The Greens and SPD call for preliminary discussions with the left on anti-Semitism

The Left wants to talk to the Greens and SPD about a new government in Berlin. But the two potential partners demand an agreement on an important topic beforehand.

Berlin flag on the Red City Hall: The Left clearly won the election to the Berlin House of Representatives on September 20th.

Berlin. The Greens and SPD in Berlin want to talk to the Left about forming a government for the first time this Thursday in a three-way format. However, according to the wishes of the two parties, this should not be a matter of exploratory discussions, but rather a “joint preliminary discussion”, as the German Press Agency learned after a bilateral meeting between the Greens and the SPD.

“It should be about the fight against anti-Semitism and the protection of Jewish life as well as how the parties and a possible coalition deal with it,” it said. "It will also address issues such as racism, organized crime and social cohesion. Agreement on this is a basic prerequisite for exploratory discussions."

The Left clearly won the election to the Berlin House of Representatives on September 20th and now wants to forge a coalition with the Greens and the SPD. Parts of the Berlin Left have long been criticized for their positions on Israel and Palestine and anti-Semitism.

A left-wing election party in Neukölln recently caused a stir, at which both the head of an Arab-born and partly criminal clan and a controversial pro-Palestinian activist were present.

The left-wing Bundestag member from Neukölln, Ferat Koçak, is under pressure because he exchanged friendly chat messages with a son of an extended family associated with the clan milieu.

More: Next step towards government: The SPD also wants to negotiate with the Left Party