German state plans to criminalize questioning Israel’s right to exist

Denying Israel’s right to exist could soon be punishable by law in the southern German state of Hesse, the Zeit weekly newspaper reported Wednesday.

Hesse’s Prime Minister Boris Rhein and his Justice Minister Christian Heinz are planning to present a corresponding bill Thursday.

The bill is then scheduled to be introduced in Germany’s upper house, the Bundesrat, on May 8. Further details have not been announced.

Critics of the bill say the move is aimed at stifling any kind of criticism of Israel.

The Hesse Justice Ministry had already called for a new criminal provision in 2023. It also referred to posts on social media.

German law does not criminalize the act of questioning Israel's right to exist. While German authorities have severely restricted pro-Palestinian speech, the courts have recently clarified the limits of the restrictions, ruling that the speech is generally protected by freedom of expression​​​​​​​.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, when Israel launched a brutal offensive against the Gaza Strip, Germany had been the scene of mass protests against Israel because of its genocidal war in the enclave.