Jusos Bonn Chair Removes Sahana T. From the Board

The now independent former deputy chair of Jusos (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Jungsozialisti:nnen Bonn in der SPD/Working Group of Young Socialists in the SPD) Bonn, Sahana T., was silenced for over six months on the topic of Israel-Palestine. On October 11, 2023, she proposed a nuanced public statement that was intended to show solidarity with the Palestinian and Israeli civilian populations and condemn the Israeli government to at least the same extent as the actions of Hamas on October 7. The anti-German (antideutsch) chairman of the Jusos Bonn and other white board members rejected the statement on the grounds that the Jusos are a Zionist organization. He also urged Sahana T. under a pretext not to make any critical comments about Israel for an indefinite period of time. As a result of this, and because a climate of fear prevailed throughout the anti-German-dominated NRW Jusos state association, Sahana remained silent – until the ground offensive in Rafah began.

When she then spoke out openly in solidarity with Palestine, she faced even more repression from the Jusos. For example, many fellow association members and the Jusos Bonn account unfollowed her on Instagram. Despite her position and the ongoing political shift to the right, there was an astonishing lack of solidarity with her. In the end, the chair of Jusos Bonn unilaterally decided to remove Sahana from the board. She was removed from the Jusos Bonn board via chat on May 21, 2024, and thus lost her position as deputy chair. She published a statement after which the chair attempted to force her to delete the statement and make a false counter-statement under threat of legal consequences.