The Left | Anti-Semitism exploited “in a lying way.”

In the exhibition at the Berlin Topography of Terror Memorial Photo: dpa/Jens Kalaene More than 40 members of Ellen Brombacher's family fell victim to the Shoah during the Nazi era. Brombacher is active in the Communist Platform of the Left and, together with other descendants of Jewish anti-fascists, opposes the accusation that the Berlin Left is anti-Semitic. Brombacher assured that she had never been subjected to anti-Semitic attacks in the decades that she had been a member of her party, said Brombacher at a special party conference on Friday evening.

On Saturday, seven Berlin anti-fascists of Jewish origin published a statement in which they protested against the fact that anti-Semitism was being exploited to prevent the formation of a red-green-red Senate with the left-wing politician Elif Eralp as governing mayor.

The statement says: "We, Jewish anti-fascists, children of those who were persecuted by German National Socialism, raise our voices against the anti-democratic, anti-Semitic, anti-Islamic campaign of the parties defeated in the Berlin election campaign and the media that promotes them against the Left Party."

And further: »The Nazis tried to destroy all Jews in Germany and Europe. Our ancestors' families were almost all wiped out. Our parents survived in concentration camps, in exile, as fighters in the Allied forces for the liberation of Germany from fascism. They returned to divided Germany because Jews were supposed to live there as they had for centuries." The signatories now see this as endangered by the rise of the AfD and anti-Semitism.

The Berlin Left received 25.7 percent of the votes in the House of Representatives election on September 20th by working to concretely improve the lives of the capital's population. “Out of concern for their sinecures and for the financially strong circles that support them,” the Left is being attacked by the AfD and CDU as well as parts of the SPD and the Greens.

"The completely uninhibited campaign against the Berlin party Die Linke exploits anti-Semitism in a disingenuous way and thereby contributes to making accurate accusations of anti-Semitism unbelievable."

“We strongly condemn racism, anti-Semitism, anti-Islamism, human rights violations, by whatever government and political force,” the seven signatories make clear. They are Ellen Handel, Judith Dellheim, Irene Zierke, Michael Brie, Michael Fleischhacker, Thomas Friedländer and André Goldstein. But they remember that on the anniversary of the liberation, May 8, 2026, Elif Eralp presented a five-point plan “Strengthening and protecting Jewish life in Berlin.” The regional association of the Left consistently deals with those party members “who do not clearly distinguish between Israeli politics and the right to exist of the State of Israel as declared under international law.” This process is not over. »The completely uninhibited campaign against the Berlin party Die Linke exploits anti-Semitism in a disingenuous way and thereby contributes to making accurate accusations of anti-Semitism unbelievable. As anti-fascists with Jewish roots, we protest against this with all determination.

Ellen Brombacher's name was not initially included in this declaration. But as the 79-year-old explained to “nd” on Monday, Michael Brie asked her about it by phone and agreed. Elke Tischer has now also acknowledged the statement.

The appeal fits in with a similar criticism that 150 Berlin Jews expressed in an open letter last week. It said: "The fact that the left in particular are constantly accused of anti-Semitism is not only a cynical political instrumentalization, but also equates almost every criticism of Israeli politics with anti-Semitism." The authors Deborah Feldman and Eva Menasse and, for example, Susan Neiman, former director of the Potsdam Einstein Forum, signed this open letter.

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