Left Party Candidate Linked to PFLP Sympathizers Amid Berlin Election Concerns

Ahmed Abed, a candidate for district mayor in Berlin-Neukölln representing the Left Party (Die Linke), faces scrutiny over alleged ties to individuals and events expressing sympathy for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). A dossier compiled by the monitoring group Amit, reported by "Welt," details Abed's connections to people and gatherings associated with the PFLP, a designated terrorist organization that collaborates with Hamas and participated in the October 7th attacks. Abed himself has spoken at anti-Israel rallies since the Hamas massacre, and his stance on Israel was controversial even before his nomination. The former district mayor, Martin Hikel (SPD), sharply criticized Abed's selection earlier this year, calling it an "insult to all who advocate for peaceful coexistence and against Islamism."

Key findings in the dossier include Abed's presence at a campaign concert organized by the Neukölln Left Party in late August. The rapper featured, Dahabflex, performed songs with lyrics such as "Intifada like the PFLP" and "Death to the IDF," referencing former PFLP terrorist Leila Khaled and Georges Abdallah, convicted of aiding terrorism. Abed was reportedly standing near the stage during the performance. Within the Berlin Left Party, the concert sparked outrage, with leaders calling the lyrics a "transgression" and a "call to kill civilians and soldiers." Abed did not respond to questions from "Welt" about his assessment of the lyrics. He later appeared in an Instagram video with DJ Steven Shade, who had remixed Dahabflex's music, saying, "I love your music," without clarifying if the praise was for the controversial track.

Further concerns arise from Abed's appearance as a speaker at a Nakba Day rally in May 2019, where Abla Saadat, wife of imprisoned PFLP General Secretary Ahmad Saadat, also spoke. Ahmad Saadat was sentenced to 30 years by an Israeli military court for his leadership role in the PFLP. Reports from the Research and Information Center for Antisemitism (RIAS) indicated that the 2019 rally involved an attack on an Israeli and equated Israel with Nazism, which RIAS deemed a trivialization of the Holocaust. Abed also has connections to media activist Abed Khattar, who has been photographed with PFLP flags and met with PFLP officials. Khattar referred to Abed as "comrade" in a TikTok post and they were photographed together at a 2017 event.

During his tenure on the board of the International League for Human Rights (2018-2026), Abed was involved in a March 2019 statement co-signed by other groups that called former PFLP terrorist Rasmea Odeh an "inspiration" and claimed she was wrongly accused for an attack in Israel that killed two students. Abed has not clarified his position on this statement. He has cited losing relatives in the Gaza war as a reason for his anti-Israel political stance. His faction has repeatedly voted against resolutions condemning anti-Israel antisemitism, including one supporting a Neukölln bar targeted by threats, with the Left Party stating they would not "take sides" and accusing the bar's operators of supporting the Israeli government under the guise of fighting antisemitism.

The political implications are significant as Abed could become district mayor following the Left Party's strong performance in Neukölln, securing 32% of the vote. However, he requires support from other factions, likely the Greens or SPD, to form a majority in the upcoming district assembly. Both parties have previously expressed criticism of his nomination and Abed's alleged ties.