Synagogue attack suspect ‘planned massacre’
THE suspect in an attack on a German synagogue wanted to carry out a “massacre” inside the building and had a large stockpile of explosives in his car, prosecutors have said.
Chief federal prosecutor Peter Frank said many questions remain about the suspect in custody, a German citizen identified only as Stephan B.
Mr Frank said “what we experienced was terror” and the suspect wanted to create a “worldwide effect” by live-streaming his attack and encouraging others to imitate him.
He said investigators had yet to determine how the suspect got hold of the material used to build homemade weapons and explosives and whether anyone
The synagogue in Halle where worshippers locked themselves inside
else knew of his plans. Stephan B is suspected of two counts of murder and nine of attempted murder.
The attack in Halle has stoked renewed concern about rising far-right extremism and questions about the police response.
On a visit to the synagogue
yesterday, German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier urged the public to stand up for their Jewish compatriots.
He said: “It is not enough to condemn. It must be clear the state takes responsibility for the safety of Jewish life in Germany.”
He also called for his country to show “a clear, determined position of solidarity” with Jews.
“History reminds us, the present demands of us (that Germans must stand by their Jewish compatriots),” Mr Steinmeier said.
Josef Schuster, head of Germany’s Jewish community, called the absence of police guards outside the synagogue on the holy day of Yom Kippur “scandalous”.
He spoke out after members of the 80-strong congregation described waiting behind locked doors for more than 10 minutes for the police to arrive.
After the attack, the worshippers were brought out on buses.
A video posted by a reporter for Israeli public broadcaster Kan showed people on a bus dancing, embracing and singing.
A worshipper who was at the synagogue, identified only as Christina, told Israel’s Kan Reshet Bet radio “it’s not easy being openly Jewish in Germany”, but added: “We won’t give up on Jewish existence in Germany.”
Christoph Bernstiel, a councillor who also represents Halle in the national parliament, said there would be a careful examination of how long the response took.
Police union head Oliver Malchow said the response time showed “how thin police coverage” was. He added that the wait “was especially long for the people who were in the synagogue”.
Synagogues are often protected by police in Germany and have been for many years amid concerns over far-right and Islamic extremism.
There has been rising concern in the country lately about both anti-Semitism and right-wing extremism.