12 November 2003   Christian Democrat MP faces expulsion BERLIN - A nationalistic German parliamentarian who has been accused of anti-Semitism refused to recant to caucus colleagues Tuesday, practically ensuring he will be expelled from the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Public outrage over a speech by the back-bencher, Martin Hohmann, has distracted attention from CDU efforts to capitalize on Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's weaknesses. Party leader Angela Merkel has insisted he be expelled from both the caucus and the party. Analysts said he was likely to end up as an independent member of the Bundestag, or lower house of parliament in Berlin, representing his constituency of Fulda until his term ends in 2006. Deputies said there was no sign he would have any support when a vote was taken this Friday [November 14, 2003]. In a speech on German Unity Day on 3 October, Hohmann said that if Germans were collectively guilty, so were Jews, because Jews led death squads during the Russian Revolution. The comparison, and the focus of the speech, has been widely rejected as offensive. Participants at a caucus meeting Tuesday said Hohmann stated he could not recant without losing his credibility. He repeated his insistence that Germans do not bear "collective guilt" for the crimes of the Nazis. Merkel retorted that this was the key difference between them. No one spoke up for Hohmann, though some at the two-hour closed-door meeting questioned the method of expulsion. The motion for his ejection describes his remarks as "anti-Semitic and unacceptable". Germany's national council of Jews welcomed the impending ouster. Paul Spiegel, president of the council, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur Merkel's decision Monday came "late, but not too late". "Hohmann's anti-Semitic expressions have left the CDU party and faction, for their own credibility, with no other choice," Spiegel told dpa. He added that the latest developments were "no reason for joy or malice. What has happened is too serious for this." In addition to his ouster from the caucus, top party figures also want him expelled from the CDU itself. Roland Koch, the CDU premier of the state of Hesse, said he would apply to have Hohmann expelled. Hohmann is from the same state. There has been little public support for Hohmann, though the CDU mayor of Fulda, Gerhard Moeller, attacked the party, saying Hohmann had initially been given a second chance and there was no "plausible" reason for the party to change its mind. -- DPA Herrn M d B Martin Hohmann Deutscher Bundestag 11011 Berlin Tel.: 030 / 227 74206 Fax: 030 / 227 76725     Forced to apologise: Nicht sein kann, was nicht sein darf | Germany sacks CO of special forces General Günzel for praising Martin Hohmann's "courage" Outrage in Berlin Conservative German politician claims Jews are "a Race of Perpetrators" | full text of his speech Korherr report, on percentage of Jews in Russian Communist Party, 1926/27 David Irving Uprising. The 1956 Uprising in Hungary (free download) Michael Hoffmann on the role of Jews in the Bolshevik and subsequent atrocities E-H. Schwacke of South Africa adds facts on the Jewish assassins of the Tsar's family Outrage in Israel Poland demands extradition of Solomon Morel for genocide at Polish prison camp The good, the bad, the ugly Lea Rosh (right) objects to Degussa firm working on her $27m Holocaust memorial in Berlin

The above news item is reproduced without editing other than typographical