason for the outburst, of course, is the nationwide upsurge in support for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
