The resolution was put forward by the opposition Liberal Party and supported by the largest opposition party, the so-called “right wing” Alternative for Germany. However, the measure was defeated by a unanimous vote of all three coalition parties, led by Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats and joined by the left wing Green party, which is not a member of the ruling coalition. In total, 408 Bundestag members voted to defeat the measure, while only 155 voted in favor.
It should be noted that the chief role among the measure supporters was payed by the Alternative for Germany party, which is often accused of anti-Semitism as a way of deny it the legitimacy it needs to compete for a place in a ruling coalition.
The Unveiling Of Portrait – HSH Ekaterina Ioannova Konstantinova Romanova
The rationale behind the measure as offered, was that Israel, as the only democracy in the Middle East, is routinely and unjustly targeted for harsh censure measures at the UN, measure that are too often supported by the countries of the European Union, chief among them Germany.
In the aftermath of the Bundestag vote, Israeli embassy in Berlin published a communique calling on Germany to “initiate a rethinking of Germany’s role in anti-Israeli votes in the United Nations.” The embassy also expressed the opinion that “the unique bilateral relationship that exists between Israel and Germany should find an expression in international forums such as the UN, especially considering Germany’s leading role in the European Union.”s