Scholz condemns anti-Semitism on Halle synagogue attack anniversary

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has urged the nation to never tolerate anti-Semitism as he marked the fifth anniversary of an attack on a synagogue in the eastern city of Halle that killed two people.

On October 9, 2019, an armed neo-Nazi tried to break into the city's synagogue on the high Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.

The attacker failed to break through the synagogue's locked door, despite multiple attempts. He fatally shot a passer-by, and then opened fire on a nearby kebab shop, killing a customer there.

The culprit is serving a life sentence in prison for two counts of murder and multiple counts of attempted murder.

Jewish citizens in Germany "must never live in fear," Scholz wrote on the social media platform X on Wednesday, commemorating the victims of the Halle attack.

"For all of us, the following must apply: we will never accept anti-Semitism."

Justice Minister Marco Buschmann also took to X to mark five years since the attack, calling on the nation to stand up against hatred.

"This attack shows: anti-Semites aren't just hostile towards Jews, they are hostile towards humanity. Their hatred is directed at Jews, but it is truly boundless," Buschmann wrote.

Hatred motivated by anti-Semitism is directed against all people looking to live peacefully in a liberal, democratic society, the minister said.

"It is this society, it is we who must confront this hatred: to protect our Jewish fellow citizens and to preserve peace and freedom for all."