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Status: 05.10.2020 6:33 am
Apparently there was an anti-Semitic attack in Hamburg. In front of the Eimsbüttel synagogue, a Jewish student was attacked on Sunday afternoon and seriously wounded in the head. Jewish politicians and associations condemned the attack.
The student was on his way to the Hohe Weide Synagogue to celebrate the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles with other members of the community. State Rabbi Shlomo Bistritzky told NDR 90.3 that the Jewish student was wearing a kippah. In front of the synagogue, a man in camouflage clothing suddenly struck the 26-year-old with a folding shovel. According to police, the suspect caused the victim a major head injury. He was arrested at the scene. The victim was able to escape to safety after the attack. He was first looked after by passersby until rescuers arrived, and then he was taken to a hospital.
VIDEO: Jewish student attacked in front of the Hamburg synagogue (1 min)
Swastika in pocket
The attacker is a 29-year-old German of Kazakh origin living in Berlin. His motive is not yet clear, the police are questioning witnesses. According to her, the 29-year-old made a confused impression when questioned. It is said that he had a note with a swastika. Bistritzky, therefore, takes on an anti-Semitic background. “Someone with a swastika in his pocket comes here in front of the synagogue, there is no other explanation for that,” said the rabbi.
Federal Foreign Minister Maas: “Disgusting Attack”
Federal Chancellor Heiko Maas (SPD) condemned the attack. “This is not an isolated incident, it is disgusting anti-Semitism and we must all stand against it,” he said on Twitter. His thoughts are with the student. CDU Secretary General Paul Ziemiak said the attack was “a disgusting act.” Protecting Jewish life in Germany “remains our daily duty,” he tweeted.
“Protection of Jewish life in Germany”
The German Orthodox Rabbinical Conference (ORD) described the incident as “another shock to the Jewish community in Germany.” It was “unbearable to experience hatred and violence against Jews over and over again on the German streets, and that during major Jewish holidays and a year after the terrible assassination attempt in Halle,” said the board member of the ORD, Avichai Apel. He called for better protection for Jewish life in Germany. The president of the World Jewish Congress, Ronald S. Lauder, was also shocked. He regretted that a year after the attack in Halle, a German Jewish community was again faced with an “violent and anti-Semitic act of terrorism,” Lauder said.
The military clothing is a reminder of the Halle attack
Both the military clothing and the date of the attack remind us of the attack on the Halle an der Saale synagogue almost a year ago. There, on the most important Jewish holiday, Yom Kippur, a heavily armed right-wing radical tried to break into the synagogue and murder those who were praying. Sukkot is celebrated on this Sunday, the Feast of Tabernacles that immediately follows Yom Kippur on the Jewish calendar. The victim is said to have been taken to hospital.
Investigations are conducted by the state security service and officials from the Homicide Department.
