German Jewish Students Raise Money for Halle Kebab Restaurant Owner Targeted by Neo-Nazi During Yom Kippur Killing Spree
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by Algemeiner Staff
Ismet Tekin, whose kebab restaurant in the German city of Halle was attacked by the neo-Nazi gunman who attempted a massacre of synagogue worshippers attending Yom Kippur services. Photo: JSUD.
Jewish students in Germany have launched a fundraising campaign to assist the owner of a small kebab restaurant in the central city of Halle that was attacked by a neo-Nazi gunman right after he failed to carry out a massacre of worshipers attending Yom Kippur services at a nearby synagogue last October.
The German Union of Jewish Students (JSUD) explained on Twitter that it had started the campaign to assist the restaurant owner, Ismet Tekin, because the “far-right terrorist” behind the attack “did not believe in a multicultural society.”
Wir sammeln Spenden für Ismet Tekin, den Besitzer des Kiez-Döners. Bei dem antisemitischen & rassistischen Anschlag in #Halle 2019 wurde Kevin S. im Kiez Döner ermordet. Wir, als @JSUDeutschland, glauben an eine multikulturelle Gesellschaft in diesem Land.https://t.co/whkxFEimkZ
— JSUD – Jüdische Studierendenunion Deutschland (@JSUDeutschland) September 7, 2020
The group said that the terrorist had “murdered two people a year ago for antisemitic and racist motives. We believe in a multicultural society in this country. We believe in a peaceful coexistence, regardless of religion, nationality or skin color. We believe in solidarity.”
Two people were killed by the gunman, Stefan Balliet, after he was unable to break through the synagogue’s security doors — despite exploding a grenade in his quest to shoot more than 50 people in its inner sanctuary.
The first was a female passerby who remonstrated with Balliet, while the second was a male customer at Mr. Tekin’s kebab restaurant — selected by Balliet because it was a Muslim-owned establishment.
On the day of the attack, Tekin was an employee of the restaurant, the Kiez-Döner. In the months since the attack, he and his brother have purchased the restaurant; however, the ongoing coronavirus crisis has left their business fighting for survival.
Because Tekin himself was not injured or psychologically traumatized during the attack, he is not entitled to any state compensation payments.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the JSUD’s GoFundMe campaign for the restaurant had raised almost 4,000 of its total goal of 5,000 euros.
