Neukölln's mayor Hikel doubts the left's credibility when it comes to distancing itself from anti-Semitism

The outgoing mayor of the Berlin district of Neukölln, Martin Hikel (SPD), does not believe that the Left leadership's distancing itself from allegations of anti-Semitism is credible. In view of anti-Semitic "failures" within the Berlin Left, he had "little confidence that anything would change," Hikel said on Deutschlandfunk.

The fact that top candidate Elif Eralp credibly condemned anti-Semitism is of no use, "if key actors don't follow it," Hikel explained his skepticism. It is precisely these left-wing politicians who are now sitting in the Berlin House of Representatives. The leadership of the Left is then dependent on their votes and therefore cannot credibly distance itself from them, said the SPD politician. “The left has a lot of catching up to do.”

After its victory in the Berlin House of Representatives election, the Left is aiming for a coalition with the Greens and the SPD. Both parties have called on the Left to distance itself from accusations of anti-Semitism after criticism, particularly of the party's Neukölln district association. This includes, among other things, anti-Israel statements made by individual party members, but also the participation of anti-Israel activists in party events.