Elements of the Berlin Left Party have reportedly criticized the anti-Semitism agreement put forth by the Berlin Left, the Greens, and the SPD. This report, sourced from the newspaper “Welt” using internal messages from a Left Party chat group, suggests that the newly elected Berlin representative and Vice-Chair, Marta Kleedörfer, is a key voice behind the criticism.
Kleedörfer reportedly wrote in the chat group on Friday morning, stating, “I find this document wholly inadequate and am deeply shocked that we have submitted to this. After the leaders of three parties dedicated a week and a half to drafting this text, they have created the basis for five more years of repression.”
Tobias Schulze, who was previously the Left Party caucus head in the Berlin House of Representatives and part of the negotiation team, reportedly defended the document in the group chat, according to “Welt”. In a late message on Thursday evening, he claimed that many Jewish families would pack up and leave Berlin following the Left party’s electoral success. He added that many individuals had contacted them regarding this issue, noting that the topic was extremely volatile, even though there was support for an R2G coalition among members of the Jewish community.
However, Federal Member of Parliament Stella Merendino reportedly labeled Schulze’s remarks as “embarrassing” within the same chat group. According to the report, a message from the night before Friday stated, “You approved this text and messed up badly. This cannot be blamed on the SPD or the Greens, nor can it be dismissed as the legitimate fears of Jewish people. This has nationwide consequences.”
The Berlin Left, Greens, and SPD had presented an eight-point agreement on Thursday to initiate preliminary talks. These points focus on diversity, the protection and strengthening of Jewish life, the remembrance of the Holocaust, Israel’s right to exist, and the fight against anti-Semitism.
The three parties stated they want a city where all people can live securely and openly express their beliefs and identities. “Due to our history, we bear a particular responsibility for the protection of Jewish life in Germany,” they wrote. “We protect Jewish life, strengthen mutual cooperation, and advocate for peace and understanding.”
They emphasize that Berlin requires a political climate that unifies the city again. Officials committed to “a city where violence and terror are neither glorified nor relativized, where the right to exist of Israel is not questioned, and where any form of anti-Semitism has no place.” They pledged: “Anyone who takes responsibility for us guarantees this-both in the House of Representatives and the Senate.”
Specifically, they committed to ensuring that Jewish people can live their religion, language, and identity safely, visibly, and autonomously. They pledged to strengthen and protect Jewish institutions and communities, and support Jewish initiatives, culture, science, and religious practice. Jewish spaces, schools, nurseries, community centers, and meeting places will be reliably supported, and Jewish holidays and events will be made visible in public spaces and public institutions.
Furthermore, they stated that Jewish people must be able to move throughout public spaces as naturally as any other citizen. They stand against a climate where people are excluded based on their actual or perceived political stance or origin. They find entry bans or slogans such as “No Zionists welcome” at bars, clubs, and other public locations unacceptable, arguing that such actions stigmatize people as unwanted, generate fear, and contribute to division.
They also firmly oppose violence, hate speech, conspiracy theories, and the denial or relativization of the Shoah. While clearly identifying “Israel-related anti-Semitism,” the Left, Greens, and SPD reject general, indiscriminate calls for boycotts and sanctions against Israel, Israeli institutions, or individuals based solely on their nationality, origin, or affiliation, such as the BDS campaign.
The parties and their factions affirm their commitment to these core principles. They have adopted internal procedures for handling violations, which permit consequences up to and including the expulsion of members. In such cases, the affected faction informs its coalition partners. They stated that the faction decides on the consequences based on its own responsibility and communicates the decision transparently. They vowed to handle anti-Semitic incidents within the coalition factions jointly, having established a specific mechanism for this purpose.
