Gorski on Palestine activism German bans and expulsions

Oct 12, 2023

Shaikh introduces German restrictions on pro-Palestinian activism and replays Scholz's post-October-7 pledge that Germany stands with Israel because of its historical responsibility. Goodman introduces Berlin lawyer Alexander Gorski and the Berlin Four. Gorski says four activists without criminal convictions received immediately executable expulsion orders in March 2025; emergency relief in April kept them in Berlin, three cases remain pending and an Irish national's case has been won. He describes Staatsräson as a foreign-policy principle popularized by Merkel's March 2008 Knesset speech, rather than a constitutional rule or statute, and argues Germany has used it to justify arms support for Israel's Gaza war. He recounts April 2024 Palestine Congress restrictions on Ghassan Abu-Sittah and Yanis Varoufakis. He says Abu-Sittah faced a Schengen alert and political-activity ban, both successfully challenged. For Varoufakis he describes a police notification requiring close scrutiny and possible denial of entry, with litigation continuing; he does not establish that an actual blanket entry ban or refusal occurred. He alleges wider use of migration law against activists through refugee-status and residence revocations and denaturalization, and criticizes conflation of anti-Zionism and antisemitism while affirming responsibility to combat antisemitism. His motives, genocide characterization and systemic critique remain attributed.

In a post-October-7 Bundestag statement, then-Chancellor Scholz pledges Germany's support for Israel and calls its security part of Germany's Staatsräson, grounded in responsibility arising from the Holocaust. Democracy Now replays it while introducing the later activism-restrictions discussion. Retain the archival statement's original date and role.