Email from Counter Extremism Project (CEP) Kristi Noem compares antifa to MS-13, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Islamic State Eye on Extremism October 9, 2025   Top Stories Reuters: Israel and Hamas sign Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas signed an agreement on Thursday to cease fire and free Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's initiative to end the war in Gaza. Israelis and Palestinians alike rejoiced after the deal was announced, the biggest step yet taken to end two years of war in which over 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, and return the last hostages seized by Hamas in the attacks that unleashed it. The Guardian: Kristi Noem compares antifa to MS-13, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Islamic State The homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, on Wednesday compared antifa to MS-13, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Islamic State, calling the loosely affiliated network of antifascist street activists “just as dangerous” as designated terrorist organizations during a White House roundtable discussion.   CEP's ARCHER at House 88 The Auschwitz Research Centre on Hate, Extremism and Radicalization (ARCHER) at House 88 is sited at the former residence of Rudolf Höss, Commandant of the Auschwitz concentration and death camp from 1940-1944. We will transform it into a unique symbol of the fight against antisemitism, extremism, and terrorism. Follow ARCHER at House 88 on X, Facebook, and Instagram to stay updated on our progress.   CEP Mentions WTOP News: Manchester synagogue attacker pledged allegiance to ISIS British police say Jihad Al-Shamie, the 35-year-old man who attacked a synagogue in the U.K. city of Manchester, called emergency services during the attack, saying he did it for ISIS. On this week’s episode of “The Hunt with WTOP National Security Correspondent JJ Green,” Dr. Hans Jakob-Schindler, senior director at the Counter Extremism Project, discusses the growing resurgence of ISIS and other terror groups. WELT: Israel after October 7—Journey through a torn country CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler interviewed at 30:09 regarding Hamas strategy and tactics, for WELT TV documentary on the 7th of October: Two years after the Hamas massacre, Constantin Schreiber returns to Israel. He meets survivors, hostages, and politicians—and discovers a country searching for answers amid grief, protest, and hope. Analysis GNET: Symbols and Scripts: Firearms as Artefacts of Extremist Violence On 10 September 2025, in Orem, Utah, right-wing political commentator Charlie Kirk was shot and killed. Investigators later reported that the suspect, Tyler Robinson, had etched obscure internet memes onto bullet casings recovered with the weapon. Two weeks later, in Dallas, a gunman opened fire from a rooftop at a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility, killing one detainee and injuring two others before taking his own life. In the aftermath, FBI Director Kash Patel shared images online of five unfired 8mm bullets, one of which bore the inscription “Anti-ICE.” CBC: Why Trump's team is portraying Antifa as a terrorist threat U.S. President Donald Trump is trying to persuade Americans that the anti-fascist movement dubbed Antifa poses as grave a threat to the country as designated terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah. Trump, his top law enforcement officials, and a handful of conservative journalists spent more than an hour at a White House event on Wednesday depicting Antifa as ultra-violent, deep-pocketed and bent on destroying U.S. democracy. United States Defense One: Denied in July, DHS intelligence office resumes efforts to shed staff In July, stakeholder outcry scuttled a Department of Homeland Security plan to slash the staff of its Office of Intelligence and Analysis. Now DHS is trying again—with buyouts and early-retirement offers. The offers to apply to the deferred resignation program, or DRP, were modeled on the Office of Personnel Management’s “fork in the road” effort and sent twice to I&A staffers since July, according to a copy of one of those offer emails issued in September and a person familiar with the matter. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the plans. The email also included options to participate in a Voluntary Separation Incentive Program and Voluntary Early Retirement Authority. The Guardian: I don’t feel safe any more’: Dearborn’s Arab Americans on rising Islamophobia Islamophobic attacks across the US have risen precipitously in the two years since Hamas’s attack on Israel, which killed about 1,200 people, and the ensuing destruction Israel has unleashed on Gaza that has killed more than 67,000 people and devastated the Strip. Last year, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair) recorded 8,658 complaints, a record. Washington Post: Professor who teaches about antifascism moves to Europe after death threats Faced with a stream of death threats, a Rutgers