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© 2024 Craig Stennett
Ismet Tekin owner of the Turkish Bistro in Halle (Saale) It was attacked in 2019 by the right-wing extremist Stephen Balliet. Balliet first of all tried to gain access to the Synagogue in Halle (Saale) On not being able to gain entry to the Synagogue he shot the passer-by Jana L. outside theSynagogue‘s entrance. Balliet then drove in the direction of the city center of Halle. Stopping at the Kiez-Döner in Ludwig-Wucherer-Strasse. His goal now, which he later stated was to: "Kill Muslims until the police come". Stephan Balliet shot a construction worker, Kevin S, in the kebab store believing that he was a Muslim. He then tried to kill other guests and passers by. Ismet's Bistro has since the incident fallen on Hard times during the Corona lockdowns in Germany. However the Jewish Community of Halle have rallied to support him and his business. The Jewish Students Association raised €30,000 for him and a local Jewish businessman in Halle started a buy before you eat Kebab scheme pre- purchasing 1000 Kebabs. Members of the Synagogue have also become regular customers to offer support. ‘It’s really amazing what they did,†says Ismet Tekin, the restaurant's Turkish-born owner. “They did it out of solidarity, to show that we are together, that we can get through these times when we stand together.†Ismet has set up a shrine in memorial to the two killed in the gunman‘s attack with in his restaurant (seen in Back ground) “The community did this because the synagogue and Kiez-Döner were both targets of the attack,†says Igor Matviyets, a member of the local Jewish community and a candidate in elections to the regional parliament in June.
“It’s very clear from what the gunman said that he targetted the restaurant because it didn’t represent his idea of what should be in Germany, just as the synagogue didn’t.â€
The gunman, Stephan Balliet, railed against Jews, Muslims, immigrants and women in an online live stream of the attack, and releas
