# Germany's Left Party sues over antisemitism claims

> Left Party files defamation lawsuit after Interior Minister calls candidate antisemitic.
- Title: Germany's Left Party sues over antisemitism claims · Dw
- Summary: Left Party files defamation lawsuit after Interior Minister calls candidate antisemitic. Germany's Left Party sued Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt for…
- Keywords: germany, left party, alexander dobrrindt, elif eralp, berlin, antisemitism, defamation, german criminal code, csu, economy minister, katherina reiche, news
- Source: Dw — https://dw.com/en/german-lawfare-when-lawsuits-become-a-political-weapon/a-79615817?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: germany, left party, alexander dobrrindt, elif eralp, berlin, antisemitism, defamation, german criminal code, csu, economy minister, katherina reiche, news
## Left Party sues Interior Minister
The Left Party filed a defamation lawsuit against Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt after he called their Berlin candidate Elif Eralp an antisemite on a TV show.

> Elif Eralp says she is an antisemite… She is not an antisemite.
## TV slip leads to lawsuit
On a political TV talk show after the Berlin election, host Maybrit Illner accidentally called Elif Eralp an antisemite before correcting herself.

> Na doch (or, well, yes she is).
## Dobrindt's remark sparks legal action
Dobrindt's response of 'Na doch' led the Left Party to claim defamation, arguing it falsely suggested Eralp considered herself antisemitic.

> Na doch (or, well, yes she is).
## Lawsuit claims defamation
The lawsuit states Dobrindt's remark undermined Eralp's integrity as a political officeholder and hindered her attempts to form a Berlin government.

> undermine her integrity as a political officeholder
## Left Party faces antisemitism accusations
The Left Party has been accused of antisemitism by center-right parties, especially after a Berlin election campaign incident where a rapper chanted 'Death to the IDF'.

> Death to the IDF
## Economy Minister's speech sparks backlash
Economy Minister Katherina Reiche angered the Left Party by stating the party was 'openly embracing antisemitism' in a speech posted on the Economy Ministry's Instagram.

> openly embracing antisemitism
## Lawsuits as political weapon
German politicians increasingly use criminal code sections 185, 186, and 187 to file defamation lawsuits, which can result in fines or up to a year in prison.

> sections 185, 186 and 187 of the German Criminal Code
## Legal challenges to lawsuits
Legal experts say such lawsuits rarely succeed due to lack of sufficient grounds, with the Constitutional Court holding political criticism has wider boundaries than private conduct.

> lack of sufficient grounds for suspicion
## Lawsuits as PR strategy
Politicians use lawsuits as a guaranteed headline PR tactic, even if legal outcomes are unlikely, to signal political strength.

> highly effective as a PR strategy
## Consequences for Economy Minister
The lawsuit against Katherina Reiche may have limited consequences as her speech was posted on the ministry's official channels, violating constitutional neutrality rules.

> constitutional neutrality rules
## Key takeaway

Germany's Left Party sued Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt for falsely accusing their Berlin candidate Elif Eralp of antisemitism after a TV slip.