This German Civil Servant Was Fired for Criticizing Israel
German right-wing tabloid Bild ran a smear campaign against civil servant Melanie Schweizer because of her solidarity with Palestine — and then she was fired. She told Jacobin what her case says about the reality of free speech in Germany.
The Israeli flag flies between the European Union and German flags outside the Reichstag on April 9, 2024, in Berlin, Germany. (Sean Gallup / Getty Images)
Until February 28, Melanie Schweizer worked as a senior policy advisor for business and human rights in the German Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. But after a smear campaign run by the right-wing tabloid Bild, the ministry revoked her status as a civil servant, effectively immediately. The alleged reason: antisemitism, which she is accused of because of her position on Israel and Palestine. The ministry doesn’t even try to deny the direct connection between Melanie Schweizer’s political stance and the dismissal of the candidate for the federal parliament with the left-wing MERA25 list.
Melanie Schweizer talked to Jacobin about how her dismissal came about, what conclusions she draws from it, and how she assesses the current political situation regarding Israel and Palestine in Germany.
Robin Jaspert
You were dismissed as a civil servant from the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, effective immediately, on February 28. What were the reasons?
Melanie Schweizer
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