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DW: The risk of attacks by radicalized Islamists in Germany is increasing

Politiko 2023-11-29 17:40:49

DW: The risk of attacks by radicalized Islamists in Germany is increasing

The deadly attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7 and Israel's military response to this attack arouse emotions and mobilize thousands of people in Germany as well. An unprecedented wave of anti-Semitism expresses this shockingly, as do attacks on Jewish life in Germany. The development of the security situation in Germany depends mainly on the development of the situation in the Middle East.

The president of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Thomas Haldenwang, expresses the concern of the German security authorities about attacks with Islamic motives in particular. "The risk is real and greater than it has been for a long time," Haldewang said in unusually blunt terms.

Al Qaeda and ISIS in the spotlight

The Office for the Protection of the Constitution is particularly concerned about the activities of the known Islamic terrorist organizations Al Qaeda and the Islamic State. Neither organization has any ties to Hamas. However, a new quality is now emerging, Haldenwangu warns: "We see in the jihadist spectrum calls for attacks and a 'connection' of al-Qaeda and ISIS to the conflict in the Middle East."

Specifically, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution fears that individuals in particular may be radicalized to the point where they can attack so-called "soft" targets, such as public demonstrations in the open air, with simple means, such as p .sh. knives or vehicles. "We are working hard to thwart possible plans against Jewish security, Israeli institutions, but also large protests," Haldenwang said.

The president of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution did not explicitly mention the Christmas markets, but it is clear that these types of events require the attention of the German security authorities.

Arrest of two young men on Tuesday

On Tuesday, police acted in Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia: there, a 16-year-old and a 15-year-old had agreed at a radical Islamic forum to carry out an attack against a synagogue or a Christmas market. It is not certain that this would have happened, but the police decided to intervene quickly as part of the preventive security measure.

In early October, an Islamist terrorist long known to the security authorities was arrested in Duisburg. He had traveled to the so-called Islamic State, for which he had served a several-year prison sentence in Germany upon his return. He is suspected of planning an attack against a pro-Israel activity and is in custody./DW

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