Berlin's New Mayoral Candidate Embroiled in Major Gaffe

In depth

Elif Arlap, the candidate of the left-wing party Die Linke for mayor of Berlin, was accidentally exposed through internal remarks she sent to the newspaper Der Spiegel. According to Israel Hayom, she asked to delete from the interview a question about an activist who called Yahya Sinwar "a hero of the hand." According to N12, she refused to disclose the names, and when asked, was forced to admit that she fears Hamas supporters. According to Ynet, her remarks read: "These are people with ties to Hamas, I cannot risk myself and my family."

According to Maariv, a day after the fear was revealed, pressure is growing on the parties seeking to form a coalition with her in Berlin. According to Maariv, Chancellor Merz has already moved to block her election, and Maariv reports "peak tension" in Berlin.