University history professor who teaches about antifascism said he is moving out of the United States just a month into the fall semester. Mark Bray, who has taught at Rutgers since 2019, told his students Sunday that his courses would move online immediately. Washington Post: A quarter of FBI agents are assigned to immigration enforcement, per FBI data Nearly a quarter of the FBI’s roughly 13,000 agents across the country are currently assigned to immigration enforcement, with the number climbing to upward of 40 percent in the nation’s largest field offices, according to data from the FBI obtained by Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Virginia) and shared with The Washington Post. National News Desk: Trump orders cabinet members start process to declare Antifa a foreign terrorist org President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered members of his cabinet to move forward with declaring Antifa a foreign terrorist organization following a roundtable discussion on the group. “I think it’s the kind of thing I’d like to do,” Trump said after being asked if he would designate Antifa as a foreign terror group. “If you agree, I agree. Let’s get it done." Reuters: US targets Chinese companies over drone components used by Hamas, Houthis The United States said on Wednesday it was adding 15 Chinese companies to its restricted trade list for facilitating the purchase of American electronic components found in drones operated by Iranian proxies including Houthi and Hamas militants. Ten companies in China were placed on the Commerce Department's Entity List for facilitating the purchase of components found in weaponized unmanned aircraft systems operated by proxies including Yemen's Houthi militants, according to a post in the Federal Register. NBC News: Man accused of terrorist threats over allegedly depicting local officials in Halloween decorations A Kentucky man was booked on suspicion of intimidating a witness in a legal process and making terroristic threats. Authorities say Stephan Marcum is accused of depicting bodies of local officials in Halloween decorations. WLEX’s Leigh Searcy reports. Kansas City Defender: “Missouri Is Next”: Neo-Nazi Network Expanding Whites-Only Towns—Here’s Where They’re Looking While Missourians were going about their lives, a network of white supremacists led by a Norwegian-born French horn player who once monetized his own sex tapes and a Hungarian jazz pianist wanted for attempted murder in Ecuador have been quietly scouting land in our state. CBS News: Minneapolis police investigating antisemitic vandalism at Temple Israel The largest synagogue in Minnesota has once again been vandalized with spray paint bearing antisemitic messages. On Wednesday, photos show a threatening message of "watch out Zionists" painted in red on the outside wall of Temple Israel in south Minneapolis, as well as a reference to the Oct. 7 attack led by Hamas exactly two years ago in Israel. J. The Jewish News of Northern California: Vandalism hits Oakland coffee shop accused of antisemitic discrimination An Oakland coffee shop at the center of three lawsuits alleging discrimination against Jewish customers was vandalized overnight between Sunday and Monday, leaving a window near the cafe’s entrance shattered. Jerusalem Coffee House, located in North Oakland, was the site of two incidents in 2024 in which customers said they were kicked out because they identified as Jewish. Jerusalem Post: California governor signs controversial antisemitism bill that sets up first-in-the-nation measures Despite widespread opposition from California educator groups, Governor Gavin Newsom signed unprecedented legislation Tuesday that supporters say will crack down on antisemitism in the state’s classrooms. Austria Profil: Mole in state security exposed and arrested The Directorate for State Security and Intelligence (DSN) has another problem with moles. An employee has been arrested and temporarily suspended from duty. The man works in the area of terrorism and, according to profil information, is said to have informed people in the Islamist area (Muslim Brotherhood) that they are under investigation. And in some cases, it is suspected, he is also said to have told them what the investigation was about. A bitter blow for the DSN: the threat level is currently high. The Islamist networks are highly active - and the work in the office around such cells was and is correspondingly intensive. Of course, any kind of preliminary investigations can be sabotaged by such leaks. France Reuters: Le Pen's far right waiting in the wings as France's crisis unfolds After falling short of a majority in last year's snap legislative vote, French far-right leader Marine Le Pen said her party's victory had merely been delayed. Fifteen months later, with the fallout of that vote having plunged France into a chronic crisis, Le Pen and her National Rally (RN) sense their moment is nearing as Macron tests the limits of his power to avoid further elections. Germany Deutsche Welle: Oct. 7 Israeli