Why Europe’s foiled Hamas plot is a warning for Canada

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In recent weeks, German authorities, working with partners across Europe and with crucial Israeli intelligence support, have foiled a sophisticated Hamas-linked plot to carry out targeted killings against Jewish and Israeli civilians in Berlin and other cities. Five suspects were arrested in Germany, Denmark, Great Britain and on the border with the Czech Republic. Weapons included AK-47eight Glock pistols and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

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No attack occurred. Prevention was successful because democracies took the threat seriously, cooperated closely and did not hesitate to share intelligence, including with Israel, whose early warning was indispensable. But precisely because the operation was disrupted, it is easy to lose sight of what it says about the rise of extremism in the West and why countries like Canada should learn its lessons now.

A Bold Lesson for Canada: Hamas Expands Global Operations

First, Hamas's ambitions are no longer limited to the Middle East. Since the mass casualty attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Hamas has shifted toward a more global stance that includes precision operations abroad targeting Jewish civilians. The Berlin plot appears to have been coordinated from Gaza or Lebanon and prepared over several months. Her goals were not random. The cell conducted reconnaissance of synagogues during services, Israeli cultural and social events, and diplomatic trips.

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Attacking Jewish civilians abroad is a calculated strategy: it spreads the conflict into Western societies while exploiting their internal divisions. It is also a way to test whether democracies still have enough moral clarity to protect vulnerable minorities when it becomes politically inconvenient.

Canada's security vulnerabilities are growing

This brings us to the second lesson. The suspects in Germany were a mix of permanent residents, naturalized citizens and temporary operatives who moved around Europe on legal travel documents. Their immigration history in itself is not unusual. That's exactly the point. Terrorist groups exploit the openness, trust, and legal predictability of democratic societies—not because immigration is a problem, but because democratic systems are built on the assumption that people enter and reside in good faith.

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Europe's Schengen area, with its internal borderless regime, creates additional mobility that Canada does not have, and it is important not to overstate this comparison. But Canada faces its own vulnerabilities, and significant ones at that. Our immigration system is under pressure that makes screening, enforcement and removals inadequate for the times in which we live. Extremist narratives are firmly established across the country: on college campuses, at rallies, online, and increasingly in mainstream political discourse.

Domestic radicalization is accelerating, and recent court decisions have made it more difficult, rather than easier, for authorities to respond when individuals pose a security risk. These are not abstract problems. These are new features of Canada's security landscape.

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Western intelligence systems face structural weaknesses

The arrests in Berlin also highlight deeper structural problems that are common to Western security systems. Fragmented intelligence sharing, overburdened watchlists, outdated legal frameworks, and fragmented police and immigration agencies make it difficult to identify fast-growing extremist networks. Social media is amplifying propaganda at a rate that states find it difficult to cope with. Courts in many democracies, including Canada, have narrowed the tools available to respond to national security impermissibility.

These restrictions do not eliminate the threat; they make early detection and collaboration even more important.

Canada can't rely on geography or luck

This leads to the third and most important lesson for Canada. Geography has protected us before, but geography is not a security strategy. We are not Europe, and we do not have the same exposure to cross-border movement, but we face our own risks: a rise in anti-Semitism, a post-October 7 surge in extremist rhetoric, a rise in radicalization in major cities, and repeated security breaches targeting Jewish institutions.

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If Hamas moves to global operations, the question for Canada is not whether we will be next, but whether we will treat a situation close to Europe's success as a warning rather than a distant event.

Canada must strengthen intelligence cooperation with Israel

A tragedy in Germany was averted by a combination of proactive policing, the pooling of intelligence from several states, and a willingness to work closely with Israel, one of the few players with a deep understanding of Hamas' structures and intentions.

Canada should strengthen the partnerships that made this disruption possible, not shy away from them. We also need to improve coordination between CSIS, RCMP and CBSA; modernize our approach to extremist radicalization; and to ensure that Jewish institutions receive the protection they need without hesitation or controversy.

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When hate groups make Jewish communities the center of their attacks, they signal their broader goals: undermining the social contract that underpins democratic societies.

A thwarted plot is not a reassurance, but a warning.

The Berlin plot was stopped. For this, Europe – and all democracies – owe a debt to the officers and analysts who acted quickly, and to the intelligence partners who sounded the alarm. But the thwarted attack is no consolation; this is a reminder.

This time the prevention worked. This will only work again if countries like Canada understand the message: safety is not guaranteed by distance, luck or optimism. This is guaranteed through vigilance, cooperation and an unequivocal commitment to protecting those extremists who most want to harm.

– Cheryl Saperia is the CEO of Secure Canada, a non-profit organization dedicated to combating terrorism, extremism and related threats to national security. Chas W. Parsons is a former assistant commissioner of the RCMP and former director general of national security.

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