Jewish Students Block Far-Right AfD Politician from Halle Synagogue

Jewish students blocked Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, a senior official of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, from entering the synagogue in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt. Tillschneider had sought to attend a memorial service marking seven years since the 2019 Yom Kippur antisemitic attack on the site.

The politician, who was elected this week as vice president of the state parliament, withdrew and left the scene after a prolonged dispute and mediation attempts by police, German media reported. Tillschneider's election came just days after his party colleague Tobias Rausch was chosen as parliament president, marking the first time since World War II that a far-right representative has headed a German state parliament.

Confrontation at the Synagogue

About a dozen activists from the Union of Jewish Students in Germany linked arms to form a human chain at the synagogue entrance. "You are not welcome here," union president Ron Dekel told Tillschneider in a video capturing the confrontation. When the far-right politician asked who he was, Dekel introduced himself and stated that they would not allow the memorial service to be hijacked or far-right extremists to enter their synagogue.

The 2019 attack involved a neo-Nazi gunman who attempted to storm the synagogue during Yom Kippur services while roughly 50 worshippers were inside. After failing to breach the doors, he shot and killed a 40-year-old female passerby and a 20-year-old man at a nearby kebab shop. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison. A year later, Tillschneider downplayed the ideological nature of the attack in the state parliament, describing the perpetrator as a "lone madman."

Ideological Background

Tillschneider, 48, is considered one of the most prominent ideologues within the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt and has been monitored by the state's Office for the Protection of the Constitution since 2020. He is known for opposing Holocaust education and Germany's historical responsibility. In July, he told Politico that Nazi history remains present in Germany "strangely, like a zombie," adding that it was "not normal."

Following the October 7 massacre, Tillschneider claimed in a TikTok video that Israel was collectively punishing Palestinians, while drawing a parallel to Germans and the Holocaust. The state parliament, now led by the AfD, issued an official statement condemning the protesters as a "group of left-wing students" who blocked Tillschneider's participation. Central Council of Jews in Germany President Dr. Josef Schuster supported the students' stance, stating that Tillschneider's attempt to exploit the memorial service trampled upon the dignity of the victims.