music festival featured in Berlin exhibition "The values of the Nova Festival are values that Berlin also stands for," Mayor Wegner said at the exhibition opening on Sunday evening, according to the Berlin daily newspaper Tagesspiegel. He noted that there has been a worldwide increase in antisemitism. Wegner said that he himself was coming under pressure for hoisting the Israeli flag in front of City Hall, adding: "It will remain there until the last Israeli hostage is free." Berlin is a city of freedom, diversity, cosmopolitanism and internationalism. "What does not fit in with our city is incitement to hatred and antisemitism," he explained. ARD: Will the Taliban flag soon be flying in Berlin? According to the government in Kabul, this flag will soon be flying in Berlin too. A senior ministerial official from the Afghan Foreign Ministry told ARD's South Asia studio during an interview in the Afghan capital that the emirate flag would be hoisted in front of the building on Taunusstrasse in Berlin's Grunewald district. Currently, the black, red and green flag of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan still flies there. In addition, the diplomatic mission is to lose its previous name "Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan" and be renamed "Embassy of Afghanistan". Slovenia Jerusalem Post: As Slovenia takes a hard line against Israel, its tiny Jewish community feels increasingly isolated In June 2024, Slovenia’s parliament voted to recognize a Palestinian state, only one week after Spain, Ireland, and Norway had taken that dramatic step. Half a year later, Slovenian public broadcaster RTV, citing the ongoing war in Gaza, became the first in Europe to demand Israel’s exclusion from the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest. This past May, RTV warned it might boycott future editions of Eurovision if Israel isn’t expelled. United Kingdom Naharnet: Report: UK seeks to appoint expert for resolving 'Hezbollah crisis' Britain is seeking to strengthen its presence in Lebanon through the gateway of the conflict with Israel, a media report said on Wednesday. “London is trying to fill the void resulting from Lebanon’s non-welcoming of any special French role and the breakdown of U.S. efforts,” unnamed sources told al-Akhbar newspaper, adding that Britain wants to “address a crisis called Hezbollah.” The Guardian: Wife of synagogue attacker says he showed no signs of extremism The Manchester synagogue attacker was “intimidating, aggressive and controlling” but showed no sign of extremism before carrying out his lethal antisemitic attack, one of his wives has said. The woman, who married Jihad al-Shamie in an Islamic ceremony in 2021, said the 35-year-old was “glued to his phone” watching Arabic news channels but did not appear to be on the path to terror. Times of Israel: Two men on trial over ISIS-inspired plot to attack UK Jewish community Two men plotted an Islamic State-inspired terror attack on the Jewish community in northwest England with the aim of “killing hundreds of innocent people,” British prosecutors said on Wednesday at the start of their trial. Afghanistan Afghanistan International: Tribunal: Taliban Restrictions Have Isolated Afghan Women From Society Mohib Mudassir, a prosecutor at the People’s Tribunal for Afghan Women, said that the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s freedom of movement have effectively removed them from public life. He added that the group's restrictions have alsocreated major barriers to their employment and independence. Afghanistan International: Political Analyst Salim Paigeer Wounded In Assassination Attempt In Kabul Afghan political analyst Salim Paigeer was wounded in an armed assassination attempt in Kabul on Thursday, 9 October, according to sources close to his family. He was taken to hospital following the attack. The shooting occurred near Hanzala Mosque in the Shahr-e-Naw area, close to Paigeer’s residence. He was transferred to Emergency Hospital, where sources said he had sustained a gunshot wound to the head. Afghanistan International: Taliban Have Crippled Services For Disabled Afghans, Says Tribunal Prosecutor Benafsha Yaqoobi, the prosecutor at the People’s Tribunal for Afghan women, said that the Taliban have completely dismantled the rights and support systems for persons with disabilities since returning to power. Addressing the second day of the tribunal in Madrid, She described the group’s actions as a form of repression and crimes against humanity. Afghanistan International: People’s Tribunal Secretary Calls For Global Consensus Against Taliban Gianni Tognioni, secretary of the People’s Tribunal said that the tribunal’s goal is to build a global consensus against the Taliban for depriving Afghan women and girls of their rights. Tognioni told Afghanistan International that once sufficient evidence is presented before the tribunal, an international support network should be established to continuously monitor the condition of women in Afghanistan. Iran Iran International: