Aftermath of Middle East war, Europe is divided
The criminal has a history of being a ‘potentially dangerous Islamic person’… Macron condemns “barbaric terrorism”
Tourist attractions temporarily closed, 10,000 military and police deployed
Anti-Semitic incidents in the UK increase 7.5 times
The aftermath of the Middle East war, which began with a surprise attack on Israel by the Palestinian armed group Hamas, is spreading into conflict between the Israeli-Palestinian camps within Europe. A high school teacher was killed in broad daylight by a 20-year-old Muslim man in France, raising safety alerts to the highest level. French authorities defined this incident as terrorism and said it was related to the war in the Middle East. Even the Palace of Versailles and the Louvre Museum temporarily suspended operations due to concerns about terrorism. Anti-Semitic incidents have also occurred in the UK on a large scale, increasing 7.5 times in one year, and pro-Palestinian rallies are being held throughout Europe.
According to the French daily Le Figaro on the 14th, a 20-year-old man from the school killed French teacher Dominique Bernard (57) with a knife at Gambetta High School in Arras, northeastern France, around 11 a.m. the previous day. The arrested suspect was identified as Mohammed Moguchkov, a white man from the Chechen Republic of Russia. Moguchikov, who is known to have shouted ‘Allahu Akbar (God is great)’ at the time of the crime, was suspected of being an Islamic extremist and was on the French government’s list of potentially dangerous people.
According to Le Figaro, he was checked by authorities the day before the incident. “He did not reveal any elements that would lead to action (during the inspection),” one source said. “It is a case of radicalization where the decision to attack is made suddenly, so it is difficult to take (prior) action.” Moguchkov’s 17-year-old younger brother was also arrested at a nearby school shortly after the attack, and his older brother is in prison for his involvement in a plot to carry out an Islamic militant attack.
French President Emmanuel Macron visited the school on the 13th to express condolences and condemned the incident as “barbaric Islamic terrorism.” He said security officials foiled other attacks that would have occurred elsewhere. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said the incident was “related to what is happening between Israel and Hamas in the Middle East.”
The French government held an emergency security meeting chaired by President Macron this afternoon and raised the security alert to the highest level, ’emergency attack’. It was also announced that 10,000 people, including police, military police, and soldiers, would be mobilized and deployed mainly to mosques and other places.
This incident occurred three days before the third anniversary (16th) of the 2020 incident in which Samuel Fathi, a history and geography teacher, was beheaded to death by a teenager after showing cartoons featuring the Islamic prophet Muhammad to students.
Analysis suggests that the reason extreme terrorist incidents continue in France is because the conflict between Israel and Muslims is relatively more acute than in other European countries. France is the country with the second largest Jewish population after Israel and the United States, and is also the country with the largest population of Muslims in Western Europe.
Louvre ParkTemporary closure of water pipe On the 14th, when a terrorist threat was received against the world-famous Louvre Museum and Palace of Versailles in France, police responded to the Louvre Museum and evacuated visitors and employees. Both locations were temporarily closed on this day. After the Middle East war triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel, fear of terrorism is spreading throughout Europe. Paris = AP NewsisThe risk of terrorism has spread to famous tourist destinations where people flock. On the 14th, a danger signal was detected that an explosive had been planted at the Palace of Versailles, so visitors were urgently evacuated and palace operations were suspended.
According to Reuters, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunnack said on the 13th, “There has been a disgusting increase in anti-Semitic incidents.” The London police announced on the 7th that 105 anti-Semitic incidents occurred between September 29 and October 12, around the start of the Middle East war, a 7.5-fold increase from the same period last year (14 cases). The London Police deployed more than 1,000 police officers to the ‘March for Palestine’ held in central London on the 14th.
Protests in support of Palestine are also taking place throughout Europe, including France, the UK, and Germany. In response, far-right Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán warned on public radio on the 13th, “We will not allow any gatherings supporting the ‘terrorist organization (Hamas)’.”
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.