Germany: Officials pledge crackdown after synagogue attack

BERLIN – Germany’s top security officials are backing calls for tougher measures to fight far-right extremism following a deadly anti-Semitic rampage last week.

Interior Minister Horst Seehofer and his counterparts from Germany’s 16 states said Friday they support a series of measures including forcing internet companies to report hate speech to police and extending requirements to delete illegal content to online gaming platforms.

A 27-year-old German attempted to attack a synagogue in the eastern city of Halle on Oct. 9, later killing two passers-by before being arrested. The man, who was previously unknown to police, posted an anti-Semitic screed before the attack and broadcast the shooting live on a popular gaming site.

The officials also backed faster prosecutions of far-right crimes, better information-sharing among security services and more protection for Jewish sites.