- Title: President of Jewish Community in Germany calls shooting in Halle shocking
- Date: 9th October 2019
- Summary: WUERZBURG, GERMANY (OCTOBER 9, 2019) (REUTERS) JOSEF SCHUSTER, PRESIDENT OF THE CENTRAL COUNCIL OF JEWS CAMERA CREW (SOUNDBITE) (German) PRESIDENT OF THE CENTRAL COUNCIL OF JEWS IN GERMANY, JOSEF SCHUSTER, SAYING: "When I heard about the incident in Halle I was shocked and I still am now. We have not experienced an incident of this kind ever before in Germany. It shows that right wing extremism is not only some kind of political development, but that it is highly dangerous and exactly the kind of danger that we have always warned against. This unfortunately became very obvious today." CAMERA CREWS (SOUNDBITE) (German) PRESIDENT OF THE CENTRAL COUNCIL OF JEWS IN GERMANY, JOSEF SCHUSTER, SAYING: "Yom Kippur is the highest Jewish holiday. I guess if I was an attacker I would have also chosen this day. I would have expected a much clearer protection by the police in front of synagogues all over Germany. I don't understand why this protection was not given in Halle although the issue had been discussed well in advance. It shouldn't even have been necessary to discuss this security matter, it should have been a normal thing for the police to do." VARIOUS OF SCHUSTER BEING INTERVIEWED (SOUNDBITE) (German) PRESIDENT OF THE CENTRAL COUNCIL OF JEWS IN GERMANY, JOSEF SCHUSTER, ANSWERING A QUESTION ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF A LINK BETWEEN THE HIGH PERCENTAGE OF VOTES FOR THE RIGHTWING PARTY AFD IN THE LAST REGIONAL ELECTIONS, SAYING: "I think we cannot directly connect the election results with today's incident. It is rather about the development in politics that allows words, which in the past nobody would have dared to say. This has pushed the red line, and we can see that this development lays the ground for these events to happen." WIDE OF MEMBERS OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY AT VIGIL FOR VICTIMS VARIOUS OF PEOPLE ATTENDING VIGIL WITH CANDLES
- Embargoed: 23rd October 2019 20:24
- Keywords: Halle shooting Central Council of Jews in Germany Charlotte Knobloch
- Location: WUERZBURG, GERMANY
- City: WUERZBURG, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Reuters ID: LVA001B0DNRK7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: AUDIO AS INCOMING
The President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, called the synagogue shooting in Halle shocking and critizised the lack of protection of the synagogue by local authorities.
"We have not experienced an incident of this kind ever before in Germany. It shows that right-wing extremism is not only some kind of political development, but that it is highly dangerous and exactly the kind of danger that we have always warned against", Schuster said on Wednesday. He also called for a better protection of the Jewish community in general.
Two people were killed in shooting attacks on a synagogue and a kebab bistro in the eastern German city of Halle and one suspect was arrested, but two others fled in a hijacked a car, officials said.
The violence occurred on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the calendar in Judaism when Jews fast, seeking atonement.
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