Berlin Left Party's Ideological Mix Fuels Anti-Israel Stance
Translated & summarized from Jüdische Allgemeine by baba
The Berlin Left Party is criticized for uniting various ideologies, including radical politics and pro-Iranian stances, under anti-Zionism. Figures like Moheb Shafaqyar have made controversial statements equating Israelis with Nazis. The party is linked to the Trotskyist network Marx21 and individuals advocating for the Iranian regime. Concerns are raised about the party's stance on Israel's existence and its potential coalition with centrist parties.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Berlin's Left Party is accused of uniting radical ideologies under anti-Zionism.
- Moheb Shafaqyar equated Israelis displaying flags with "disgusting Nazis" after the Oct 7 attack.
- The party is linked to the Trotskyist network Marx21 and pro-Iranian advocacy.
- Concerns exist about Left Party members questioning Israel's right to exist.
- The article criticizes potential coalition talks between the Left, SPD, and Greens.
The Left Party in Berlin is criticized for uniting a spectrum of ideologies under the banner of anti-Zionism, creating a common language for radical redistribution policies, open borders, Trotskyist revolutionaries, and pro-Iranian elements. The party advocates for nationalizing large housing corporations, open borders, and abolishing Frontex, significantly impacting property rights and border policy. This ideological convergence is evident in the alliances the party forms and the individuals it tolerates within its ranks.
One such alliance is LINKS*KANAX, a nationwide network founded by Afghan lawyer and Left Party politician Moheb Shafaqyar and Elif Eralp. The network aims to amplify migrant voices in various social movements. Following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, Shafaqyar equated those displaying Israeli flags on Berlin city halls with "disgusting Nazis" and their actions as "utterly inhuman mockery," a comparison deemed a particularly insidious form of Holocaust relativization. Under pressure from the SPD, he resigned as deputy head of the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district assembly.
The article also links the Left Party to the Trotskyist network Marx21, which was involved in the "Deutsche Wohnen & Co. enteignen" (Expropriate Deutsche Wohnen & Co.) campaign. Shafaqyar was a speaker for this campaign, and its co-founder Rouzbeh Taheri, a Left Party member and elected representative, interviewed him about it. Marx21 has also published texts by Mohssen Massarrat, an Iranian-born political science professor, who advocated for reforms within the Iranian regime rather than its overthrow. Massarrat and Iran analyst Ali Fathollah-Nejad were part of an advisory board for a campaign against sanctions on Iran and later co-signed an appeal to preserve the JCPOA nuclear deal and lift sanctions.
Fathollah-Nejad frequently received a platform from the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, which is close to the Left Party. He also participated in events discussing the JCPOA, including one supported by the Qatari embassy, where the Abraham Accords were framed as an anti-Iran alliance at the expense of Palestinians. This connection allows the Left Party to align anti-Zionism with anti-imperialism, presenting hostility towards Israel as a political explanation and delegitimizing pressure on Tehran, which the article suggests benefits the Iranian regime.
The article further points to connections within the Palestinian and PKK-affiliated circles, naming Bundestag member Ferat Koçak, Ibrahim Ibrahim from the PFLP milieu, Basem Said, potential future district mayor Ahmed Abed, Left Party Neukölln spokesperson Jorinde Schulz, deputy state chair Martha Kleedörfer, and others associated with PKK solidarity. The article highlights that Vanessa Emde, a Left Party MP, has publicly questioned Israel's right to exist and viewed the debate around an antisemitism declaration as a "gain against raison d'état." The piece concludes by expressing concern that the SPD and Greens, as centrist parties, have agreed to form a coalition with the Left Party, which is described as being "eaten away by antisemitism and Trotskyism," questioning what red lines remain.
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