2023-12-04 08:53:39
This is the scenario that European intelligence services feared. The attack committed on Saturday, December 2 near the Eiffel Tower in Paris confirms fears of an importation of the war into the Middle East. The perpetrator of the attack is a young Frenchman of Iranian parents, already known for his radical Islamist commitment and having psychiatric disorders. Around 9 p.m., he stabbed a German tourist, who died, before injuring two other passers-by.
Once arrested, he linked his action to the Israeli operation against Hamas. He told the police that he could no longer “bear with Muslims dying, both in Afghanistan and in Palestine” and blame France for “what is happening in Gaza”believing that she is “complicit in what Israel is doing”. This action occurred while the bombings resumed in Gaza, with the end of the truce which allowed the release of hostages.
In Germany, an attack in preparation foiled
Since October 7 and the Hamas attacks against Israel, all European countries have increased their level of vigilance. Like France, Spain and Belgium have notably strengthened surveillance of synagogues. In Germany, in recent days, police have arrested three suspected Islamists who were planning attacks on Christmas markets. For the President of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Thomas Haldenwang, the “danger is real” et “hasn’t been this high in a long time”.
“The risk is that of having imitation attacks, coming from radicalized individualsexplains Cyrille Bret, teacher at Sciences Po Paris. In recent years, the logistics and command chains of terrorist groups based abroad have been disrupted. Furthermore, Hamas is entirely focused on its war against the Israeli army. It is unlikely that he would seek to organize attacks in Europe. But calls for solidarity launched on social networks can resonate with people who suddenly take action. »
Threat level “already high” before October 7
This is also the scenario observed during the latest attacks on European soil: the attack on a high school in Arras which led to the death of a teacher on October 13; or the one against two Swedish supporters, in Brussels, on October 16, whose author said he was acting out of revenge, after the acts of desecration of the Koran that took place in Sweden.
Following these attacks, President Emmanuel Macron judged that “all European states” were “vulnerable” facing the Islamist risk. “The threat level was already very high before the Hamas attacks”notes Cyrille Bret.
The number of attacks is however down compared to the peak of 2018, the year when 33 Islamist attacks were recorded in Europe, according to a Europol study. This figure fell to eleven attacks in 2021. But it is very difficult for European security services to prevent these recent attacks, committed by isolated individuals.
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