Israeli President Reuven Rivlin spoke on the telephone Thursday with his German counterpart, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier following the attempted massacre at a synagogue in central Germany Wednesday and a subsequent shooting that left two dead near the house of worship.
During their conversation, Rivlin said that while he appreciated what Germany had done to protect Jews, more needed to be done to ensure that such attacks are not repeated.
“We appreciate the efforts taken by the German authorities to protect and to secure German Jews, and still there is more to be done, and the fight has to be without hesitation or compromise. I appreciate your willingness and the willingness of the Chancellor to express your personal support for the Jewish community and your visit to the synagogue earlier today.”
President Rivlin added, “We are partners in the fight against anti-Semitism and neo-Facism. We must learn from this incident to make sure that nothing similar ever happens again. Facism, neo-Facism and anti-Semitism are a source of concern for the whole world,” he stressed.
President Steinmeier responded to his Israeli counterparty, saying that he ‘felt’ Rivlin’s pain and concern.
“Mr. President, I feel your pain, concern and fear and I share it. I said in my statement today that it is not enough to deplore and denounce. The German state has to live up to its responsibility to protect Jewish life. The vast majority of Germans who want that must be more active and more vocal. Tonight, I will speak in honor of the head of the German Jewish community, Charlotte Knoblauch, and I will take the opportunity to repeat these messages again.”