Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution: The threat of terrorism has “significantly increased”

The escalation in the Middle East is also having an impact in Germany. Extremists are taking advantage of Hamas’ brutal terrorist attack and the desperate situation of Palestinian civilians for their own ends.

According to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the terrorist attack by Hamas in Israel and the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip have significantly increased the threat of terrorism in Germany. According to his analysis, the greatest danger in this country does not come from supporters of Hamas or the pro-Iranian Hezbollah, who hold back from making public statements.

Rather, terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State (IS) are apparently increasingly succeeding in inciting primarily young people by portraying the victims of Israeli bombing in the Gaza Strip and the humanitarian emergency in the Palestinian territory as part of a supposedly anti-Muslim Western strategy .

Increase in politically motivated crimes

This development is affecting the domestic secret service at a time when the agency says it is already under severe strain in other areas. The number of politically motivated crimes increased last year for the fourth time in a row, reaching a new record.

Raids and arrests in the milieu of the so-called Reichsbürger as well as searches of violent right-wing extremists are just two examples of what else is currently keeping the Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the state security departments of the police busy.

“We are currently confronted with a complex and tense threat situation due to parallel crises, which is further exacerbated by the barbaric crimes of Hamas,” says the President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Thomas Haldenwang.

“The potential danger of possible terrorist attacks against Jewish and Israeli people and institutions as well as against “the West” as a whole has increased significantly as a result,” says a current assessment by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. According to its own information, the domestic intelligence service is observing calls for attacks among jihadists and a “docking” of the terrorist groups Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) into the Middle East conflict.

Haldenwang sees, among other things, the risk of radicalization of perpetrators acting alone who attack so-called soft targets with simple means. He emphasizes: “The danger is real and higher than it has been for a long time.”

Beyond the jihadist spectrum, there is also an increase in polemics that portray Muslims and Palestinians as victims of the West and in some cases contain clearly anti-Semitic contributions, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution analyzes.

Supporters of the Palestinian Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbollah held back and did not appear as a group at pro-Palestinian demonstrations “as they see themselves as being exposed to clear pressure from the state to persecute them.” Both groups are banned from operating in Germany.

“Agitators and mobilization drivers”

In addition to Islamists, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution sees Palestinian extremists, Turkish right-wing extremists and German and Turkish left-wing extremists as “agitators and mobilization drivers” in the current situation. The majority of participants in pro-Palestinian demonstrations are not extremists.

However, extremists always manage to spread hate messages at such events and cause escalation. German right-wing extremists used the situation to agitate against Muslims and migrants. Among German left-wing extremists, some pro-Israel and some pro-Palestinian positions are represented.

“The situation is made worse by foreign state actors who take advantage of this mood or even try to strengthen it,” says Haldenwang. He does not name specific states. This is probably primarily about propaganda and reinforcing moods that cause unrest in society.

What does Russia have to do with it?

In France, investigators accuse Russia of being behind the mass spraying of Stars of David on Paris buildings in October. According to the Paris public prosecutor’s office, a couple from Moldova who were arrested after the spraying operation in Paris and surrounding communities stated that they had sprayed the Stars of David on the walls on behalf of a third person in exchange for money.

Investigators found an exchange in Russian on her phone. The two detainees were taken into custody pending deportation. According to the public prosecutor’s office, another couple who were also involved in the spraying operation left France the next day. According to images from a surveillance camera, a man who has not yet been identified is said to have taken photos during the spraying operation.