Umstrittene Abgeordnete: Berliner Linke berät über umstrittene Abgeordnete

In the Berlin Left Party, discussions are once again focused on antisemitism and positions towards Israel and the Middle East conflict. The party's Fraktionsvorstand is considering the future of lawmaker Vanessa Emde, who has been a source of controversy due to her critical stance on Israel. Emde was invited to the meeting, and her potential removal from the Left Party faction is a possibility.

Emde, a freshly elected representative from Neukölln, emphasized Palestine solidarity during the election campaign, stating that there is no right to the existence of states, only of people. She reasserted the same in an Instagram video. Emde also criticized an anti-Semitism statement signed by all Left Party faction members, which reaffirmed the existence of Israel's right to exist.

After Emde's criticism, the Fraktionsspitze declared no basis for cooperation with her. Meanwhile, the Green Party and the SPD are seeking to enter coalition negotiations with the Left Party's election winner. At a small Green Party gathering, a broad majority approved of a proposal from the party leadership. Shortly before, the SPD Landesvorstand had also decided, based on a tripartite consultation paper, to seek coalition talks.

The Left Party will only consider this after the two-week Berlin autumn holidays. The decision comes as the two-week autumn holidays in Berlin approach. If approved, coalition talks could begin early in November. The Left Party's Landesvorstand has already expressed its support at a meeting, with one dissenting voice. The Left Party is seeking a coalition with the Green and SPD parties in the Berlin government.

The previous CDU/SPD coalition has lost its majority. With 25.7% of the vote, the Left Party became the strongest party in the Berlin election on September 20. The CDU (18.8%) and AfD (16.3%) followed, while the Green Party (14.3%) and the historically weakest result for the SPD (12.1%) trailed behind. The current government of CDU/SPD has lost its majority.

They are now attempting to form a red-green-red government. If successful, Left Party Fraktionschefin Elif Eralp could become the first party's Mayor of Berlin. The debate on antisemitism took precedence over the talks on a consistent approach to combating antisemitism, which was complicated by several incidents within the Left Party.

A Berlin alliance against antisemitism urged Green and SPD parties not to enter coalition talks for forming a government led by the Left Party. "With this party, there should be no coalition," the authors of the open letter claimed. "We are very concerned that the party Die Linke does not clarify antisemitism enough in its own ranks," they added.

"In demonstrations, representatives of Die Linke sometimes march side by side with anti-Israel activists." The alliance consists of committed citizens, according to the authors. The Left Party, Green, and SPD had already agreed on a joint statement on antisemitism before the consultations, which would be included in the coalition agreement if a government was formed. A sanction from exclusion from the faction is considered for violations of the agreed principles.