Berlin mayoral hopeful airs family security fears in media slip-up

Berlin mayoral hopeful Elif Eralp has refrained from commenting on a known pro-Palestinian activist over fears for her family's safety, German news magazine Der Spiegel reported on Thursday.

Eralp is vying to become the first far-left mayor in the German capital after her The Left party won regional elections in the city state last month.

The victory of The Left party was met with outrage from many centrist and centre-right politicians, who decried what they saw as anti-Semitic tendencies within the party in relation to comments made about Israel, a charge which The Left denies.

Many politicians in Germany - a staunch military backer of Israel throughout the conflict in Gaza - view condemnation of Israel's actions as inherently anti-Semitic.

On election night, controversial pro-Palestinian activist Ibrahim Ibrahim attended an election party held by the Neukölln chapter of the party.

According to democ, a group that observes and analyses anti-democratic movements, he has long been associated with Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) - which is classed as a terrorist organization by the EU and the US.

Ibrahim has rejected accusations of supporting terrorism and of supporting the PFLP or Hamas.

In an interview with Eralp conducted by Der Spiegel on Monday, the party's top candidate was asked about the anti-Semitism allegations facing her party, which she has denied.

According to Der Spiegel, she responded that she had been aware that many in her party - particularly in the Neukölln chapter - are "very passionate about the issue of Palestine," but she hadn't expected things to go too far at individual events during the election campaign.

Asked by Der Spiegel, whether she was referring to the Ibrahim incident, Eralp initially responded "Yes."

However, in a transcript of the interview sent to Eralp's spokesman and later returned to the magazine with comments accidentally included, the question and her answer were crossed out, Der Spiegel reported.

It is common practice in Germany to ask an interviewee to authorize direct quotes ahead of publication.

In comments in the margins of the authorized version of the text - which Der Spiegel believes were left in accidentally - Eralp notes that Berlin criminal police previously advised her not comment on specific individuals.

"I can't put myself and my family in danger for Der Spiegel. What do we do now? Cancel the whole interview?" the magazine cites her as saying.

In a later email sent to Der Spiegel, Eralp's spokesman said that she has been subjected to daily insults, threats and hostility for months, according to the magazine.

The Left party is expected to begin formal coalition talks with the Greens and the Social Democrats (SPD) in November.

The Berlin House of Representatives met for the first time on Thursday following the vote on September 20.

A successor to the socialist party that governed the former East Germany, The Left holds 45 seats, while the conservatives of Chancellor Friedrich Merz have 33 seats. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) holds 29 seats and the Greens have 25, followed by the SPD with 21.