Elif Eralp, who leads Die Linke’s parliamentary group in Berlin and is a possible candidate for mayor, has expressed fears for her own safety and that of her family. Her concerns are linked to allegations that some senior party figures have ties to radical Palestinian groups and criminal networks.
The issue became public after a note by Eralp, apparently intended for her colleagues, was mistakenly included in an email containing her interview responses. The German magazine Der Spiegel reported this.
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In the note, Eralp explained that she did not want to answer questions about party leaders’ ties to antisemitic circles and criminal groups because she feared for herself and her family.
“I can’t put myself and my family at risk for the sake of Spiegel,” she wrote. Eralp added that neither she nor her husband wanted to name names, and that he was also afraid of these people.
However, in the interview published later, the politician was asked about antisemitism in the party and some members’ positions on Israel. She said she knew colleagues involved in the Palestinian cause, but had not thought that political campaigning could lead to violations during certain activities.
Asked specifically about politician Ibrahim Ibrahim, Eralp did not answer. She redirected the conversation to housing and plans to expropriate real estate companies so that apartments could be made available to residents.
Eralp said she would firmly confront organized crime, violence, and terrorism in whatever form they appeared.
“No one will intimidate me,” she said, adding that concern for her family’s safety was natural and understandable.
The politician is currently trying to form a coalition in Berlin with the Greens and the Social Democratic Party (SPD). Die Linke, meanwhile, has faced criticism over some members’ positions on Israel and alleged ties to radical Palestinian groups.
According to Der Spiegel, people linked to the Remo gang, as well as Ibrahim Ibrahim, have also appeared at party events. The latter is reported to support the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), an organization the European Union has classified as a terrorist group.
