The leaders of Berlin’s Left Party, Greens and SPD have cleared the way for official exploratory talks on forming a red-green-red coalition. These talks began on Thursday with discussions on the economy and science. In the early afternoon, the potential coalition partners presented their long-awaited declaration on dealing with antisemitism. According to sources involved in the negotiations, the exploratory talks are expected to conclude by the end of next week.

“We want a city where everyone can live well and safely,” said Kerstin Wolter, co-chair of Berlin’s Left Party, in the foyer of the Haus der Statistik at Alexanderplatz. “Anyone who assumes responsibility for us guarantees the protection of Jewish life. Antisemitism has no place in Berlin.” Wolter spoke because the party’s lead candidate and parliamentary group leader, Elif Eralp, is ill and unavailable this week.

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Speaking for the Greens, parliamentary group leader Werner Graf said they had reached a “very firm agreement. If we form a government, we are making a commitment to protect all Jews.” SPD state chairman Steffen Krach explained why the preliminary talks had been so important. “It was clear that we needed an unequivocal commitment against antisemitism and in support of Jewish life,” Krach said. “That was never negotiable.”

The parties’ delegations had met on at least three occasions. During the discussions, demands were directed particularly at the Left. The SPD and Greens faced considerable pressure not to enter into talks with the Left at all, let alone form a government with it. A red-green-red coalition would have a clear majority in Berlin’s House of Representatives.

“Because of our history, we bear a special responsibility to protect Jewish life in Germany,” the declaration states. The fight against antisemitism and racism is also to be enshrined in Berlin’s state constitution.

Berlin needs policies to bring the city back together. “The members of the Senate, as well as the elected representatives and officeholders of our parliamentary groups and parties, bear a special responsibility for this,” the declaration states. They stand for a city in which violence and terror are neither glorified nor downplayed, in which Israel’s right to exist is not questioned, and in which there is no place for any form of antisemitism. “Everyone who takes on responsibility for us guarantees this – both in the House of Representatives and in the Senate,” the three parties state.

The three partners support a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. At the same time, they reaffirm that they recognise the suffering of Palestinians and will clearly identify violations of international law and human rights. “We clearly identify Israel-related antisemitism,” the text states. It also opposes “general calls for boycotts and indiscriminate sanctions against Israel, Israeli institutions or individuals”.

Berlin: What Happens When Rules Are Violated?

The three parties pledge to protect Jewish communities, initiatives, culture, academic life and religious practice. Jewish spaces, schools and daycare centres, community facilities, cultural centres and meeting places are to receive “reliable support”. The domestic intelligence service and police are to be strengthened in their role of protecting Jewish life. It is unacceptable for people to be excluded because of their actual or perceived political views or origins, or for bars, clubs and other public places to deny people entry, disinvite them or display slogans such as “No Zionists welcome”.

If violations occur, the three parliamentary groups will each establish their own procedures for imposing sanctions. These could extend to expelling members. Each parliamentary group will make such decisions independently. However, potential incidents are initially to be dealt with jointly. To assess statements, the parliamentary group managers will appoint a three-member panel of experts from civil society. Based on the panel’s assessment, the respective parliamentary group will then decide how to deal with those responsible for antisemitic statements or actions.

“Cooperation with organisations and individuals who spread antisemitism, glorify violence or further fuel the cycle of violence” will be ruled out. The parties want to provide long-term support for Jewish community organisations, projects that bring people together and antisemitism prevention, as well as permanent funding for “Berlin memorial sites and remembrance projects”. All universities are to have protection policies and counselling services for Jewish students. In the event of antisemitic disruptions, universities should consistently exercise their authority over their premises.

Maximum Distance from Organised Crime Required

The declaration is rather brief when it comes to dealing with organised crime. All party members should keep their distance from circles and individuals associated with “organised crime”. Even proactively initiating contact or responding to such individuals would constitute a “serious violation”. These passages refer to chats between Ferat Kocak, a Left Party member of the Bundestag from Neukölln, and members of the Remmo clan.

Berlin CDU chairman Stefan Evers called the agreement a “fig leaf” intended to “conceal the Left’s antisemitism problem”. There was no “effective mechanism against hostility towards Jews, but rather a collection of statements of the obvious”, said the incumbent Senator for Finance and Culture. The fact that the parties had spent so long discussing the issue was “telling” and said everything about the state of the three parties.

This text was originally written and published on the 8th of October in German. It was translated into English with the use of artificial intelligence (AI).