"The Magdeburg terror attack also poses challenges to researchers studying violent extremism. According to German terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler, the case demonstrates that alongside the classic categories of Islamic extremism, right-wing extremism, and left-wing extremism, there is now a new category: individuals who create their own ideological, personalized narratives."

" Internal security was already polarizing the political debate, but it became central after the car-ramming attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg, in northeastern Germany, on Friday, December 20, 2024. Very quickly, far-right circles reacted "with very Islamophobic posts,"  Hans-Jakob Schindler, director of the Counter Extremism Project think tank, told Ouest-France.”"

""The balancing act was not perfect, but doing it any other way than it has been done so far would have been difficult," said Hans-Jakob Schindler, Middle East expert at the Counter Extremism Project (CEP).

The entire European Union substantially reduced its involvement in the Middle East conflict many years ago, and Schindler notes that since October 7, the EU and Germany have had "hardly any weight in the talks, when it came to the decisions." "So it was really an American-Israeli dialogue, and the Europeans were — at most — spectators, offering comments from the sidelines," he told DW."

"There has been “zero” contrition from those on the right who sought to capitalize on the incident, said Hans-Jakob Schindler, the senior director of the Counter Extremism Project, a nonprofit international group focused on radical ideologies."

"There has been “zero” contrition from those on the right who sought to capitalize on the incident, said Hans-Jakob Schindler, the senior director of the Counter Extremism Project, a nonprofit international group focused on radical ideologies."

“Extremism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler says, while the perpetrator of the German Christmas market attack had been uniquely radicalised, they have been becoming more common since COVID-19.”

"Hans-Jakob Schindler, extremism and terrorism expert from the Counter Extremism Project, told ZDF that he was surprised by the scale of the alleged attack in Magdeburg. There must have been a gap in the Christmas market's physical security concept. The entire area should have been cordoned off so that "nothing could get through," he said. "That should no longer be possible at all."  Since the attack on the Christmas market at Berlin's Breitscheidplatz on December 19, 2016, many Christmas markets, especially in larger cities, have been secured with massive bollards or concrete blocks. At the time, an Islamist drove a truck loaded with around 25 tons of structural steel into a crowd. 13 people were killed. The perpetrator was initially able to escape and was later shot dead during a routine police check in northern Italy. The terrorist militia "Islamic State" claimed responsibility for the attack”"

"Hans Jakob Schindler, senior director at the Counter Terrorism Project, said the party is trying to take advantage of the attack for electoral gain in February 2025.

The AfD and other far-right European politicians have been quick to jump on reports the suspect was an immigrant."

CEP Senior Director quoted: "According to a report in The Guardian, Hans-Jakob Schindler, a terrorist expert, told German media, "In the first instance it's a surprise that a vehicle of that size was able to drive onto a Christmas market in Germany.""