Overview

• Berben, who identifies as left‑leaning, says the Left bears some responsibility for right‑wing gains by sidelining housing, education, jobs, infrastructure and health.
• She criticizes what she calls paternalistic moralizing and a hostility to enjoyment, describing a constant “moral finger” raised at everyday pleasures and humor.
• Arguing that culture and art should remain protected spaces, she rejects identity‑based casting rules and cultural‑appropriation fights as counterproductive for actors.
• She warns of a resurgence of antisemitism and Israel‑hostility within left‑wing milieus, calling it a long‑standing wound for her liberal convictions.
• The remarks, published in Die Zeit and widely picked up, are being linked in coverage to a broader cultural dispute that includes an open letter urging a weapons boycott of Israel and suspension of the EU association agreement.