German anti-Semitism official shocked by Manchester attack

Germany's anti-Semitism commissioner on Thursday said he was shocked by the attack on a synagogue in Manchester that left two people dead.

The incident "has once again shown the deadly dimension of anti-Semitism in Europe," Felix Klein told dpa. "The fact that it took place on Yom Kippur, the highest Jewish holiday, once again reveals the boundless hatred of the alleged perpetrator." 

The rapid intervention of the police prevented further victims, Klein said.

"I very much welcome the fact that the security authorities in this country have also been keeping a close eye on Jewish institutions on this important day since the attack on the synagogue in Halle on Yom Kippur in 2019."

In 2019, a far-right extremist attempted to break into a synagogue in the eastern city of Halle. When this failed, he murdered two uninvolved people.

A spokeswoman for the German Interior Ministry said in response to an enquiry that federal and state police authorities are in close contact to assess the threat situation.

Two people died after a car was driven at pedestrians and a person was stabbed in a suspected terrorist attack outside the synagogue in Manchester on Thursday. Police said the suspect is also dead.

EU leaders also condemned the attack as "appalling."

"The deliberate attack in Manchester against innocent worshippers at a synagogue on Yom Kippur is utterly appalling," the EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas posted on X. "Hate, antisemitism and violence have no place in our society."

"That this attack took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more appalling," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted on X. "We must keep fighting antisemitism in all its forms."