The EU’s Home Affairs Commissioner, Ylva Johansson, warned Tuesday that the fallout from Israel’s war with the Palestinian militant group Hamas poses a “huge risk of terrorist attacks” during the Christmas holiday season in Europe.
The warning comes as French authorities investigate a weekend attack near Paris’ Eiffel Tower. Reports suggest that the suspect swore allegiance to the extremist Islamic State group before stabbing a tourist and injuring two others with a hammer.
Significant Risk Due to Increase in Antisemitic Incidents: EU Official
Commissioner Johansson said, “With the war between Israel and Hamas, and the polarisation it causes in our society, with the upcoming holiday season, there is a huge risk of terrorist attacks in the European Union.”
“We saw it recently in Paris, and unfortunately, we saw it earlier as well,” Johansson stated. She shared no details about any police or security information that might have led to her warning.
The Commissioner explained that her threat conclusion was based on high-security levels in a few of the EU’s 27 member countries, a spike in reports of antisemitic incidents, and more hate speech and extremist content online.
“Taking all this together, I do the assessment that yes, the threat is significant,” she concluded.
Europe faces a “huge risk of terrorist attacks" over the holiday season due to the fallout from the Israel-Hamas war, the EU's Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson warned on Tuesday #EuropeNews pic.twitter.com/6wppoSg0FS
— euronews (@euronews) December 5, 2023
However, Johansson declined to provide any security advice to holiday shoppers or visitors to Christmas markets, stressing that this was the responsibility of national governments.
As part of the Internal Security Fund, Johansson pledged an additional €30 million to assist EU member states in protecting places of worship and other public spaces.
She also urged all countries to implement EU measures to curb online hate speech and stifle extremist groups’ financial resources.
In recent weeks, tens of thousands of people have marched in several European capitals in support of Palestine, as well as in support of Israel and against rising antisemitism.
Recent Attack in Paris
France’s anti-terrorism prosecutor, Jean-Francois Ricard, announced on Sunday that an investigation has been initiated into the stabbing of a German-Filipino tourist near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, allegedly by a man under surveillance for suspected “Islamic radicalisation.”
In a press conference, Ricard stated that suspect Armand Rajabpour-Miyandoab, a French national, could face a preliminary charge of murder in connection with a terrorist organisation.
Before the attack, Rajabpour-Miyandoab recorded a video in which he swore allegiance to the Islamic State group and expressed support for Islamic extremists operating in Africa, Iraq, Syria, Egypt's Sinai, Yemen, Iran, and Pakistan, Ricard said.
When questioned by police, the suspect expressed anguish over the deaths of Muslims, particularly in Afghanistan and the Palestinian territories, and claimed that France was an accomplice, officials said.
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— 4IL (@4ILorg) December 5, 2023
Since Hamas murderous attack on October 7th, antisemitism has been rising in Europe. In Britain antisemitism surged by 500%, in Germany by 320%, and in France more than 1,500 antisemitic attacks occurred in the month after October 7th.
Here are some examples:
Rise in Antisemitic Incidents
Places of worship, such as synagogues and mosques, have reportedly been on high alert since the Israel-Hamas war began in early October amid fears of retaliation among both the Jewish and Muslim communities. EU member states, including France, have increased police presence around such sites.
In a statement, the EU asserted that “the spike of antisemitic incidents across Europe has reached extraordinary levels in the last few days, reminiscent of some of the darkest times in history. European Jews today are again living in fear.”
The bloc stated that it “stands by its Jewish communities” and mentioned several instances of recent antisemitic incidents in Europe.
“We have seen a resurgence of antisemitic incidents and rhetoric in the European Union and worldwide: Molotov cocktails thrown on a synagogue in Germany, stars of David sprayed on residential buildings in France, a Jewish cemetery desecrated in Austria, Jewish stores and synagogues attacked in Spain, demonstrators chanting hate slogans against Jews,” the statement read.
Reportedly, Europe is facing the fallout of Hamas’ 7 October attacks in southern Israel, which claimed roughly 1,200 lives, and the ongoing Israeli military response, which Gazan health officials estimate has killed at least 15,890 Palestinians.