Germany warns Oct. 7 anniversary could be ‘trigger event’ for domestic unrest
Intel chief says antisemitism, hostility to Israel are a ‘connecting element’ between Islamists, pro-Palestinian activists and radical groups on both the far left and right
Germany’s domestic intelligence chief warned Friday that the anniversary of the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel could be a “trigger event” for unrest.
Next Monday marks one year since the attack by the Islamist terror group in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 seized as hostages, sparking the war in Gaza and subsequent fighting with other Iran-backed Hams allies in Lebanon, Yemen, and elsewhere who have launched attacks on Israel
Middle East turmoil tends to spark reactions in Germany, warned Thomas Haldenwang, chief of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV).
Antisemitism and hostility towardsIsrael are a “connecting element” between Islamists, pro-Palestinian extremists, and other radical groups on the far right and far left, he said.
“The anniversary could be a trigger event for large parts of the protest spectrum,” he said, warning of a “great potential for emotionalization, polarization and radicalization.”
Aside from official commemorations of the October 7 attack, some pro-Palestinian demonstrations are planned in Germany at the weekend and on Monday.
In Berlin, police union spokesman Benjamin Jedro said that “we are looking at the coming days with great concern” after witnessing “hatred, antisemitism and violent excesses” by some pro-Palestinian activists.
Haldenwang in his statement pointed out that the number of antisemitic crimes had risen to an all-time high since the October 7 massacres, which was the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.
“The potential danger of possible terrorist attacks against Jewish and Israeli individuals and institutions, as well as against ‘the West’ as a whole, has increased significantly in the past six months.”
Haldenwang reiterated his warning against jihadist attacks, pointing to a deadly stabbing spree in the western city of Solingen last month.
“Islamists have understood how to use the current Middle East crisis to revitalize their propaganda and mobilize their followers,” he said.
The Islamic State group is “using its propaganda to use the situation in Gaza to create emotions and encourage young Muslims in the West in particular to carry out terrorist attacks.”
