Redefining internationalism: the German left’s silence on Palestine and feminist critiques

This article critically examines the complexities of internationalism within German radical Left movements, especially in the face of war, humanitarian crises, and the global reach of late-stage capitalism. Germany’s failed response to the Genocide in Gaza and its carceral turn is shaped by the State’s approach to national memory, which is deeply rooted in its ideas of liberalism in approximation with Zionism. This narrows the radical Left’s engagement with global violence and divides movements into fractions. To address this issue, the article turns to internationalist feminist movements that actively challenge this culture of guilt and complicity. It explores how these collectives seek to forge broader alliances and initiate decolonial connections through solidarity with one another. By drawing on decolonial feminist practices from Palestine, these movements illustrate the potential for new feminist kinships and anticolonial solidarities. This urges us to redefine what we really mean by internationalism.