Israel’s ambassador to Germany has expressed serious concern over the future of Berlin’s Jewish community following the far-left party Die Linke’s decisive victory in the city’s recent state election. Speaking Tuesday, Ambassador Ron Prosor warned that the development poses an “immediate existential threat” to Jewish life in the German capital.
Die Linke, a political successor to the socialist party of former East Germany, secured a strong mandate in Sunday’s election, positioning its 45-year-old lead candidate, Elif Eralp, to potentially become Berlin’s first mayor of Turkish heritage. Despite her pledges to defend and enhance Jewish life—outlined in a five-point plan published in May—the party’s Berlin branch has faced repeated allegations over its stance on Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which critics say borders on antisemitism.
Prosor accused Die Linke of “utterly uninhibited antisemitism” that had escalated beyond isolated events to a “deep-rooted and far-reaching problem.” He referenced incidents including a rapper’s campaign event chant of “Death to the IDF” and the presence of a known gang member at the party’s election night gathering, which Prosor said suggested ties to “criminals and glorifiers of terrorism.” Party officials responded by noting the event was public and that the individual was removed once identified.
The ambassador urged the party to adopt concrete measures to address what he described as systematic hatred within its ranks, saying that the era of “empty promises” must end, and only “verifiable results” would be acceptable.
His remarks came a day after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz raised concerns over the safety of Jewish life nationwide, calling the situation “the most serious burden of recent years.” Merz, leader of the center-right Christian Democrats who were defeated by Die Linke in Berlin, emphasized that rising antisemitism must be a pressing issue for all democratic parties. The chancellor’s comments followed a noticeable increase in antisemitic incidents in Germany since the October 7 attacks.
The election outcome and subsequent warnings highlight ongoing tensions about antisemitism in Germany and the implications for the Jewish community in Berlin, a city with a significant Jewish population and a complex political landscape. As Die Linke prepares for possible leadership of the city government, questions remain about how it will address these multifaceted allegations and what steps it will take to ensure the safety and presence of Jewish life in Berlin moving forward.