Trump says attack on Iran advanced Gaza deal, Tehran will join peace President Donald Trump said US attacks on Iran nuclear sites in June had paved the way for a deal agreed by Hamas and Israel to wind down the war in Gaza and expressed hope Tehran would join a Mideast peace. "Iran was about one month, maybe two months, away from having a nuclear weapon. And if I allowed that to happen, this deal would not have been possible," Trump told Fox News in a phone interview on Wednesday evening. Iran International: Iran-aligned armed groups stronger despite Gaza ceasefire, Iranian MP says An Iranian lawmaker said Iran-aligned armed groups remain active against Israel and the United States despite the new ceasefire in Gaza, Iranian media reported on Thursday. Iran has otherwise largely remained silent on the new Gaza ceasefire. Israel Reuters: What do we know about Trump's Gaza deal? Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan for Gaza, a ceasefire and hostage deal that could be a first step toward ending a two-year-old war that has roiled the Middle East. Here are some details of what is known and not known so far: Times of Israel: Talks over Palestinian prisoners to be freed are still ongoing, sources say Negotiations over the list of Palestinian security prisoners to be released in exchange for the remaining 48 hostages are continuing, an Arab diplomat tells The Times of Israel, downplaying a statement issued moments ago by an Israeli government spokesperson who said that Marwan Barghouti would not be freed in the trade. Reuters: Celebrations erupt in Gaza, Israel on news of deal to end two-year war Palestinians and the families of Israeli hostages broke into wild celebrations on Thursday after news of a pact between Israel and Hamas to end the war in Gaza and return home all the Israeli hostages, both living and dead. Times of Israel: Trump announces deal reached on first part of his Gaza plan: ‘All hostages will be freed very soon’ US President Donald Trump announced late on Wednesday that Israel and Hamas have signed off on the “first phase” of his plan to secure the release of all hostages and end the Gaza war, two years and a day after the fighting was sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel. “This means that ALL of the hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw [its] troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a strong, durable and everlasting Peace,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform. Jerusalem Post: 'Releasing repeat offenders only ensures more bloodshed,' nephew of murdered soldier tells 'Post' "If we release Jamal al-Hur we'll be giving [Hamas] back their next Sinwar," Jonathan Karten told The Jerusalem Post on Monday after his family learned from a news broadcast that al-Hur, the terrorist who tortured, murdered and mutilated his uncle, may be released in a prisoner-hostage exchange should US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan go ahead. Times of Israel: Shin Bet says it foiled Iranian attempt to smuggle advanced weapons to West Bank terror ops The Shin Bet security agency reveals that it recently foiled an attempt by Iran to smuggle large amounts of advanced weapons to terror operatives in the West Bank to be used in attacks on Israeli targets. The recently seized shipment — similar to those busted by the Shin Bet in March 2024 and November 2024 — included 29 Claymore-type explosive devices; four drones, including two explosive-laden; 15 anti-tank rockets, along with an RPG launcher and three RPGs; 20 hand grenades; 53 handguns; seven assault rifles; nine machine guns; and 750 bullets, according to the security agency. Times of Israel: Two years after October 7, Israel rediscovers the scale, and limits, of its power Two years into its longest war, Israel can point to a long list of achievements that have dramatically improved its security after the unconscionable lapses, with their devastating consequences, before and on the morning of October 7, 2023. Iran’s armed proxy network, once dug in on Israel’s borders with increasingly sophisticated weapons, has largely become a deterred, neutered axis. Hezbollah, until last year the world’s most powerful terrorist army, saw its leadership repeatedly decapitated by Israeli airstrikes once Jerusalem finally decided to invade southern Lebanon in late 2024. Its forces in disarray and unable to contest IDF ground maneuvers across its entire front with Israel, Hezbollah agreed to humiliating ceasefire terms that amount to a clear defeat. Jordan The National: Jordan sentences nine in Muslim Brotherhood plot against kingdom Jordan’s State Security Court on Wednesday issued verdicts in a series of high-profile cases that, authorities said, threatened national security and sought to incite unrest, offences that were first revealed in mid-April, the Jordan News Agency reported. Jordan thwarted in April a plot against the kingdom's security by members of the Muslim Brotherhood, who were arrested on suspicion of manufacturing rockets and possessing explosives. The