BERLIN Berlin-based right-wing politician Patrik Brinkmann has defended his meeting with a top Israeli official, saying it is part of his goal of building a political right wing without anti-Semitism.
Brinkmann, a Swedish-German millionaire businessman who has supported neo-Nazi parties in Europe and is pushing an anti-Islam agenda, told the right-populist website freiheitlich.org that his meeting earlier this month with visiting Likud Knesset member Ayoub Kara was a precursor to a conference in Berlin that he hoped would establish a unified force to defend our basic Christian-Jewish values in Germany and Europe, and eventually also Israel and the USA.
He did not say when the conference is scheduled to take place.
In the online interview, Brinkmann also accused German Chancellor Angela Merkel of undermining Israel by failing to recognize such ancient Israeli provinces as Samaria.
Kara, deputy minister for Development of the Negev and Galilee, confirmed to Yediot Achronot that he had met with Brinkmann.
Noting that he also had met with other politicians, Kara said Brinkmanns ties with neo-Nazis do not interest me, it is an irrelevant issue.
Brinkmann withdrew in March as head of the right-populist Pro-Deutschland Party after an openly gay politician, Alexander Schlesinger, ran for the partys seat on a regional assembly. Brinkmann said at the time that he rejected all forms of decadence, support for National Socialism and anti-Semitism and lamented the failure to create a common front of all Islam-critical forces.
Brinkmann reportedly has since returned to a leadership role in the partys Berlin branch.
