Eye on Extremism
January 28, 2025
Associated Press: Palestinians Celebrate Their Return To Northern Gaza After 15 Months Of War
“Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians streamed into Gaza’s most heavily destroyed area on Monday after Israel opened the north for the first time since the early weeks of the war with Hamas, a dramatic reversal of their exodus 15 months ago. As a fragile ceasefire held into a second week, Israel was told by Hamas that eight of the hostages to be freed during the deal’s first phase are dead. Joyous crowds of Palestinians, some holding babies or pushing wheelchairs, walked along a seaside road all day and into the night, carrying bedrolls, bottles of water and other belongings. Armed and masked Hamas fighters flashed a victory sign. The crowd was watched over by Israeli tanks on a nearby hill.”
The New York Times: Russian Envoys Arrive In Syria For First Time Since Al-Assad Fell
“A top Russian delegation arrived in Damascus on Tuesday for the first time since the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government last month, as Russia looks to negotiate the future of its military bases in Syria with the country’s new leadership. Among the diplomats to arrive in the Syrian capital on Tuesday were Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Mikhail Bogdanov, who oversees Middle Eastern affairs, and the special presidential envoy to Syria, Aleksandr Lavrentiev, the Russian state news agency TASS reported. The Syrian rebels who toppled Mr. al-Assad last month fought for years against government forces backed by Russia, but their interim leader has suggested he wants to continue Syria’s relationship with Moscow, given the historical linkages and overlapping geopolitical interests.”
CEP Mentions
AlterNet: 'Swift Action': Neo-Nazis View Trump Presidency As Chance To 'Tear Down Anything Leftist'
“... Joshua Fisher-Birch of the Counter Extremism Project told The Guardian, "These groups see the next four years as a mix of positives and negatives but overall, as an opportunity to enlarge their movement. Extreme-right groups are focusing on mass deportations and seeking to win over potential recruits by concentrating on this issue." Makuch notes, however, that neo-Nazis are deeply suspicious of the federal government and view Trump as a "race traitor" because he has Jewish grandchildren. The president's daughter, Ivanka Trump, was raised Presbyterian but is a convert to Judaism, and her husband, Jared Kushner, is Jewish.”
The Pinnacle Gazette: Global Leaders Unite Against Antisemitism On Holocaust Remembrance Day
“... This year's observance also saw the introduction of new initiatives aimed at combating antisemitism, including plans for the former villa of Rudolf Höß, the Auschwitz commandant, to be transformed. This educational center is supported by international organizations, including UNESCO and the Counter Extremism Project, highlighting the organized response to rising intolerance. Pope Francis also lent his voice to the cause, stating, "We must all work together to eliminate the plague of antisemitism," during his address on social media, reinforcing the notion of collective action against hate and the continued education about the Holocaust.”
Firstpost: Inside The Auschwitz Commandant’s House, Now Dedicated To Fighting Hate
“... Acquired by the US-based Counter Extremism Project (CEP), the villa at 88 Legionow Street will soon reopen as the Auschwitz Center on Hate, Extremism, and Radicalization. This initiative, launched in collaboration with the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and under UNESCO’s patronage, aims to combat extremism and honour the memory of the Holocaust victims. “The idea behind the project is to create something that doesn’t exist—a global centre to fight extremism in the house of one of the historically worst extremists and antisemites that ever existed,” said Hans Jakob Schindler, the senior director of CEP, told CNN.”
The Times Of Israel: New Auschwitz Research Center To Bring Music To Notorious Nazi’s Reclaimed Home
“... The house, once a luxurious “paradise” where the longest-serving commandant of Auschwitz lived from 1940 to 1944, is being converted into a research center fighting against antisemitism and extremism, and operated by the non-profit organization Counter Extremism Project (CEP). CEP purchased the massive property recently, and the rooms are still bare, save for several displays arranged around the house. Journalists walk quietly through the rooms, reading stories on the walls and speaking with representatives.”
Smithsonian Magazine: Survivors And World Leaders Gather To Commemorate 80th Anniversary Of Auschwitz Liberation
“Between 1940 and 1945, Nazi troops murdered an estimated 1.1 million people at Auschwitz in southern Poland. The majority of the victims were Jews, though tens of thousands of Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war and victims of other nationalities also perished… Also on Monday, the former home of Auschwitz’s Nazi leader, Rudolf Höss, opened to the public. The house, which was featured in the film The Zone of Interest, is adjacent to the former death camp. It was purchased by the Counter Extremism Project, an international organization that aims to fight extremism and antisemitism. “This house has been closed off for 80 years to humanity,” said Mark Wallace, the group’s CEO and the former American ambassador to the United Nations, to the London Times’ Magnus Linklater.”
