Berlin Election Winner Faces Coalition Blockade Over Hamas Ties
Elif Eralp, the leader of the Left Party (Die Linke) in Berlin, who secured the largest share of votes in the city's recent elections, is facing a political crisis due to alleged ties between her party and Hamas. The Social Democratic Party (SPD), a key potential coalition partner, has stated it will not work with Eralp, citing the presence of Hamas representatives at her election victory celebrations. "It is very difficult to work with a party that is largely antisemitic," said SPD co-chair Bärbel Bas.
Eralp, dubbed the "Mamdani of Berlin," led her party to 25.7% of the vote in the September 20 elections for the Berlin House of Representatives, a significant increase from the previous election. The conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) came in second with 18.8%, followed by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) at 16.3%, the Greens at 14.3%, and the SPD at 12.1%.
German media reports also link Eralp to "Palestinian extremists," specifically mentioning Ibrahim Ibrahim, who allegedly praised Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader responsible for the October 7 attacks, as a "martyr hero." Ibrahim has also reportedly lauded the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a designated terrorist organization in the EU. The Left Party claims Ibrahim was not invited to the event and was asked to leave upon arrival, though photos of party representatives with him have surfaced.
Eralp, who could become Berlin's first mayor of Turkish descent, has distanced herself from Ibrahim, stating that "glorifying violence and terrorism is absolutely unacceptable" and affirming her commitment to "the protection of Jewish life." However, her campaign rhetoric included strong criticism of Israel, and her party passed a resolution accusing Israel of "genocide in Gaza," a move considered taboo in Germany's largely pro-Israel political landscape. Previously, a rapper at a Left Party event in Berlin faced police investigation for chanting "Death to the IDF" and calling for an intifada.
