Berlin's far-left vote winners reject anti-semitism charges

Germany's far-left Die Linke party, winners of Berlin city-state elections, on Monday rejected charges that pro-Palestinian activists among its base have veered into antisemitism or hate for Israel. The party faced criticism about the presence of two controversial figures at a victory party Sunday night, including an allegedly militant activist and the head of an extended family with Middle Eastern roots that is often linked to organised crime. "Celebrating violence and terrorism is absolutely unacceptable," said Die Linke lead candidate Elif Eralp, who hopes to become Berlin mayor in a coalition with the Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens. "I will do everything to ensure that Jewish people -- just like Muslims, queer people and everyone in our city -- can feel safe." Die Linke scored 25.7 percent in Sunday's vote, heavily defeating Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative CDU, which currently governs the city with the SPD and which on Sunday slumped to 18.8 percent. At the victory party in the capital's Neukoelln district, one of the party's MPs, Ferat Kocak, was pictured with Ibrahim Ibrahim, described by German media as a supporter of armed Palestinian militants. AFP