Threats of terrorism torment Europe
Fears of Islamists-planned attacks mount, particularly in Western European countries.
One year after the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023, Europe is also facing a wave of terror, terrorism expert and political scientist Peter R. Neumann stated in his blog. In the last twelve months, the number of planned and executed attacks has increased more than fivefold compared to 2022.
„After a period of relative calm, jihadism is once again the greatest threat to Europe. To prevent further escalation, politicians and security authorities must immediately make the fight against the threat of terrorism a top priority,”
Mr Neumann says. The number of jihadi attacks and planned attacks in Europe have skyrocketed in the last twelve months. While back in 2022 Europol recorded only two completed attacks and four attempts, the fivefold jump since October 2023 is attributable to a total of eleven carried out attacks, while a further 25 were thwarted in time by police and security authorities. This shows that although security forces cannot guarantee absolute security, they have a very successful track record in preventing such acts.
It is particularly alarming that more than one third (36 per cent) of attacks and plots were directed against Jewish institutions, Israel or Jews. While this is not surprising given the ideological orientation of jihadist groups, it again underlines that Jewish life in Europe requires special protection.
Germany has been particularly hard hit by the current wave of terror. With 13 attacks and planned attacks, 36 per cent of the incidents are happening in Germany, even though only 21 per cent of the Western European population live there. Austria and Switzerland also have a disproportionately high amount of jihadist activity compared to their populations.
A total of nine people were killed in the eleven attacks carried out, with the gravest in recent months committed in Solingen, which claimed three lives. „This could be an indication that major attacks, as seen in previous waves of terrorism, are only to be expected in the coming years,” the expert says.
It is striking that ten of the eleven attacks were carried out with knives. With the exception of the attack on the Israeli Consulate General in Munich, no firearms, explosive devices or vehicles were used, as in the earlier attacks in Nice or Berlin. According to the expert, young people who radicalise online are particularly at risk. Prevention measures and early warning systems should increasingly focus on this target group. In Germany, there is also a special link between the asylum and refugee sector and jihadism, as the majority of terrorists arrested in recent years have been asylum seekers or refugees. This calls for stricter and better regulated asylum procedures. Jewish European citizens are particularly vulnerable and need increased protection to preserve Europe’s pluralist values. Finally, it is important to act quickly, as waves of terror usually peak within a few years – so there is still a chance to prevent something worse from happening, the terrorism expert states.
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