German Jewish leader equates criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism

Deputy head of Germany's Central Council of Jews Dieter Graumann equated any criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism.

Talking to German television on Wednesday, Graumann said there was a sort of "surrogate anti-Semitism which says Israel but actually means Jews."

"We are seeing today that animosity towards Israel has often become a pretext," he added.

Critics of the Central Council of Jews, among them the daughter of the late German Jewish leader, Heinz Galinski, accused the council of being nothing more than a mouthpiece of the Israeli government.

Evelyn Hecht-Galinski has repeatedly expressed her outrage over continued attempts by the Central Council of Jews to stifle any criticism of Israel in Germany.

Instead she urged the Central Council of Jews to address the urgent social needs of Jews in Germany.

Meanwhile, Hecht-Galinski said also the Nazi Holocaust should not be used as an excuse by Germany to give green light to massive Israeli human rights breaching. "Israel's human rights violations have nothing to do with the Holocaust," she said.

Hecht-Galinski added western countries, notably Germany, were ignoring the plight of the Palestinian people, fearing they might branded anti-Semitic by the powerful pro-Israel lobby.

She had in the past likened the situation of Palestinians under the Israeli occupying regime to that of Jews during the Nazi-era.

The father of Hecht-Galinski headed the German Central Council of Jews from 1988 until 1992.

Meantime, a major focus of the upcoming demonstrations against the 45th Munich Security Conference, due to take place from February 6 through 8, will be calling for an end to German military exports to Israel, organizers of the protests said Wednesday.