SPD General Secretary Tim Klüssendorf has raised concerns about antisemitism within the Berlin branch of The Left party, specifically two weeks ahead of the municipal elections. Klüssendorf stated in the Friday editions of the Funke media group that if such blatant antisemitism is expressed and not properly condemned by everyone involved, “there is clearly an antisemitism problem in The Left in Berlin.”
The catalyst for this statement was a recent campaign event held by the Neukölln district association of The Left, during which a rapper called for an Intifada.
Klüssendorf holds the lead candidate for The Left in Berlin, Elif Eralp, directly responsible for the situation. He insisted that as the head candidate, Eralp must take decisive action, rather than merely vaguely demanding “consequences.”
While Klüssendorf previously mentioned that The Left could “naturally be a potential coalition partner” for the SPD, the events unfolding in Neukölln caused him significant worry. During the campaign event last Saturday, the rapper Dahabflex recited lines such as “Yalla Yalla Intifada” and “Death to the IDF,” which prompted loud cheers from attendees.
Following the performance, Eralp publicly declared she was “outraged” and called for an investigation and consequences. The Berlin Assembly elections are scheduled for September 20th.
