Germany: Left-Wing Leader Elif Eralp Calls for Recognition of Palestinian Perspective
Berlin ): Elif Eralp, leader of Germany’s left-wing party ‘Die Linke’ (The Left), has called on the German government to give greater attention to the differing perspectives of Palestinians, Muslims, and Jews regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict. Speaking at a press briefing in Berlin, she said a clear distinction must be maintained between criticism of the…
Berlin ): Elif Eralp, leader of Germany’s left-wing party ‘Die Linke’ (The Left), has called on the German government to give greater attention to the differing perspectives of Palestinians, Muslims, and Jews regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict. Speaking at a press briefing in Berlin, she said a clear distinction must be maintained between criticism of the Israeli government and antisemitism, and that blaming Muslims and Palestinians without evidence is unacceptable.
Eralp said that if she becomes mayor of Berlin, bringing different communities closer together and fostering constructive dialogue would be her priority. She accused the CDU (Christian Democratic Union) of failing to understand this distinction.
At the briefing, Die Linke co-chair Ines Schwerdtner also opposed equating criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism, and stressed the need to address allegations of war crimes related to Israeli military actions. Notably, in March 2026, Eralp had also criticized her party’s Lower Saxony resolution for not adequately addressing the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and Jews’ right to security, while also affirming Palestinians’ right to self-determination.
