Email from Counter Extremism Project (CEP) How Syrian attackers killed: One hand on the gun, another on the camera Eye on Extremism July 29, 2025 Top Stories New York Times: Gunman Fatally Shoots Officer and 3 Others in Midtown Manhattan Office Tower A gunman armed with an assault-style rifle walked into a Midtown Manhattan skyscraper on Monday evening and began firing, killing a New York City police officer, fatally shooting three other people and critically wounding a fifth before killing himself, officials said. Three of the four people killed were shot in the building’s lobby as the gunman sprayed the area with bullets, Jessica Tisch, the police commissioner, said at a news conference. The fourth was killed on an upper floor after the gunman took the elevator there, Ms. Tisch said. He then shot himself in the chest, she said. Reuters: How Syrian attackers killed: One hand on the gun, another on the camera The videos provide some of the most detailed depictions yet of the bloodshed that erupted in Sweida province in mid-July, initially between local Druze militia and Bedouin tribal fighters and subsequently government forces sent to restore order. The violence killed hundreds of mostly Druze people, according to Reuters reporting and two monitoring groups. Reuters was able to use visible landmarks in each video to geo-locate the incidents. The events depicted and their dates were verified through interviews with seven relatives and friends of the victims. All said they believed Syrian government forces killed their loved ones. CEP Webinar: "Back to the 90's? New Neo-Nazi Youth Groups in Germany and Poland" On July 17, 2025, CEP hosted a webinar examining the new neo-Nazi youth formations that have emerged across Germany and Poland. CEP Senior Advisor Alexander Ritzmann gave a presentation on the extreme-right (youth) strategies and developments in Germany. View "The New Neo-Nazi Youth Scene in Germany" here. Further reading: "Party, Brawls, and Posts: The New Neo-Nazi Youth Scene in Germany" CEP Mentions Medium: ARCHER at House 88: From the Heart of Darkness to a Beacon of Light I was at 88 Legionów Street because, with the help of Dr. Thomas Kaplan and the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) — founded and led by my friend Ambassador Mark Wallace — I had helped to acquire the house. In doing so, our purpose was to turn this place of darkness into something radically different: a light in the fight against modern hatred. And that is exactly what we did. The house is now the Auschwitz Research Center on Hate, Extremism, and Radicalization — ARCHER at House 88. Jewish News Syndicate: The Muslim Brotherhood: A terrorist organization the US must designate as such According to the Counter Extremism Project, a nonprofit international policy organization working to combat the growing threat exposed by extremist ideologies: “Before ascending to the highest positions of ISIS and Al-Qaeda, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Osama bin Laden, and Ayman Zawahiri belonged to a common ideological precursor, the Muslim Brotherhood. Analysis GNET: Behind Canadian Armed Forces Members’ Plot to Form a Militia and Seize Land On 8 July 2025, three men in Quebec, Canada, were arrested and charged with facilitating terrorist activity, and a fourth was charged with weapons offences. According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the men plotted to “forcibly take possession of land” near Quebec City. They sought to establish a new society and build an anti-government militia. The activity is alleged to have taken place between 2021 and 2024. Media reports indicate that the plot was first uncovered by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), which informed the RCMP, a federal police force responsible for most terrorism investigations in Canada. United States New York Times: Harvard Is Said to Be Open to Spending Up to $500 Million to Resolve Trump Dispute Harvard University has signaled a willingness to meet the Trump administration’s demand to spend as much as $500 million to end its dispute with the White House as talks between the two sides intensify, four people familiar with the negotiations said. The sum sought by the government, which recently accused Harvard of civil rights violations, is more than twice as much as the $200 million fine that Columbia University said it would pay when it settled antisemitism claims with the White House last week. Neither Harvard nor the government has publicly detailed potential terms for a settlement and what allegations the money would be intended to resolve. Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Regina Spektor responds to pro-Palestinian protester at concert: ‘You’re just yelling at a Jew’ Jewish singer-songwriter Regina Spektor shot back at a pro-Palestinian protester who interrupted her concert Saturday night, telling the protester, “You’re just yelling at a Jew.” Later, she engaged in a back and forth with another audience member about the hunger crisis in Gaza, in a dramatic example of how deeply Israel’s war in Gaza is interceding in the public consciousness and shaping the experience of Jews. PBS News Hour: A look at ‘Project Esther’ and Trump’s approach to combat antisemitism on campus The Trump administration has launched investigations into colleges and universities. The White House accuses the schools of not doing enough to combat antisemitism on campus. Last week, Columbia University settled with the administration in a major deal that could be a blueprint for battles with other schools. Ali Rogin looked into one of the key players behind the administration's approach. Jewish News Syndicate: Harvard may agree to $500m settlement with Trump admin Days after Columbia University agreed to a $221 million settlement with the Trump administration over Jew-hatred on campus, Harvard University is reportedly weighing an agreement more than twice as rich: $500 million, according to news reports. Two sources told the New York Post about the figure, and The New York Times reported that Harvard has “signaled a willingness” to pay half a billion dollars, although it’s “reluctant to directly pay the federal government.” (JNS sought comment from Harvard.) Axios: Boulder council rift widens over antisemitism row Two Boulder City councilmembers on Monday accused their colleague, Taishya Adams, of antisemitism over her recent social media posts. New York Post: Neo-Nazi who live streamed fake bomb threats to Jewish hospitals in NYC and Long Island learns his fate A Oregon antisemite has been sentenced to five years in prison for phoning in phony bomb threats to Jewish hospitals on Long Island and livestreaming the chaos as it unfolded, federal prosecutors said. Domagoj Patkovic, 31, terrorized medical workers and patients during a months-long spree in 2021, calling in threats to Jewish health care facilities in Nassau County and across the Big Apple — falsely claiming he had planted C-4 explosives throughout their buildings. Canada New York Post: Muslim Brotherhood’s ‘grand jihad’ is growing— just over the US border In a chilling internal memo, the Muslim Brotherhood laid out its long-term strategy to conquer North America through what it called a “civilization-jihadist process” aimed at “sabotaging” and “eliminating and destroying Western civilization from within.” The detailed 18-page document, written in 1991, surfaced in 2007 during the Holy Land Foundation trial — the largest terrorism financing case in US history. More than three decades later, the Brotherhood’s strategy is no longer theoretical. It is materializing just north of the US border in Canada. In Canada, though, these realities are almost entirely absent from public conversation or debate. Ecuador Reuters: Gunmen kill 17 in mass shooting at Ecuador small-town bar Gunmen killed at least 17 people and injured 11 more in an attack on a bar in Ecuador's coastal Guayas province, the country's attorney general's office said on Monday, saying it was investigating the incident. The attorney's office said more than 40 pieces of ballistic evidence were recovered at the scene. Images shared by local media showed bodies lying on the ground, some covered in white sheets. Austria Jerusalem Post: Austrian restaurants, camps refuse Israelis; Pro-Palestinian activists interrupt Salzburg festival Austria has seen a spate of antisemitic and anti-Israel incidents over the last few days, including barring of Israelis from restaurants and campsites and the pre-Palestine hijacking of a music concert. On Saturday, six pro-Palestine activists disrupted the speech of Vice-Chancellor Andres Babler during the opening of the Salzburg Festival and shouted "Blood on your hands!" The incident raised significant questions about the event's security, given the six protesters were wearing fake staff IDs and were able to enter easily. Finland Jewish News Syndicate: Finnish researcher says Israel seeking ‘final solution’ in Gaza The head of a state-funded research institute in Finland accused Israel on television of seeking a “final solution” against Palestinians through “annihilation” in “concentration camps,” prompting local Jews and others to accuse her of spreading antisemitism. Susanne Dahlgren, director of the Finnish Institute in the Middle East, spoke last week with Finland’s public broadcaster YLe, where she was interviewed about Israel’s actions in Gaza. France Jewish News Syndicate: Netanyahu’s French lawyer allegedly targeted for assassination The Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office said on Monday it had opened an investigation into claims by high-profile French lawyer Olivier Pardo that there was a contract on his head for defending Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Pardo, 66, told French authorities that a former convict, Rudy Terranova, claimed to have been approached by Hezbollah operatives in Senegal. The Lebanese-based terror group wanted to kill Pardo for his work for the Israeli prime minister, against whom the International Criminal Court (ICC) at the Hague has issued an arrest warrant. Germany ARD: Indictment after attack at the Holocaust memorial in Berlin Following the knife attack on a Spanish tourist in the field of stelae at the Holocaust memorial in Berlin in February, the federal prosecutor's office has brought charges against the alleged perpetrator. The Karlsruhe authority accuses the Syrian of attempted murder, grievous bodily harm and attempted membership of a terrorist organization. The State Security Senate of the Berlin Court of Appeal must now decide whether and when the trial will take place. According to the authorities, the accused shares the ideology of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist militia. Shortly before the crime, he is said to have sent a photo of himself to members of IS via a messenger service to give the organization the opportunity to claim responsibility for the crime. B.Z.: Magdeburg assassin writes letters of mockery to his victims In December 2024, Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen (50) drove a BMW into the middle of the crowd at the Christmas market, killing six visitors, including a nine-year-old child, and injuring more than 300. Now the driver of death is writing letters to his victims. The man from Saudi Arabia is in custody in Berlin. Despite this, he has written to at least five survivors of the attack in recent weeks. In the lined, A4-sized letter, the assassin asks for forgiveness. He also hopes that the recipient, whom he addresses by name, will be well again. At the same time, he makes confused and derogatory remarks about Saudi asylum seekers who are allegedly threatened with death. He had already spread these and other disturbing statements on social networks before his crime. Netherlands Associated Press: Netherlands bans far-right Israeli ministers as EU considers sanctions over Gaza The Netherlands has banned two far-right Israeli ministers from entering the country and the European Union has proposed suspending Israel from a lucrative tech investment program as frustration mounts over worsening conditions in Gaza. The ban targets hard-line National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, key partners in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition. Poland Reuters: Poland says Russian secret service hired Colombian for arson attacks A Colombian national acting on behalf of Russian intelligence carried out two arson attacks in Poland last year, before setting fire to a bus depot in the Czech Republic, the Polish Internal Security Agency (ABW) said on Tuesday. ABW said the 27-year-old suspect set fire to two construction supply depots in Poland in May 2024 on orders from the Russians as part of a hybrid warfare campaign. United Kingdom Reuters: Britain tries to tackle youth knife crime crisis A year after one of Britain's most harrowing knife attacks, the government is urging young people to drop off bladed weapons at "amnesty" bins or mobile vans in a month-long campaign - part of efforts to control knife-related violence, particularly when it involves youths. On July 29, 2024, teenager Axel Rudakubana, who was obsessed with violence and genocide, attacked a Taylor Swift-themed children's dance event in the northern English town of Southport, killing three girls and stabbing 10 other people. Associated Press: A year after anti-immigrant riots in Britain, many worry it could happen again The killing of three girls at a summer dance class in England a year ago Tuesday, by a teenager misidentified as a migrant, triggered days of street violence directed at newcomers and minorities. In the aftermath, communities came together to clear up the physical damage — but repairing the country’s social fabric is harder. Experts and community groups warn that the mix of anger, fear, misinformation and political agitating that fueled the violence remains. In recent weeks it has bubbled over again on the streets of Epping, near London. The Guardian: Jewish leaders urge Edinburgh University to uphold antisemitism definition Jewish leaders have urged the University of Edinburgh to uphold a controversial definition of antisemitism after the institution revealed it was reviewing its support for it. The university said on Sunday it could unadopt the internationally recognised definition written by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), which its critics argue restricts freedom of speech on Israel and Palestine. The Guardian: Police seek Tommy Robinson after alleged assault at London station Police investigating an alleged assault of a man at a London train station are hunting for the far-right activist Tommy Robinson, who is understood to have taken a flight out of Britain shortly after video was put online showing him near the injured man. The video shows Robinson claiming the man had attacked him, and was filmed at London St Pancras station where he had been leafleting earlier in the day. Robinson is 42 and originally from Luton. Afghanistan Afghanistan International: Taliban Flog