Israeli envoy says Berlin Left's rise poses threat to Jewish community
22.09.2026, 10:30 Uhr
Israeli ambassador to Germany Ron Prosor has warned of an "immediate existential threat" to the Jewish community in Berlin after a far-left party won a regional election in the German capital despite allegations of anti-Semitism.
"The strong performance of The Left in the Berlin election should concern everyone who cares about the continued existence of Jewish life in this city," Prosor told dpa.
Prosor said The Left party, a successor of the socialist party that ruled the former East Germany, had displayed "utterly uninhibited anti-Semitism."
This "takes on a new political dimension with its rise to become the strongest force," he said. For the Jewish community in Berlin, Prosor added, a theoretical threat was becoming "a concrete and immediate existential danger."
The Left party won Sunday's election to the parliament in Berlin, which is one of Germany's 16 federal states, by a wide margin, putting its lead candidate, 45-year-old Elif Eralp, in prime position to become the party's first Berlin mayor - and the city's first leader with Turkish heritage.
The party's Berlin branch has been accused of anti-Semitism over its positions on the Middle East conflict.
The issue rose in importance after a campaign event featuring a rapper who chanted "Death to the IDF" in reference to the Israeli military. Eralp distanced herself from the comments and has disputed allegations of anti-Semitism within the party.
In May, Eralp published a five-point plan in which she vowed to protect and strengthen Jewish life in Berlin.
Prosor said the incidents were not isolated slip-ups but part of a pattern. "New red lines are being crossed again and again," he said.
The ambassador accused The Left of recently showing closeness to criminals and "glorifiers of terrorism" after a known gang member attended the party's election party in Berlin.
Party representatives have stressed that the event was open to anyone, and that the man was immediately asked to leave once it became clear who he was.
"This is no longer a fringe phenomenon, but a deep-rooted and far-reaching problem of anti-Semitism," Prosor said.
Prosor called on The Left to present a concrete plan for "how it intends to stop and root out the systematic hatred of Israel and Jews within its own ranks." The "time of empty promises" must come to a definitive end with Sunday's election, he said. "What matters now are concrete measures and verifiable results alone."
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