Independent: What Really Happened Inside The Home Of The Monster Of Auschwitz
“Downstairs, there was a kitchen. Then there was a living room; there was a dining room, a guest room, I think. On the second floor, there were all the bedrooms.” This is Brigitte Hoess talking. Her voice, in a raspy German accent, is giving me a tour of her childhood house. This was not just any house. It is the villa where the commandant of Auschwitz Rudolf Hoess lived with his wife and five children – including Brigitte, who lived there until she was 11 years old… Over the past few years, an American non-profit organisation called the Counter Extremism Project has been negotiating with its Polish owner. In 2024, it was finally able to complete the purchase to open it to the public. The project has the support of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, Unesco and the Polish Foreign Ministry.”
The Mirror: Inside Nazi House Of Horrors Where Auschwitz’s Commandant Lived Near Mass Killings
“This seemingly ordinary house next door serves as a chilling reminder of "just how close heaven can be to hell on earth." The former residence of the world's most notorious mass murderer, Rudolf Hoss - who served as the commandant of Auschwitz - has been opened to the public for the first time since World War II… The Counter Extremism Project has purchased a house with a dark past from a Polish family who had resided there before and after the war, even when it was seized by the Nazis. The family finally agreed to sell due to the constant intrusion of tourists peering into their windows, a consequence of the house being featured in the powerful Oscar-nominated film 'Zone Of Interest'. The Auschwitz museum is collaborating with the CEO to utilize this unassuming home as a stark reminder that evil can lurk anywhere, even next door. This monstrous father would take breaks from his horrific acts during World War II to engage in mundane activities like gardening and swimming.”
The Canadian Press: Auschwitz Survivors Fear Rising Hate Could Bring On Another Holocaust 80 Years Later
“As she prepared to return to Auschwitz-Birkenau on Monday, Miriam Ziegler vividly recalled how it felt to be a little girl orphaned by the Nazis and left alone in a world ruined by war. Eighty years after the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp, the 89-year-old Ziegler said Monday the rising tide of "hatred" around the world makes her fear that history might be ready to repeat itself. "I'm afraid that it can happen again. For my children, for my grandchildren," she said. "I was lucky enough to survive…" The house was purchased recently by the Counter Extremism Project and turned into the Auschwitz Research Center on Hate, Extremism, and Radicalization.”
Toronto Star: Anti-Extremism Center Opens In Former House Of Auschwitz Commandant Rudolf Höss
“A U.S.-based organization is transforming the house of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss into a research center devoted to fighting extremism, and is introducing it to the public on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on Monday. The house, which belonged to a Polish military family before Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland, lies next to the site of the former death camp, now the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. “My dream, and those of our colleagues, is that every visitor, every fellow, every academic that comes here takes action to fight extremism and antisemitism wherever they come from,” said Mark Wallace, the CEO of the Counter Extremism Project.”
United States
NBC News: Pennsylvania Teacher Accused Of Calling Muslim Student A 'Terrorist' Is Put On Leave
“A Pennsylvania middle school teacher has been placed on administrative leave, accused of calling a Muslim seventh grader a “terrorist.” The incident is alleged to have taken place Jan. 16 at Central Dauphin Middle School in Harrisburg after the student asked the teacher to change seats, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a civil rights group, said in a news release. “I do not negotiate with terrorists,” the teacher told the student, according to CAIR, which described the student as Palestinian Lebanese American.”
CBS: Neo-Nazi Leader On Trial In Maryland For Alleged Terrorist Plot To Destroy Baltimore-Area Power Grid
“A Florida man is heading to trial in Maryland on Monday for an alleged terrorist plot to destroy the power grid in the Baltimore region. The trial began with jury selection. On Monday, more than 27 jurors were chosen to sit on the 36-member body. Court is adjourned until Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 9:15 a.m. According to court documents, Brandon Clint Russell of Orlando, Fla., planned to carry out attacks against electrical substations between 2022 and 2023 in furtherance of his neo-Nazi beliefs. Russell encouraged using Mylar or foil balloons to short out a power transformer.”
Iraq
Fox News: A Weakened Iran Has Iraq Looking To Curb Tehran-Backed Extremists In Country
“With Iranian influence waning in the Middle East, the Iraqi government wants armed groups, including factions within the Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), to lay down their arms and join the state security forces or integrate into the state-recognized Popular Mobilization Forces. Iraq’s foreign minister, Fuad Hussein, recently told Reuters that armed groups operating inside Iraq and outside state control are unacceptable. "Many political leaders, many political parties started to raise a discussion, and I hope that we can convince the leaders of these groups to lay down their arms, and then to be part of the armed forces under the responsibility of the government," Hussein told Reuters.”
