Berlin – Parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn sounds the alarm: He sees a dangerous hatred of Israel in some parts of Berlin’s Left Party – and warns of growing Islamism in the capital.
“Islamism is already growing in some parts of Berlin,” the leader of the Union faction told “Tagesspiegel”. And he went even further: “The Left Party of Berlin consists of a mixture of the old SED and the new Hamas.”
He threw Spahn Left claims to have “unexplained ties to Islamic terrorists”. In youth gatherings, “hatred of Jews was openly displayed.” For him, this is a real problem: “Islamism is already starting to develop in some areas of Berlin.”
Clear words – and they don’t come from a vacuum. Recently, Neukölln integration officer Güner Balci (50) accused the SPD of being infiltrated by Islamists and activists.
Leftist leaders are angry
Jan van Aken, chairman of the Berliners Left Partynot let the accusation stand. He spoke of “fictional cheese” and said of Spahn: “The man had the sweat of fear running down his forehead.” That CDU It’s just a matter of diverting attention from its own weaknesses: “The EU is really afraid of losing the elections in Berlin next year because it is fighting the left.”
The fact is that it is CDU in the current survey it was 23 percent – clearly higher than that Left Party with 17 percent. But in February’s House of Representatives elections, the left was the strongest force.
Leftist leader Jan van Aken (64)
Red-green-red could happen
Alliance with SPD and the Green Party could move Berlin’s Red City Hall to the Left. The successor party SED will then appoint a mayor for the first time.
But as the left lost support in East Berlin’s districts, its influence grew in districts such as Neukölln, Wedding and Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. There he focuses on such topics Gaza wartakeover demands and protests “against the right wing”.+
Elif Eralp will be selected as the top candidate at this weekend’s party conference. The lawyer was the child of refugees from Türkiye – and wanted to specifically work with Berliners who had a migration background.
But the party conference was overshadowed: the Palestinian working group wanted to strengthen support for the anti-Semitic BDS movement. A motion from Neukölln calls for Israel to be accused of genocide.
Criticism also comes from within ourselves
Hatred of Israel among left-wing youth has stirred controversy for months. Prominent left-wing figures in Berlin such as Klaus Lederer and Elke Breitenbach left the party last year. Now 17 Bundestag members are also sounding the alarm – including Gregor Gysi and Bodo Ramelow.
Reason: At the Federal Left Youth Congress in November, a resolution was passed with 70 percent approval. Title: “Never again be silent about genocide.” The statement described Israel as an “apartheid system” accused of committing “genocide in Gaza”.