Five, Including Woman, Over Morality Charges The Taliban’s judicial authorities announced Tuesday that five individuals, including a woman, have been sentenced to 39 lashes each for offences described as “adultery, sodomy, and illicit relations.” According to a statement from the Taliban court, the woman, convicted of “illicit relations,” also received a one-year prison sentence. Two men in Badakhshan province were reportedly convicted of “sexual relations outside marriage,” while two men in Kabul were found guilty of “same-sex relations.” Afghanistan International: Taliban Leader Allocates One Million Acres Of Land To Group Companies The Taliban’s Directorate of Emirati Companies announced that leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has issued a decree allocating more than one million acres of land to Taliban-linked companies. The land is intended for agricultural and commercial development. The announcement was made during a press conference titled “One-Year Achievements of Emirati Administrations.” Officials did not disclose the specific locations of the allocated land or clarify whether it had previously been under state or private ownership. Iran Iran International: West uses nuclear issue as pretext for hostility towards Iran, Khamenei says Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday that Western powers, led by the United States, are using Tehran’s nuclear program as an excuse for confrontation with the Islamic Republic. “The nuclear issue, uranium enrichment, and human rights are just excuses,” Khamenei said during a ceremony marking the 40th day after the deaths of Iranian military commanders and scientists killed during a recent 12-day conflict with Israel. “Their real problem is Iran’s religion, knowledge, and national unity under the banner of Islam and the Quran.” Iraq Naharnet: Iraq's prime minister seeks closer US ties while keeping armed groups at bay The prime minister of Iraq has kept his country on the sidelines as military conflicts raged nearby for almost two years. This required balancing Iraq's relations with two countries vital to his power and enemies with each other: the U.S. and Iran. The feat became especially difficult last month when war broke out between Israel, a U.S. ally, and Iran — and the U.S. struck Iranian nuclear sites. Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said he used a mix of political and military pressure to stop armed groups aligned with Iran from entering the fray. Iran International: Iraq prevented 29 attacks by Iran-aligned militias amid Israel-Iran war, PM says Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said that his government thwarted 29 attempted missile and drone attacks by Iran-aligned armed groups during the height of the war between Israel and Iran. In an interview with the Associated Press published Tuesday, al-Sudani said the attacks were aimed at Israel and US military bases inside Iraq. Israel Jerusalem Post: 'No choice but to expand Gaza op.' if talks continue to stall, source tells 'Post' Israel will consider expanding its military operation in Gaza if talks continue to stall, an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post on Monday. "If there's no advance in the talks - there will be no choice but to expand the military operation," the source said. The military presented alternative operational plans for Gaza to the small cabinet meeting, which ended without any conclusions, according to two Israeli sources who spoke to the Post. According to an Israeli source, the prime minister is currently waiting for two things: the possibility that Hamas may still show flexibility in the hostage negotiations, and the upcoming meetings in Washington, where Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi are expected to hold talks with senior Trump administration officials about the war in Gaza. Jewish News Syndicate: Netanyahu: Hamas, Houthis last hurdles to defeat of Iran’s terror axis Iran’s plan for Israel’s destruction is “off the table,” but the Jewish state still needs to eradicate Hamas and the Houthis to fully defeat Tehran’s terrorist axis, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday. “We are still completing the tasks concerning the axis. There are still the two H’s: Hamas and that band of savages down south,” Netanyahu said during a visit to the Israeli army’s Military Intelligence Directorate, with the latter being a reference to Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists. Jerusalem Post: Netanyahu's ICC lawyer denounces Hezbollah assassination plot against him in France French authorities opened an investigation following suspicions of a plot to assassinate French lawyer Olivier Pardo, who represents Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the International Criminal Court, Le Parisien reported on Monday. The investigation started after Pardo told the authorities about a meeting he had with 47-year-old Ruddy Terranova, a former convict who had spent 14 years in prison for criminal activities and