The day after a knife attack against a rabbi in Frankfurt, a German Jewish leader was fueling the debate about extending “no-go areas” beyond eastern Germany.
“Given the increasing acts of violence against minorities here in Germany, you have to ask yourself if the discussion about ‘no-go areas’ shouldn’t apply beyond the eastern parts of Germany to other areas,” Charlotte Knobloch, head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, said in a statement Saturday.
Knobloch was referring to the controversial debate about whether certain areas in the former East Germany are truly dangerous for those who appear to be non-German. A spate of attacks on people of African and Indian background has prompted renewed discussion on the issue.
The rabbi, 42, was reported in stable condition with injuries that are not life-threatening. The attack reportedly took place late Friday night. The victim described his attacker as a “Mediterranean type” who spoke Arabic. He reportedly said something in Arabic, threatened to kill the rabbi and then stabbed him in the stomach. The man reportedly was accompanied by two women.
Knobloch said in her statement she had visited the victim, whose name has not been released, and his family in the hospital.
The State Prosecutor announced Saturday a reward of 2000 Euro — about $3,000 — for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrator.
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