Berlin Left | Double failure

The "Spiegel" story is part of the series of attempts to prevent a left-wing Senate in Berlin: Elif Eralp in front of the press Photo: dpa/Katrin Luxenburger The Berlin left-wing politician and election winner Elif Eralp gave an interview to "Spiegel"; her office accidentally sent an internal, non-finally edited version back to the magazine. There's no question about it: With this glitch, the Left itself put the ball on the penalty spot. However, “Spiegel” could have or even should have decided not to publish the obviously incorrect version (or parts of it) – also in the interest of the safety of Elif Eralp and her family. Because this was discussed in comments to the interview that were not intended for the public.

The practice of having newspaper interviews authorized by the interviewees is problematic. It ranges from small corrections to completely rewritten conversations; Almost every journalist knows this. Nevertheless, it is the rule in Germany. Violating this is at least questionable. After all, Elif Eralp's quoted comments illustrate the hostility and pressure people are generally exposed to when they are in the public eye.

It also illustrates the ongoing conflicts on the left regarding the Middle East, which are evident not least in the seemingly endless disputes over MP Vanessa Emde. However, the “Spiegel” publication fits seamlessly into the basic pattern of the German Middle East debate. The undoubtedly necessary sharp criticism of Hamas' terrorism (which often turns into a general condemnation of the Palestinians) is contrasted with an extremely lenient assessment of Israel's murderous policies in Gaza, for example. Against this background, the “Spiegel” story also fits into the series of attempts to prevent a left-wing Senate in Berlin. The opponents of the socialization of living space envisaged by the red-green-red coalition will celebrate it.

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