Overview
- The Left party group in Berlin’s Neukölln selected Ahmed Abed as its district mayor candidate on Saturday with 82.1 percent support, according to BILD.
- The selection follows a unanimously approved district-board proposal reported earlier by Der Tagesspiegel as part of preparations for the September local vote.
- CDU Neukölln chair Falko Liecke condemned the choice, saying it promotes social division and hate and calling the nomination an attack on Jewish life.
- Neukölln’s SPD district mayor Martin Hikel criticized the outcome as a slap in the face to those working for peaceful coexistence and against Islamism.
- Abed, described as a prominent critic of Israel and a lawyer associated with the BDS movement, has drawn controversy over past remarks about the mayor of partner city Bat Yam and a 2025 walkout during his visit, according to media reports.