Key facts
- The Left Party, a successor to East Germany's communist party, won 26% of the vote in the recent Berlin election.
- Elif Eralp, the Left Party's lead candidate, is seeking to form a coalition government with the Social Democrats and Greens.
- Jewish community leaders have expressed concern over alleged antisemitism within the Left Party's Berlin branch.
- Eralp has condemned antisemitic incidents and pledged to combat antisemitism.
- The Social Democrats and Greens require a commitment to condemn antisemitism and affirm Israel's right to exist for a coalition.
Concerns about antisemitism have emerged as a significant obstacle in coalition talks that could lead to Elif Eralp becoming Berlin's next mayor. The Left Party, a successor to the former East German communist party, secured a record 26% of the vote in the recent Berlin election. However, its Berlin branch is viewed by some as a hotbed of antisemitism, particularly due to its campaign's focus on opposition to Israel's war in Gaza.
Gideon Joffe, chair of the Jewish Community of Berlin, expressed deep concern over the election results, highlighting a surge in antisemitism across the Western world since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. He noted that while security has long been a feature of Jewish life in Europe, the current situation is particularly worrying.
Eralp, a 45-year-old lawyer and daughter of Turkish immigrants, has become the face of the Left Party's new urban coalition, which also focuses on housing and inequality. She and other party officials have acknowledged troubling incidents among supporters and have condemned them, with Eralp pledging to "strengthen the diverse Jewish life in Berlin and combat antisemitism."
However, critics point to specific examples, such as campaign posters demanding "Freedom for Palestine," the party's youth wing attributing a "colonial and racist character" to the "Israeli state project," and the appearance of a supporter of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (an organization designated as terrorist by the EU and U.S.) at a Left victory party. Eralp has condemned these specific appearances.
To form a government, Eralp needs to secure a coalition with the center-left Social Democrats and the Greens. These parties have demanded a "binding agreement that not only condemns antisemitism and affirms Israel’s right to exist, but also stipulates clear consequences for antisemitic incidents," according to SPD state chair Steffen Krach.