Anti-Semitism on the Left: Announcements from the Federal Level

T he debate about anti-Semitism in the Left Party and a possible left-wing alliance has taken on a completely unusual dynamic. Because unlike usual after a state election, there are clear words from the federal chairmen of the Greens and SPD as possible coalition partners. While the federal level is otherwise reserved, assessments are now coming out that seem more pointed than the statements made by the local top candidates - and like an announcement to the party's friends in Berlin.

SPD federal leader Bärbel Bas said about the Left Party: "I think it's a very difficult situation to work with a party that is partly or largely anti-Semitic." Largely anti-Semitic - this is in clear contrast to an assurance made by Left Party lead candidate Elif Eralp eleven days before election Sunday. “The very large majority in my party stands for the protection of Jewish life,” said Eralp at the time in the rebuilt former synagogue on Oranienburgerstrasse, which the Nazis had torched in 1938.

It was heard from top candidate Steffen Krach that he saw no concrete consequences for anti-Semitic statements made by a rapper at an event organized by the Neukölln Left Party. Shortly before the election, Krach called the Left Party “unfit to govern”. “In large parts” like Bas, he did not attribute anti-Semitism to her – at least according to taz’s perception.

Now you could say: Bas just said that, it shouldn't be taken lightly. But does a party leader and federal minister simply say something like that in an official press statement? Hopefully not. So there is a message behind it, and it doesn't seem to be: Join the Left Party, we'll soon be on the trip at the federal level.

In the case of the Greens, their federal chairman Felix Banszak spoke out about the fact that clan boss Issa Remmo and Ibrahim Ibrahim, a supporter of the PFLP organization, which is on the EU terror list, appeared at the Left Party's election party. This visit was apparently no coincidence for the Green Party leader. "How does Mr. Remmo come to the idea of ​​spending the election evening there? How does Mr. Ibrahim come to that idea?" the Green Party leader asked journalists as questions. Something like this was never heard from his top candidate in Berlin, Werner Graf.

The Israel-Palestine conflict is discussed controversially, especially in left-wing circles. There are also some fundamentally different positions on this in the taz. In this section you will find all comments and debate contributions on the topic of the Middle East.

Like Banaszak's co-chairwoman Franziska Brantner, he said that the Left Party had to put anti-Semitic voices in their place, and did not limit this to their Neukölln district association as before. But Brantner's postscript sounded like a very clear warning to the Berlin Greens: "Otherwise you can't imagine a government here."