Berlin: Left-wing MP Emde defends Israel statements

Berlin. After the red-green-red demonstrations resumed in Berlin, left-wing politician Vanessa Emde repeated one of her controversial statements in an Instagram video.

In the article published on Thursday evening, the Neukölln member of the House of Representatives said that she had spoken in a video a few months ago that there was no right to exist for states, but only for people.

“I stand by my statements and I don’t take back any of them,” Emde said in the new video. The sentence is a “no-brainer” under international law, i.e. a matter of course. Critics accuse the left-wing MP of not supporting Israel's right to exist.

Against this background, there was speculation that she might not become part of the Left faction. The Berlin left-wing faction has accepted the MP into its ranks.

On Tuesday, in its inaugural meeting, the parliamentary group expressly committed itself to the fight against anti-Semitism, the protection of Jewish life and Israel's right to exist. All MPs signed a corresponding declaration.

Emde criticized them for only selectively mentioning details from party resolutions. There is no mention of a decision by the left, which has officially described the Israeli actions in the Gaza war as “genocide” for the first time since a party conference in June.