Elif Eralp, the candidate on course to become the next mayor of Berlin, sparked controversy on Thursday after having unintentionally aired personal security fears that appeared to be linked to pro-Palestinian activists in the city.
The controversy came about based on internal remarks that were part of her interview with the German news magazine Der Spiegel.
Eralp, whose Left Party (Die Linke) came out on top in local elections in Berlin last month, appeared to suggest in remarks made during an internal authorization process for an interview that she gave to Der Spiegel that she couldn't make references to a particular pro-Palestinian activist out of fear for her own safety.
"I can't put myself and my family in danger for Der Spiegel," the magazine cites her as having written in a Word Document edit, which was inadvertently sent back to the reporters.
"What do we do now? Cancel the whole interview?" she is cited as having asked her press officer and other party colleagues, while stating in another remark, "I should never have agreed to this interview."
Elif Eralp under pressure to clearly label out threats she sees
In the Der Spiegel interview, which was conducted on Monday in Eralp's office in Berlin's House of Representatives, the 45-year-old was asked about allegations of antisemitism that have been leveled at members of her socialist party.
Those accusations came about after at least two instances where people with questionable backgrounds showed up to celebrate after Eralp's party won elections in the city state last month.
For instance, the Left Party election celebration in the Berlin district of Neukölln was attended by a controversial pro-Palestinian activist associated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which is classified as a terrorist organization by the European Union.
In the past, Ibrahim Ibrahim has described Yahya Sinwar, the former head of Hamas in Gaza, widely regarded as the mastermind behind the deadly terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, as a "martyr" and a "hero." He has since rejected accusations of antisemitism and of supporting terrorism or Hamas.
Asked by Der Spiegel whether she was referring to the Ibrahim incident, Eralp initially responded with a "yes." But she later returned the interview transcript to the magazine with the question crossed out and the comment regarding her and her family's safety.
In Germany, it is standard practice for an interviewee to review and approve direct quotations with media outlets before the interview is published.
In notes included in the approved version of the transcript, which Der Spiegel believes were left in by accident, Eralp wrote that Berlin police had previously advised her not to comment on specific individuals.
Der Spiegel on why it published the notes
That Eralp chose to conceal her concerns publicly led some politicians to ask whether she was the right person to be the mayor of Berlin.
Der Spiegel wrote in its story:
"There were reasons not to publish – Eralp's security concerns first and foremost," the magazine wrote. "But the political importance of her notes outweighed them. Der Spiegel believes that the public should know."
It added that the story begs the question: "Can a woman who is too scared to name a terrorist sympathizer in an interview be responsible for the security of all Berliners?"
SPD, Greens also weigh in
Rival politicians weighed in, including from the Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens, with whom the Left Party is due to conduct coalition talks in Berlin next month.
"I would advise my party to distance itself from an alliance with the Left Party," said the SPD's Karl Lauterbach, who rose to prominence as Germany's health minister during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Further talks about a coalition with this party should be out of the question for any social democrat," added SPD internal affairs spokesman Sebastian Fiedler.
Katharina Dröge, the leader of the Green Party's parliamentary grouping, asked in the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, "Will [Eralp] continue to let herself be influenced by those in her own ranks who are close to criminal groups and who tolerate threats and intimidation towards their own lead candidate? Or will she manage to give a clear and tough response?"
The chairman of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, warned: "The SPD and the Greens have a duty not to hand governmental responsibility for Berlin and for the security of the Jewish community to the Left Party" and claimed the story showed that "the Left Party is incapable of distancing itself from terrorist sympathizers and antisemites."
Eralp issues tough response, hits out at critics
Eralp hit back later on Thursday, slamming a "truly toxic debate," vowing not to be intimidated and promising a tough stance "against organized crime, against organizations that glorify violence, against violence, against terror."
She said she wouldn't comment on the specifics of the Der Spiegel story but insisted that she would "ensure the security of all Berliners."
Eralp also received backing from the vice-president of the German parliament and veteran Left Party colleague Bodo Ramelow, who criticized the Der Spiegel story as "more than questionable."
He said the reporting "targeted a person who feels vulnerable and made them even more vulnerable." He said internal communications had been used to depict the "anachronistic cliché" of a "weak woman."