later adopted radical Islam, who told him about the plot. According to Terranova, Hezbollah operatives approached him while he was in Senegal and asked him to take out Pardo when he turned back to France. He rejected the proposition and arranged the meeting to warn the lawyer about the plot. Jewish News Syndicate: Police detain suspect in killing of Palestinian activist The Israel Police have arrested an Israeli resident of Judea in connection with the shooting death on Monday night of Awdah Hathaleen, a Palestinian activist featured in the Oscar-winning anti-Israel film “No Other Land.” The Israel Defense Forces told JNS that the incident started on Monday night when “terrorists hurled stones at Israeli civilians near the area of Carmel,” a Jewish community in the Mount Hebron region of Judea. Lebanon Naharnet: Report: Salam seeks prior agreement from Shiite Duo on cabinet session tackling Hezbollah arms French President Emmanuel Macron advised PM Nawaf Salam in their latest meeting to hold a cabinet session to issue a resolution on monopolizing arms in the hands of the state, political sources said. “Delaying the decision on arms monopoly will subject the country to further threats through the expansion of Israel’s violations and attacks, although official sides deny that the government has received international warnings about Israel’s intention to wage a new war,” the sources told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper. Naharnet: UNIFIL welcomes conviction and sentencing of man who killed Irish peacekeeper UNIFIL said Tuesday that it welcomes the conclusion of the trial process and the Government of Lebanon’s commitment to bring the perpetrators to justice, after Lebanon’s Permanent Military Court found guilty six of the individuals charged in the killing of Irish peacekeeper Private Seán Rooney in Al-Aqbieh in December 2022. Naharnet: Israeli official says Hezbollah 'military commanders' to be targeted across Lebanon Israel’s “battle” against Hezbollah will continue as long as the group “violates the ceasefire agreement,” Al-Arabiya TV quoted an Israeli security source as saying. “The assassinations are limited to Hezbollah’s military rather than political targets and Hezbollah’s military commanders will be targeted across Lebanon,” the source added. Naharnet: Diplomatic circles 'dissatisfied' with 'slow' progress in Hezbollah disarmament, report says U.S. envoy Thomas Barrack and Saudi envoy to Lebanon Yazid bin Farhan have agreed on the need for arms monopoly in Lebanon, diplomatic sources told local al-Jadeed TV channel. The sources said several diplomatic circles are dissatisfied with the Lebanese authorities "slow" and lenient approach in implementing international demands, including reforms and Hezbollah's disarmament. Naharnet: Lebanese Army says it has busted 'terrorist cell' The Lebanese Army announced that it has dismantled a terrorist cell consisting of Lebanese, Syrian and Iraqi citizens. “The Intelligence Directorate is continuing the monitoring operations and security pursuit of terrorist organizations, and in this regard it arrested two Lebanese citizens, a Syrian citizen and an Iraqi citizen for forming a terrorist cell,” the army said in a statement. Naharnet: Geagea warns of 'bad summer' if Hezbollah disarmament delayed Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea warned, in an interview published Tuesday in Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, of more delays regarding Hezbollah's disarmament. "We'll definitely have a bad summer, if things go on like this," he said, accusing Hezbollah of only bringing harm and destruction to the country, and urging cabinet to immediately convene and take a strict decision concerning the group's arms. Naharnet: Military court sentences man to death in absentia over Irish peacekeeper's killing A Lebanese court sentenced a man to death in absentia for killing an Irish United Nations peacekeeper, a judicial official said Tuesday, after Hezbollah members were accused of involvement in the 2022 incident. Private Sean Rooney, 23, was killed and three others were wounded after a U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) convoy came under fire on December 14, 2022 in south Lebanon, long a stronghold of the Iran-backed militant group. Syria Reuters: US urges UN Security Council to adjust sanctions on Syria The United States urged the United Nations Security Council on Monday to adjust its sanctions on Syria to help the country's government prevail in what the acting U.S. ambassador described as "the fight against terrorism." After 13 years of civil war, Syria's President was ousted in December in a lightning offensive by insurgent forces led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Turkey Nordic Monitor: Turkey refused to seek extradition of ISIS fugitives behind deadliest terror attack The Islamist government led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has never sought the extradition of fugitives responsible for the deadliest terrorist