Afghanistan
Voice Of America: Taliban Caution US Against Bounty Threats Over Alleged American Detainees
“A diplomat from Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban cautioned the United States on Monday against threatening retaliatory measures in response to detentions of U.S. nationals in the country. “Our policy is to reach a solution through peaceful means,” Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban ambassador to Qatar, told VOA in written remarks. He spoke two days after the new U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio threatened that Washington may place a “very big bounty” on Taliban leaders, suggesting they might hold more American hostages in the country than previously known.”
Pakistan
Associated Press: 2 Soldiers, 5 Militants Killed In Southwest Pakistan During Attack On Security Post
“A group of militants attacked a security post in southwest Pakistan, triggering an intense shootout in which two soldiers and five insurgents were killed, military and local officials said on Tuesday. The overnight attack happened in Qila Abdullah, a district in Balochistan province, the military said in a statement. It said the attempt by insurgents to enter the post was foiled, and the attackers then rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a perimeter wall. The military said that the troops responded bravely and killed the attackers, who the military referred to as “khwarij,” a phrase which the government uses for Pakistani Taliban. Two suicide bombers were also among the five attackers, it said.”
Lebanon
The New York Times: Lebanon Faces A Colossal Disposal Task: Clearing War Debris
“For the past three months, Ahmad Mehdi has been living in half a home. In October, an Israeli airstrike on the building next to his in a neighborhood south of Beirut blew out most of the kitchen and living room of his fifth-floor apartment. When he looks at what remains of the building next door, he is overwhelmed by the scale of destruction. “Eleven floors worth of rubble have collapsed into two,” he said. “All you see are rocks and dirt and steel and bits of iron.” Like many Lebanese whose homes and businesses suffered damage during more than a year of war between Israel and Hezbollah, Mr. Mehdi, 20, and his family are eager to start repairs, but they cannot do much until the rubble is cleared.”
Mali
Bloomberg: Barrick and Mali Resume Talks on Ending Dispute Over Gold Mine
“Barrick Gold Corp. and Mali are set to resume talks on resolving a monthslong dispute over the distribution of revenue from one of the world’s biggest gold mines. Negotiations between representatives of the government and the world’s second-biggest gold producer will restart after mediation by the National Workers Union of Mali, according to people familiar with the discussions who asked not to be identified because they’re not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. The Secretary-General of the Economy and Finance Ministry Abdoulaye Traore did not respond to telephone calls and a text message seeking comment. A Barrick spokesperson wasn’t immediately able to comment when reached by phone.”
Africa
Jewish News Syndicate: SA Chief Rabbi Brings In Counter-Terrorism Task Force To Investigate Attack
“The chief rabbi of South Africa has invited an international counter- terrorism task force to assist in the investigation of a recent attack on a Jewish center in Cape Town. The move comes after an explosive device was thrown into the Jewish community center in Cape Town last month on the very day a synagogue was toched in Australia and amid a wave of antisemitic attacks around the globe. “Although we are now on the front lines, the threat both against our communities as well as against Christian communities is both regional, continental and global,” Rabbi Warren Goldstein told JNS on Tuesday.”
United Kingdom
The Guardian: Misogyny Identified As Breeding Ground For Extremism In UK, Says Leaked Report
“Hindu nationalism, misogyny and the “manosphere” have been identified as breeding grounds for extremism in a leaked report commissioned by Yvette Cooper after last summer’s riots. The home secretary’s “rapid analytical sprint” also dismissed claims of “two-tier policing” as a “rightwing extremist narrative”. It argued that the authorities should adopt a “behaviour-based and ideologically agnostic approach” to clamping down on extremism rather than focus resources primarily on “ideologies of concern”. The report, which was leaked to the right-leaning thinktank Policy Exchange, comes amid deepening scrutiny of the government’s approach to extremism.”
BBC: Ministers Reject Call To Widen Extremism Definition
“Ministers have rejected civil servant advice to widen the definition of extremism to include potentially violent environmentalists, the far left, conspiracy theorists and men prejudiced against women. It comes after parts of a report - commissioned by the Home Office last summer - were leaked to the right-leaning Policy Exchange think tank, which criticised the recommendations. Home Office minister Dan Jarvis said the government "rejected this advice" adding: "Islamist extremism followed by far-right extremism are the biggest threats we face." Asked about the report, Keir Starmer said his government was "looking carefully" at how it addresses extremism.”
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