Doris Pundy, dpa I Wednesday, Dec. 06, 2023
BRUSSELS – The European Union is currently experiencing a heightened terror risk due to the Gaza war, said EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson on Tuesday.
“With the war between Israel and Hamas and the polarization it causes in our society, with the upcoming holiday season, there is a huge risk of terrorist attacks in the European Union,” she said, arriving at a meeting of EU home affairs ministers in Brussels.
Johansson referred to a knife attack on Saturday in Paris, in which one German tourist was killed and two people injured, as well as previous incidents.
The commissioner announced to “make available additional €30 million ($32.4 million) for protection for example, places of worship.”
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser echoed Johansson’s concerns.
Saturday’s attack shows “how imminent and serious the threat of Islamist terrorism currently is in the EU,” Faeser stated.
“The war in Gaza and the terror of Hamas are causing this situation,” she said. “The danger of further emotionalization and radicalization of Islamist perpetrators is high.”
“We need to keep a particularly close eye on Islamist threats right now and work together with neighbouring countries to combat Islamist propaganda,” Faeser added.
EU ministers are to consult on security in the bloc in light of the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. A discussion on the EU’s visa-free Schengen area and progress on the bloc’s asylum and migration reform are also on the agenda.
