Israel’s ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, on Tuesday raised urgent concerns about the safety and future of Berlin’s Jewish community following the far-left party Die Linke’s decisive victory in the city’s recent state election. The ambassador described the situation as an “immediate existential threat,” highlighting the intensifying anxieties that have also drawn attention from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Die Linke, which has roots in the socialist party of former East Germany, emerged as the strongest party in Sunday’s Berlin state parliament election. The party’s lead candidate, Elif Eralp, 45, is positioned to become Berlin’s first mayor of Turkish heritage if she secures the post. Despite her pledge in May to implement a five-point plan aimed at safeguarding and bolstering Jewish life in the city, the party’s Berlin branch has repeatedly faced accusations of antisemitism, mainly related to its stance on Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Ambassador Prosor criticized Die Linke for exhibiting what he called “utterly uninhibited antisemitism,” warning that its rise to political prominence added a new and dangerous dimension to the issue. He pointed to several troubling incidents, including a rapper chanting “Death to the IDF” at a party campaign event and the attendance of a known gang member at Die Linke’s election night gathering. The party’s representatives countered that their event was open to the public and that the individual was removed upon recognition. Eralp has also distanced herself from antisemitic remarks and denied that antisemitism is pervasive within the party.
Prosor stressed that these controversies are not isolated but rather indicative of a “deep-rooted and far-reaching problem” that has moved beyond the margins. He urged Die Linke to develop and implement a clear, actionable plan to combat what he described as systematic hatred of Israel and Jews within its ranks. He called for concrete measures and verifiable results, signaling that empty promises would no longer suffice.
Chancellor Merz also addressed the issue on Monday, describing the security of Jewish citizens in Germany as one of the nation’s most severe challenges. Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union which suffered defeat at the hands of Die Linke in Berlin, linked the rise in antisemitism to broader developments following the October 7 attacks. He emphasized that the protection of Jewish life should be a paramount concern for all democratic parties in Germany.
The debate underscores growing unease about the political landscape in Berlin and its implications for minority communities amid broader tensions related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and domestic political shifts.