European Jewish students hold vigil for Halle in Brussels
“We were also moved by the show of strength and solidarity throughout Germany and would like to bring this spirit of unity to Brussels, to say no to hate and fear together, in the heart of the EU"
By ROSSELLA TERCATINPeople lay flowers outside the synagogue in Halle, Germany October 10, 2019, after two people were killed in a shooting. (photo credit: REUTERS/FABRIZIO BENSCH)
The European Union of Jewish students organized a vigil in Brussels in solidarity with Halle on Friday, two days after a far-right terror attack targeting the German city’s synagogue left two people killed. “We were saddened and angered by the terrorist attack near the synagogue of Halle, Germany, which claimed two lives on Yom Kippur, the most sacred day of the Jewish calendar,” the EUJS wrote in its Facebook account. “We were also moved by the show of strength and solidarity throughout Germany and would like to bring this spirit of unity to Brussels, to say no to hate and fear together, in the heart of the European Union,” the organization added. The rally took place in front of the Permanent Representation of Germany in the Belgian city on Friday morning. Among those who attended the event were German ambassador to Belgium Martin Kotthaus, European Commission Coordinator on combatting Antisemitism Katharina von Schnurbein, and German MEP Sergey Lagodinsky. “We are standing with the Jewish community. Am Israel Chai!” von Schnurbein said according to a EUJS tweet. When a far-right antisemitic terrorist failed to break into the synagogue of the eastern German city on Wednesday during the Yom Kippur service after repeated attempts, he killed a passerby and a customer at a nearby kebab place. The man was identified as 27-year-old Stephan Balliet. According to German paper Deutsche Welle, on Wednesday night and Thursday, hundreds of people gathered outside the building to show their solidarity to the Jewish community and honor the victims, who have been identified as a 40-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man. Several German leaders also visited the city and the Jewish community, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Interior Minister Horst Seehofer.
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