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Left-wing Berlin mayor candidate’s private Hamas remarks complicate coalition talks
POLITICO.eu • • world
Key Points:
- Berlin mayoral candidate Bettina Eralp acknowledged antisemitism incidents at Left Party events and confirmed concerns about pro-Palestinian agitator Ibrahim Ibrahim attending their election celebration, though she later tried to remove this admission from the interview transcript.
- Eralp revealed private advice from Berlin’s State Criminal Police Office recommending against publicly naming individuals linked to organized crime or Hamas sympathizers, citing fears for her and her family's safety.
- Ibrahim denied membership in the Left Party and rejected accusations of antisemitism and terrorism support through a lawyer’s statement.
- CDU candidate Stefan Evers criticized Eralp and the Left Party for allegedly working with feared extremist circles, urging other parties to intervene, while former Berlin Mayor Michael Müller warned Eralp might be vulnerable to blackmail.
- Despite the controversy, Eralp reaffirmed her ambition to become Berlin’s mayor and pledged to ensure the safety of all residents, declining to comment on the leaked private information.
