Splits Emerge in Green Party over Its Policy Toward Israel

The opposition Green Party is embroiled in a bitter internal conflict over its policy toward Israel, which, according to political observers here, could result in a fatal split.

The conflict is essentially between the moderates or “realists” in the party’s parliamentary faction, and the extremists, known as “fundamentalists.” While the Greens as a whole have always tilted toward the Arab cause in the Middle East, the moderates have been more evenhanded, drawing the wrath of the fundamentalists who seem totally committed to Arab goals.

The immediate cause of the latest crisis is a case in point. A delegation of moderates visited Israel last month, headed by Otto Schilly, a prominent member of the Green Bundestag faction. The visit was a success from Israel’s standpoint. While some members of the delegation, including Schilly, were critical of certain Israeli policies, the overall impression was a high degree of sympathy for the Jewish state.

Two weeks ago, the party’s leadership body condemned the delegation for alleged failure to accurately represent the Green position while in Israel. Fundamentalists, notably Juergen Reents of Hamburg, accused Schilly and others of expressing “racist” and “colonialist” positions on their tour.

Schilly and others in the Bundestag faction wanted that condemnation reversed. But they failed, after an angry debate, by a vote of 13-12. The situation was a reversal of three years ago, when a fundamentalist delegation headed by Reents visited Israel and was condemned by the moderates for demonstrating anti-Semitic bias.

The success of the fundamentalists in the latest confrontation prompted Schilly to remark Wednesday that he would think about its “consequences.” His statement prompted speculation that the realist wing would break away from the party.

Hubert Kleinart, the Green “whip” in the Bundestag, said in a radio interview Thursday that if Schilly decided to leave, he wouldn’t be alone.

The Green Party, from its inception early in the decade as a coalition of ecologists, pacifists and anti-nuclear activists, has projected a schizoid image toward Jews and Israel. It has expelled at least a dozen members over the years for espousing neo-Nazi ideas and blatant anti-Semitism. But it has regularly opposed economic aid to Israel, maintaining that the funds should go to the Palestinian victims of Israeli “aggression.” The Green Party was first elected to the Bundestag in 1983 and presently holds 28 seats in the 498-member body. It has remained independent nationally, though on occasion entered into coalitions with the larger established party on the state level. The most notable was an alliance in 1985 with the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in Hesse.

Political observers here believe the schism within the party is more deeply rooted than the row over Israel and stems from issues far removed from the Middle East conflict. Nevertheless, according to the observers, the party has never been closer than now to breaking apart.