Bundestag Vice President Bodo Ramelow of the Left Party has rejected the warning issued by the Central Council of Jews in Germany regarding the potential leadership of a left-leaning mayor in Berlin. He has instead called upon the SPD and the Green Party to enter into negotiations. Speaking to the newspapers of “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland,” Ramelow stated he holds “zero understanding” for the recent declaration made by Central Council President Josef Schuster.
The Left Party’s top candidate for Berlin, Elif Eralp, he asserted, approached the Jewish community with an “outstretched hand” and had presented a “clear five-point plan against antisemitism in Berlin.” However, Ramelow dismissed the Central Council’s concerns, arguing that they “obviously have no interest in a thriving climate in Berlin, where one must be able to wear a Star of David just as easily as a headscarf.” He concluded by suggesting that the Central Council’s remarks only fuel the critics who have been behaving problematically in Neukölln.
Ramelow also used the opportunity to call for dialogue, appealing to the SPD and the Greens to engage in discussions with the Left Party regarding the formation of a government. “Elif Eralp has a feel for this city. I consider her a stroke of luck,” the Vice President remarked. “I expect the SPD and the Greens now to sit down with the Left Party so that this election Sunday becomes a signal for renewal. What Berlin needs is the overcoming of rigid boundaries.”
Schuster’s original criticism stemmed from what he termed “antisemitic cross-border transgressions” by the Left Party. He had appealed to the SPD and the Greens not to help this specific party, cautioning that “casually crossing red lines drawn before the election would be a serious mistake, which would further advance the normalization of Jewish hatred.” His concerns referenced antisemitic comments made during a Left Party rally in Neukölln.
