Rivlin to German president: Act without 'compromise' against antisemitism

“We value what the German authorities do to protect and secure the safety of German Jews,” Rivlin said, “and still it is vital to act without compromise or hesitation.”

The ultimate decider: President Reuven Rivlin (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
The ultimate decider: President Reuven Rivlin
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
President Reuven Rivlin spoke with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Thursday following the shooting attack on a synagogue in Halle.
“We value what the German authorities do to protect and secure the safety of German Jews,” Rivlin said, “and still it is vital to act without compromise or hesitation.” 
Steinmeier said that he feels Israel's “pain, concern and fear and am a full partner to those concerns.” 
He added that “Germany must fulfil its historical obligation to defend Jewish lives."
Steinmeier said he means to speak with head of the German Jewish community, Charlotte Knoblauch, and repeat these messages. 
Two people were killed in the shooting attacks near a synagogue in Halle, Germany on Wednesday, which was Yom Kippur, a Jewish holiday during which Jews fast and atone for their sins.
 
World leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, quickly condemned the attacks.