members had worked in four cells since 2021, with some receiving training in Lebanon or travelling abroad to obtain help in missile production. Lebanon Naharnet: Int'l community sets year-end deadline for south Litani disarmament, report says As the Lebanese government aims to disarm Hezbollah under U.S. pressure, the army is expected to fully clear a stretch along the Lebanon-Israel border, defined as south of the Litani river, by the end of November before moving into further phases, reports said. The Lebanese government first aimed to completely disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year, but officials later said resources are too limited to meet the deadline. Turkey Times of Israel: Leveraging long-nurtured Hamas ties, Turkey in the thick of efforts to end Gaza war By joining the indirect talks in Egypt between Israel and Hamas, Turkey hopes to use its longstanding relationship with the terror group to help end the Gaza war. Speaking late Tuesday, Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Donald Trump had “specifically requested that we meet with Hamas and persuade them” to accept the peace plan the US leader laid out last month. Erdogan has led this Muslim-majority nation of 86 million inhabitants since 2003 and is known for his Islamic-leaning conservatism. He has repeatedly accused Israel of “genocide” in Gaza — a charge denied by Israel — and has also compared the Jewish state to Nazi Germany. Nordic Monitor: Murder raises new questions about Turkey’s fight against ISIS The murder of a Turkish driver by a group linked to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has once again exposed how the extremist network continues to operate freely in Turkey despite government assurances that the group has been eradicated. The killing of 65-year-old Binali Aslan is a chilling reminder that the threat of ISIS has not disappeared but rather has adapted, surviving through local sympathizers, porous borders and systemic intelligence failures. Yemen Yemen Online: Southern Yemeni Officer Killed in Al-Qaeda Bombing in Abyan A senior officer in Yemen’s southern forces was killed yesterday in a terrorist bombing believed to be orchestrated by Al-Qaeda militants in the restive Abyan province. Captain Mohammed Ali Mohammed Al-Fahhah, chief of staff of the 3rd Battalion in the 3rd Support and Reinforcement Brigade, was killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated near a military convoy in the Mudiyah district. The blast also injured several soldiers, according to local security sources. India Reuters: Afghanistan's Taliban foreign minister visits India to build closer ties Afghanistan's Taliban foreign minister arrived in India on Thursday for talks aiming to foster economic ties with New Delhi in the first such visit by a leader of the Islamist group since it seized power in 2021. The six-day trip by Amir Khan Muttaqi highlights the Taliban's efforts to spur engagement with regional powers to secure eventual diplomatic recognition. Pakistan The Media Line: 11 Pakistani Soldiers, Including Senior Officers, Killed in Clash With Terrorists Near Afghan Border The Pakistani military said in a statement on Wednesday that 11 soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel and a major, lost their lives in a clash with militants. At the same time, 19 terrorists were also killed in the fighting. The clash took place during an intelligence-based operation in the Orakzai district of the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Arab News: Officer’s death lifts Pakistan military toll to 12 in two days of anti-militant operations The death of a Pakistan army major in northwest Pakistan has brought the military’s toll to 12 in two days of back-to-back operations against militants, the army said on Thursday. Mali Business Insider: Junta-led Mali faces worsening fuel shortage after militants block imports Motorists formed long queues outside fuel stations in Mali’s capital, Bamako, on Wednesday amid growing fears of a fuel shortage. The rush followed several days of station closures after al-Qaeda-linked insurgents imposed a blockade on fuel imports last month. Australia Iran International: Australia moves to label Iran’s Guards a terrorist organization under new bill Australia has introduced legislation that would, for the first time, allow its government to designate foreign state entities -- including Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) -- as terrorist organizations. Attorney-General Michelle Rowland presented the bill to Parliament, saying it aims to close a major legal gap in Australia’s counterterrorism framework by permitting the listing of state-backed organizations accused of supporting or conducting terrorist acts. The move follows findings by the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) that the IRGC was involved in two anti-Semitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne in 2024. 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? 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