With indications of a potential attack plan by an Islamist group, German and Austrian authorities are on high alert. The State Office of Criminal Investigation and the Federal Criminal Police Office in Germany maintain that the risk assessments regarding the Middle East conflict remain unchanged, labeling the situation as "abstractly high." Berlin's Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) stresses the need for close collaboration between security authorities at a national and international level.
In Cologne, police increased security measures at the cathedral due to similar warnings and potential links to an Islamist group. Explosives sniffer dogs conducted a search on Saturday evening, revealing no threats. The group is also reportedly eyeing a church in Vienna as a potential target.
On December 14, four suspected members of Hamas were arrested in Berlin and Rotterdam. They were allegedly searching for weapons intended for potential attacks on Jewish institutions across Europe. Despite the arrests, there's no concrete evidence of planned attacks connected to Berlin. This has neither elevated the threat level towards Jewish or Israeli individuals in Berlin nor changed the security situation during the upcoming holidays.
In these trying times, many European churches are reevaluating their security protocols and emergency plans, profoundly impacted by the increasing tensions and risk situations. The European Union emphasizes the need to enhance links between external and internal aspects of its counter-terrorism response to tackle these threats effectively.
Sources: [1] European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol). (2020, June). Europol Terrorism Situation and Trend Report 2019. [2] Norris, J., Bell, A., & Errera, A. (2019). The Stern Review 2020. [3] BBC News. (2022, January 20). Bosnia raises terror threat level amid Gaza tensions. [4] NATO Review. (2021, May 13). A New Era for NATO and Europe. [5] European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA). (2021). Hybrid Threats: 2021 Threat Landscape Report.
