Heidi Reichinnek: No free Israel without a free Palestine - rearmament does not end the war in Ukraine

The co-chair of the Left Party in the Bundestag, Heidi Reichinnek, has taken a clear position that there will be no safe, free, peaceful Israel without a free, safe and peaceful Palestine. »What is taking place in Palestine is a genocide. But this sharp criticism of Netanyahu and his government must never legitimize hatred against the people of Israel and, above all, never hate against Jews in Germany," said Reichinnek at the event "An hour of TIME with Heidi Reichinnek" in the Thalia Theater in Hamburg. "No one has the right to threaten, attack or similar Jews in any way because of their religion." The fight against anti-Semitism and for a free Palestine are two sides of the same coin.

The co-chair of the Left Party discussed a number of current topics with Tina Hildebrandt, chief correspondent at ZEIT, and Roman Pletter, head of the economics department at ZEIT. For her answer to the last question, whether she would like to be Chancellor, she received the biggest applause of the evening: "Yes." Spontaneous, loud laughter in the entire theater for Heidi Reichinnek, possibly the most popular left-wing politician at the moment.

At the beginning of the evening it was about the AfD's victory in the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt. Reichinnek said: "I think it's a catastrophe and also an indictment." The question now is how to ensure that such election results no longer occur. She wants to continue talking to the people who voted for the AfD. There is still a lot of frustration and anger. But that is no justification for voting for a right-wing extremist party. When Reichinnek said that she didn't greet AfD members of the Bundestag or shake their hands, again: laughter. Applause.

“Armament does not end the war in Ukraine”

Then the ZEIT editors point out that the Berlin mayoral candidate of the Left, Elif Eralp, was for years a member of the Rote Hilfe association, which is classified as left-wing extremist by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Reichinnek: “I don’t need the Office for the Protection of the Constitution to tell me that the AfD is right-wing extremist. And I don't need anyone to suddenly take a closer look at such organizations. This is an organization with which Otto Schily was also associated and which is primarily committed to supporting people. Otto Schily, co-founder of the Green Party, defended, among others, RAF member Gudrun Ensslin in the Stammheim trial in the 1970s.

But it is absolutely clear that her party rejects any form of violence. Rosa Luxemburg once said that the only legitimate means of political violence is political education because it empowers people to think for themselves and find their own way forward.

In Berlin, after the election, she sees a coalition of the Left, the Greens and the SPD. You have to come to an agreement. Rent and housing issues are central issues. When she is asked how expropriation works, Reichinnek becomes confused. Housing must become affordable again. Expropriation does not create new living space. "But socialization is about ensuring that you finally get out of this spiral." Does she think it's okay that money is made from rental income? "I think it's basically okay if it's a rent that's appropriate." Reichinnek can't say what's appropriate. That varies very regionally. The decisive factor is: »We have a rent crisis. Something finally has to happen. We need affordable rents.«

When asked why the Left does not want to deliver weapons to Ukraine, Reichinnek answers: "Because further armament will not end the war." Only diplomatic pressure could help. Of course Putin is responsible for the war. He invaded Ukraine. He ensures that “unbelievable atrocities happen there and that people die. So that's entirely up to him, that's completely clear." But when asked whether she believed that Ukraine would still be a sovereign country if there had been no arms deliveries, she evaded the question. Of course Ukraine has the right to defend itself. But it's about having conversations. She now expects the Chancellor to finally speak to Putin.