Terrorism expert Felipe Pathé Duarte believes that the current conflict between Hamas and Israel in the Middle East could cross borders and cause an increase in terrorist attacks in Europe.
“We may once again see an increase in the number of attacks in the name of jihadism. But why do I say that this is a turning point? Because global jihadism, represented by Daesh or Al-Qaeda, has never managed to come close actually to Hamas or possibly Palestinian Jihad, who saw their jihad from a more local perspective. Now, following the call made by the Hamas leader and taking into account the escalation of violence, it is possible that Hamas and jihadist groups close to Palestine They will open their doors, their glasses and eventually they will begin to consider and reflect on the attacks, but on a global level,” he explains to TSF Professor at the Faculty of Law of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa.
Unity around the Palestinian cause in the Arab world can place the conflict on a global level: “The Palestinian cause has always been a common cause in the Arab or Islamic world and in particular among all jihadists, whether jihadists operating locally or jihadists seeking global action. Given what is happening, the likelihood that locals and globals will find this cause a reason for violent action is very high and this will mean that we will eventually enter a tipping point and pass, especially here in the European space, perhaps having a reality very similar to that of 2015 or 2016.”
Felipe Pathé Duarte warns that a hypothetical end to the current armed conflict between the Palestinian organization and the State of Israel does not mean that hostilities will cease.
“Even if the military operation ends, the conflict will not end and, therefore, none of the solutions that could be presented after a military invasion or a military intervention, none of them point to serenity. On the other hand, we have to consider the mimetic effect of this type of actions. Furthermore, this serves as a cause that legitimizes violent action from the perspective of a jihadist or someone who has gone to extremes,” he considers.
Regarding Iran, a party that supports the Palestinian cause against Israel, the terrorism expert believes that it will not act in the same way as Al Qaeda or Daesh.
“As for the Shia reality, maybe things don’t work in this organic way, let’s call it that, because in the Shia reality, for all intents and purposes, there is political representation through the constitutional theocracy, which is Iran. Therefore , “This possibility of someone acting on inspiration may not be so likely in the Shiite world. What could eventually happen is that the Iranian regime uses its representatives, controlled by it, to be able to unleash several small fronts and cause unrest and chaos not only in some areas of Europe, but fundamentally in the countries around Israel,” says Felipe Pathé Duarte.
Source: TSF