attack in Turkey’s history, despite knowing their whereabouts in Syria and maintaining close ties with the de facto interim government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa in the war-torn country. A Nordic Monitor investigation has revealed that although Turkish authorities are fully aware of the locations of several ISIS suspects residing in Syria — and could easily request their detention and handover — not a single formal extradition request has been filed. Yemen Reuters: Houthis say they hold 10 crew from Greek-operated ship they sank off Yemen Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Monday they had rescued 10 seafarers from the Greek-operated cargo ship Eternity C, which they attacked and sank in the Red Sea earlier this month. The Liberia-flagged Eternity C was the second ship to sink off Yemen this month after repeated attacks by Houthi militants with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades. Another Greek-operated vessel, the Magic Seas, had gone down days earlier. The Eternity C crew and three armed guards were forced to abandon the ship following the attacks. Ten people were rescued by a privately-led mission, while five more are feared dead mainly due to the attacks. Jerusalem Post: Houthis parade kidnapped crew of Eternity C, won’t back down from threats The Iranian-backed Houthis released a video on July 28 showing ten members of the crew of a ship they sank. They kidnapped the crew after sinking the Eternity C in the Red Sea. The Eternity C was a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier. It was one of two ships the Houthis attacked in early July. This came after many months during which the Houthis had stopped attacking ships. India New York Times: India Says It Killed 3 Militants Behind Spring Terrorist Attack in Kashmir Indian security forces gunned down three assailants they said were involved in a deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir this spring, officials said on Tuesday, three months after the slaughter of civilians in a scenic park started a military conflict with neighboring Pakistan. Congo Reuters: Islamic State claims responsibility for attack on east Congo church The Islamic State militant group on Monday claimed responsibility for a deadly attack that a U.N. mission said had killed at least 43 worshippers during a night mass at a church in eastern Congo. At dawn on Sunday, Islamic State-allied rebels stormed the church in Komanda, a village located around 75 kilometers from Ituri's provincial capital Bunia, killing people with guns and machetes and taking captives. Islamic State said on its Telegram channel that rebels had killed some 45 churchgoers and burned dozens of homes and shops. The U.N. mission known as MONUSCO said at least 43 people had been killed, including 19 women and nine children, while condemning the attack carried out by the Islamic State-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). Sudan Reuters: Sudanese coalition led by paramilitary RSF announces parallel government A Sudanese coalition led by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces announced on Saturday the members of a parallel government, a move opposed by the army, its rival in a 27-month war that could drive the country further towards partition. RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo was announced head of the presidential council, while Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, head of the SPLM-N, one of the country's largest rebel groups, was made his deputy on a 15-member council. Australia Times of Israel: Australians expect stronger response to antisemitism, survey shows Nearly half of Australians expect elected officials, mayors and local leaders to take a firmer stance against antisemitism and other manifestations of hate and violence in their communities, according to a survey by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM). The survey, which polled 1,000 respondents from across Australia between June 27 and July 1, finds that less than a quarter of Australians (24%) describe general public attitudes to Jewish people in Australia as very positive (9%) or slightly positive (15%). On the flip side, 28% of respondents describe attitudes toward Jews as very negative (8%) or slightly negative (20%). CEP Podcasts Unpacking the week's extremism-related anniversaries and news, as well as counter extremism developments and prospects. A deep dive into CEP's research and topics that are relevant to our mission, from our Berlin-based team. The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) is a nonprofit and non-partisan international policy organization working to combat the growing threat posed by extremist ideologies. CEP depends on the generosity of its supporters. If you value what we do, please consider making a donation. DONATE Were you forwarded this email? Subscribe for yourself here. Counter Extremism Project (CEP) | PO Box 3980 | NEW YORK, NY 10185 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice