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CEP Mentions
Euronews: Islamists on the “road to victory”: Algorithms radicalize fighters in Germany
On Saturday, a Syrian suspected of terrorism was arrested in the Berlin district of Neukölln. The 22-year-old is now in custody. The charges: “Preparation of a serious act of violence endangering the state and the dissemination of propaganda material from unconstitutional and terrorist organizations.” How? Through social media. “There is hardly a terrorist attack in which social media does not play a significant role,” terrorism expert [CEP Senior Director] Dr. Hans Jakob Karl Schindler told Euronews.
The Cipher Brief: The Sahel’s Terror Surge Signals a New Front in Global Security
CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans Jakob Schindler quoted regarding the deteriorating situation in West Africa.
Analysis
GNET: Islamic State Information Technology: The New “Security Tips Series” of Electronic Horizon Foundation
In 2020, at the launch of its first “Supporter’s Security Magazine” on the pro-IS Rocket.Chat server, the Electronic Horizon Foundation (EHF) – a pro-IS non-institutional media house – described information technology as “one of the most important tools of our time,” and as the “language of the age that runs most [online] work fields.” Today, this statement endures as a foundational reference within the Islamic State (IS)’s online ecosystem. In recent years, operational security (OPSEC) has assumed heightened importance in the pro-IS digital environment, reflecting increasing scrutiny and pressure imposed by law enforcement and security agencies.
EGMONT: Is Mali’s Military Regime Running out of Gas?
After almost two months of an economic blockade imposed by the Al-Qaida affiliated group JNIM, (Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin), the Malian military regime is under pressure to find solutions to an increasingly difficult situation for both the population and the security forces and its own regime stability. Hundreds of fuel tankers from Senegal, Ivory Coast and Guinea have been destroyed, making the country’s main roads practically unusable and choking supply lines leading to the capital. So far however, the regime has been at loss of effectively addressing the situation, instead focusing on alleviating measures and exceptionally closing schools and universities for two weeks.
HonestReporting: Christiane Amanpour: CNN’s “Objective” Voice — or Israel’s Relentless Critic?
When CNN’s chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour was forced to issue an on-air apology earlier this month — after claiming Israeli hostages “were probably being treated better than the average Gazan” — it wasn’t a one-off slip. It was the latest example in a long record of distortions and anti-Israel bias that has defined her coverage for decades. Now, that record is finally facing calls for real consequences. James Patterson, a Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) shareholder — the parent company of CNN — has formally demanded that WBD CEO David Zaslav fire Amanpour, calling her comments “antisemitic” and her apology “not enough.”
United States
News 12 New Jersey: Bomb threats force closures at some New Jersey polling places
Across New Jersey, bomb threats at multiple polling locations have prompted closures and relocations today. Attorney General Matthew Platkin says law enforcement responded to emailed threats at polling places in seven New Jersey counties and secured each location.
CNN: How phone calls, sessions at gun ranges and secret meetings in parks led the FBI to charge suspects in alleged terrorist plot
A series of encrypted phone calls – secretly recorded by a confidential FBI source – tipped off federal agents that a group was allegedly planning to carry out a terrorist attack in Michigan on behalf of ISIS, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Monday.
New York Times: G.O.P. Figures Seek Distance From Tucker Carlson, Denouncing Antisemitism
Republican lawmakers and influencers continued on Monday to distance themselves from Tucker Carlson after his sympathetic interview with the prominent white supremacist Nick Fuentes, putting on display a widening split on the right about how to address antisemitism within their party.
Jewish Insider: More GOP senators sound alarm on right-wing antisemitism
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) warned on Monday against the mainstreaming of antisemitic figures within the conservative movement in response to Tucker Carlson’s platforming of neo-Nazi influencer Nick Fuentes.
Jewish Insider: Reps. Barr, Shreve urge Treasury to designate Palestinian Conference for Palestinians Abroad as a terrorist group
In a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sent on Monday, Reps. Andy Barr (R-TN) and Jefferson Shreve (R-IN) called for the U.S. government to designate the Palestinian Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), also known as the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, as an affiliate of Hamas and a Specially Designated Terrorist group.
East Idaho News: Man pleads guilty to planning ISIS attacks on Idaho churches
A 20-year-old Coeur d’Alene man has pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization after federal investigators uncovered his plans to carry out an ISIS-inspired attack in northern Idaho. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Alexander Scott Mercurio admitted that he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS) and intended to commit an attack in Coeur d’Alene on the group’s behalf.
Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Jewish exodus underway from Heritage Foundation’s antisemitism initiative over Tucker Carlson
The Heritage Foundation’s marquee effort to combat antisemitism, a coalition known as Project Esther, is rapidly losing members following the conservative think tank’s public defense of Tucker Carlson after he gave a friendly interview to the white nationalist and antisemitic provocateur Nick Fuentes.
Times of Israel: Mamdani vs. Cuomo: NYC votes in election where Israel, antisemitism have taken center stage
New Yorkers headed to the polls on Tuesday to decide the outcome of an election in which debates over antisemitism and Israel have taken center stage and which has laid bare a generational and ideological divide across the US and its largest city.
State News: Tom Barrett asking MSU to adopt contested antisemitism definition
Republican congressman is asking Michigan State University to adopt a contentious definition of antisemitism. In a May letter obtained by The State News through a public records request, Rep. Tom Barrett — whose district includes MSU’s East Lansing campus — urged President Kevin Guskiewicz to formally incorporate the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s "working definition of antisemitism."
CBS News 12: Man jailed in PBC for antisemitic threats against Laura Loomer, other FL conservatives
A 28-year-old man from Texas has been arrested and is being held in the Palm Beach County jail, standing accused of making antisemitic threats against conservative activists, including Laura Loomer, residing in Florida. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) reported that they began their investigation into antisemitic death threats made on X by a user with the handle @zionistarescum, known as Klaus, on October 12.
WSB-TV 2: Man in Nazi uniform accused of assaulting UGA student outside bar raises $20K for legal defense
Donors have contributed $20,000 so far to an online fundraiser for the man accused of wearing a Nazi costume and hitting a woman with a beer mug outside an Athens bar. Kenneth Leland Morgan, 33 years old, is charged with felony aggravated assault and a misdemeanor count of simple battery. The fundraiser said he and his family have been harassed and bullied, and the money will go to helping them as well as legal fees.
France
Reuters: French cement maker Lafarge faces trial on charges of financing jihadists in Syria
Cement maker Holcim's Lafarge unit goes on trial on Tuesday facing charges that its Syrian subsidiary financed terrorism and breached European sanctions to keep a plant operating in northern Syria during the country's civil war. Investigative judges allege that Lafarge paid jihadist groups including Islamic State and the al Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front, both designated as terrorists by the EU, a total of 5 million euros ($5.83 million) between 2013 and September 2014.
Germany
BZ: Update on Islamist terrorist plot in Berlin
According to information from security circles, the man was born in the Syrian region of Idlib in 2003. He came to Berlin in December 2023 and applied for asylum. He was granted subsidiary protection, which is a protection status for people who are at risk in their home country but have not been individually persecuted. The decision became final in October 2024, and he is currently allowed to stay until 2028. It is still unclear whether the Syrian already had a specific target for an attack in Germany. "Berlin has not been ruled out, but there are no concrete indications of this so far," said a spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office. Investigations are also ongoing to determine whether he had any helpers or accomplices. The analysis of his cell phone and other data carriers will now be decisive.
Tagesspiegel: How great is the threat of terrorism in Germany?
At its peak, IS controlled large areas of Iraq and Syria, but in 2019 it finally lost control of its self-proclaimed caliphate. "IS is on the rise again," says security expert Hans-Jakob Schindler. In Syria, for example, Islamists are carrying out more attacks than ever before. However, other countries are increasingly becoming the focus of jihadists. IS has massively expanded its control in Mali, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso. "West Africa has now become the most important region for Islamist terrorist groups in terms of recruiting fighters and raising money," says Schindler. In addition, the German authorities sometimes lack eyes and ears on the internet. "In Germany, the protection of the individual is often placed above the protection of the general public," says Schindler, criticizing data protection.
Reuters: Germany's Merz calls for repatriation of Syrians as far-right surges
Syrians no longer have grounds for asylum in Germany now the civil war in their country is over, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, as his conservatives seek to fend off a surging far-right ahead of a slew of state elections next year. Germany was the EU country that took in the largest number of refugees from the 14-year-long Syrian civil war due to former Chancellor Angela Merkel's open-door policy, with around one million Syrians living in the country today.
Combat Antisemitism Movement: Berlin Cafe Expels Israeli Woman Over ‘Coexistence’ Shirt Featuring Hebrew Text
An Israeli woman and her partner were recently thrown out of a cafe in Berlin, Germany, after she wore a shirt displaying the word “falafel” in Hebrew, English, and Arabic. The shirt was created to promote coexistence and peace after Hamas’s October 7th massacre two years ago.
Poland
Jewish News Syndicate: Poland to adopt first national plan against antisemitism
Poland’s government is preparing to pass this year its first-ever national strategy plan for fighting antisemitism and strengthening Jewish life, the country’s justice undersecretary announced on Monday. Maria Ejchart made the announcement at the annual conference in Krakow of the European Jewish Association, a Brussels-based body representing Jewish community interests in Europe.
Spain
EuroNews: Video. Clashes erupt between police and protesters in Pamplona
Police and far-left protesters clashed on the University of Navarra campus in Pamplona after far-right activist Vito Quiles attempted to hold an unauthorized event. Clashes broke out Thursday on the University of Navarra campus in Pamplona between far-left protesters and police after Vito Quiles announced a talk without university authorization.
United Kingdom
The Telegraph: BBC’s bias ‘pushed Hamas lies around the world’
The BBC’s Arabic news service chose to “minimise Israeli suffering” in the war in Gaza so it could “paint Israel as the aggressor”, according to an internal report by a whistleblower. Allegations made against Israel were “raced to air” without adequate checks, the memo says, suggesting either carelessness or “a desire always to believe the worst about Israel”.
CBC: British far-right activist Tommy Robinson cleared of terror charge after not giving police phone access
Far-right activist Tommy Robinson was cleared on Tuesday of committing an offence under British counterterrorism laws after refusing to give police his phone's passcode during a July 2024 border stop. Robinson, 42, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is one of Britain's most high-profile anti-immigration campaigners, and has become a flag-bearer for some British nationalists.
New York Times: U.K. Police Investigate Possible Link Between Train Attack and Stabbing of 14-Year-Old
British authorities are investigating whether a man charged with attempting to kill 10 people on a London-bound train Saturday night was also involved in several episodes the day before, including an attack on a 14-year-old and two instances of wielding a knife in public. The man, Anthony Williams, a 32-year-old British citizen from Peterborough, was charged on Monday with 11 counts of attempted murder after Saturday’s stabbing rampage on the train and an earlier attack at a London train station. The attack on Saturday night led to 11 people being taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Hours earlier, the separate attack in London left one person with facial injuries, the police said.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan International: Violent Land Dispute Involving Taliban Commander Reported In Takhar
Informed sources in Takhar province told Afghanistan International that fighters loyal to Darab Baai, a local Taliban commander in Warsaj district, injured at least six people in a violent dispute over grazing land. According to the sources, the clash erupted on Sunday, 2 November, between Darab’s men and several residents of Qunduz village in the same district. They said the commander’s son, Jamahir, initiated the fight by shooting a local resident, while others were beaten.
Gaza Strip / West Bank
Washington Post: 8 Palestinian factions meet to shape Gaza’s future – including Hamas
Palestinian political factions are holding closed-door discussions that could see Hamas play a role in shaping a postwar administration in Gaza, despite Israel’s vow to eliminate the militant group’s political influence in the enclave and a decades-old feud between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. The eight Palestinian factions and armed groups involved in the discussions — including most notably the Fatah party, which leads the Palestinian Authority based in the West Bank, and Hamas — are working to reach a consensus over key elements of an interim administration as early as this week, when they meet again in Cairo, according to Palestinian and other Arab officials and individuals involved in the talks.
Jerusalem Post: Hamas says it will return remains of Israeli hostage at 8 p.m.
Hamas has announced it will return the remains of an Israeli hostage at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The hostage was reportedly killed east of the Shejaia neighborhood, Hamas said.
Times of Israel: Draft UN resolution would grant US and partners two-year mandate to govern Gaza
The Trump administration’s draft United Nations Security Council resolution on establishing an international force in Gaza would reportedly give the US and other participating countries a broad two-year mandate to govern Gaza and be in charge of security there. According to a copy of the draft published by the Axios news site on Monday, the so-called International Stabilization Force will be in charge of securing the Gaza Strip’s borders with Israel and Egypt, ensuring the safety of civilians and humanitarian zones, and training and partnering new Palestinian police officers.
Reuters: UN mandate for Gaza force still in the works, Turkey says
Countries are still working on a U.N. Security Council mandate for an international stabilisation force in Gaza, and will decide on any troop deployments once a framework is complete, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday. Fidan spoke after he and ministers from several Muslim-majority countries met in Istanbul to discuss the fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, as Hamas and Israel trade accusations of violations.
Times of Israel: US military publishes drone video of Hamas looting aid truck in Gaza
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) published a drone video over the weekend showing what it said were suspected Hamas operatives looting an aid truck in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday. The incident occurred while US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, was in Israel as an official guest of IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir. In a statement, CENTCOM said the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) — which is based in southern Israel’s Kiryat Gat — “observed suspected Hamas operatives looting an aid truck traveling as part of a humanitarian convoy delivering needed assistance from international partners to Gazans in northern Khan Younis.”
Jerusalem Post: More Palestinians support Oct. 7 massacre now than five months earlier, recent poll finds
Palestinian support for Hamas's October 7th attack rose by three percent, from 50% to 53%, from May to October of 2025, a recent poll by People’s Company for Polls and Survey Research (PCPSR) revealed. Palestinians in the West Bank were surveyed at 76 different locations, and those in Gaza at 44. Between October 22 and 25, 1,200 Palestinians were polled, 760 of whom resided in the West Bank, and 440 of whom resided in Gaza. This comes despite a decline in expectations of a Hamas victory over Israel, with one in three Gazans anticipating an Israeli win amid a fragile yet ongoing US-brokered ceasefire.
Iran
Times of Israel: Ex-Hamas chief Haniyeh was killed by missile that tracked his cellphone, Iran says
The assassination of former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last year was carried out using a precision missile that tracked him via his cellphone, the spokesperson for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Sunday, sharing what he said were new details about the Israeli operation that took out the top terror official. Haniyeh was killed on July 31, 2024, in a blast in the Iranian capital, hours after he attended the inauguration of Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian. Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed in December that Israel was behind the assassination.
Iran International: Iran marks anniversary of US embassy takeover with nationwide rallies
Iran on Tuesday marked the anniversary of the 1979 seizure of the US embassy in Tehran with state-organized rallies across the country, the first such commemorations since the United States and Israel carried out air strikes on Iranian targets earlier this year.
Iran International: Iran’s Khamenei defends US embassy takeover as ‘day of pride’
Iran’s Supreme Leader said on Monday the 1979 seizure of the US embassy in Tehran was a defining moment of national pride that marked the beginning of a long-standing confrontation between Iran and the United States based on conflicting interests rather than temporary disputes.
Iran International: Khomeini’s grandson says US embassy takeover shaped Iran’s independence
Ali Khomeini, the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, said on Monday that the 1979 seizure of the US embassy in Tehran was pivotal to shaping Iran’s current political and defense standing, arguing that without it “the Islamic Republic might not exist."
Iraq
Kurdistan24: Iraqi PM Says Iraq Can’t Curb Armed Factions Until U.S.-Led Forces Depart
In a significant and carefully worded declaration that lays bare the central paradox of Iraq's security dilemma, the Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has asserted that his government's pledge to bring all weapons under the control of the state can only be fulfilled once the U.S.-led international coalition has completely withdrawn from the country.
Israel
Wall Street Journal: Taking Hostages Turned Out to Be Hamas’s Undoing
For two decades following the folly of Israel’s ill-advised 2005 unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, Hamas perfected a cynical script: Launch rockets at Israeli civilians, provoke retaliation, use Gazan civilians as human shields, and wait for international pressure to force a cease-fire before Israel can achieve its military objectives. This pattern recurred in 2008’s Operation Cast Lead, 2012’s Operation Pillar of Defense and 2014’s Operation Protective Edge. Each time, initial global outrage against Hamas gave way to demands that Israel halt its operations. Each time, Hamas survived to fight again, emerging stronger and stronger.
Naharnet: Israeli opposition chief reportedly voices support for possible anti-Hezbollah operation
Israeli opposition chief Yair Lapid has called for a “powerful military operation” against Hezbollah, Lebanese media reports said on Tuesday. LBCI television meanwhile reported that Israel’s opposition and governing coalition have reached a rare consensus that the situation with Lebanon has reached a point of no return and that another round of war is only a matter of time.
Jewish News Syndicate: Israeli forces eliminate terrorist crossing Gaza’s Yellow Line
Israeli troops on Tuesday killed a Palestinian terrorist who crossed the Yellow Line into Israeli-controlled territory in northern Gaza in violation of the ceasefire, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
Syria
Jerusalem Post: Syria's new government struggles to fight Captagon, narcotics trafficking
Syria's new government has been ramping up efforts to fight a war on drug trafficking across Syria. The former Assad regime, which fell last December, turned Syria into a vital drug trade center for the region. The trafficking of illicit substances also appeared tied to Iranian-backed militias in Syria, likely fueling Iran’s nexus of terror proxies such as the Lebanese terrorist organization, Hezbollah. Now the Syrian government is working to fight drug dealers involved in the trade. This is a difficult process due to parts of Syria are still facing security challenges, creating power vacuums that drug smugglers thrive off of.
Turkey
Jerusalem Post: Turkey signals Hamas could hand over power in Gaza, as Turks seek influence in Strip
Al-Ain media in the UAE said this week that Turkey is signaling that Hamas could hand over power in Gaza. Ankara is seeking to play a greater role in Gaza. As part of this initiative, it is holding a meeting in Istanbul to discuss the future administration and reconstruction of Gaza. It also discussed the international stabilization force that is expected to be created for Gaza. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday that countries are “still working on a UN Security Council mandate for an international stabilization force in Gaza, and will decide on any troop deployments once a framework is complete,” Reuters noted.
Reuters: Erdogan ally floats releasing jailed pro-Kurdish leader Demirtas
Turkish nationalist leader Devlet Bahceli said on Tuesday it "would be beneficial" to release from prison former pro-Kurdish party leader Selahattin Demirtas, in a rare signal of support by an influential figure long hostile to Kurdish political demands.
Yemen
Al-Sawa: Houthi Militia Abducts Teacher in Yemen's Ibb Province
Houthi armed militia, the de facto rulers of northern Yemen, abducted a teacher in Ibb province, southwest of Yemen, in a continued campaign of intimidation, sectarian bigotry, and repression against Sunni Muslims.
Yemen Online: Yemen : UN Report Reveals Evidence of Houthi–Al-Shabaab Alliance
The United Nations has disclosed new intelligence indicating increased cooperation between the Houthi armed group in Yemen and Somalia’s Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab movement. According to a February 2025 report reviewed by the UN Security Council, representatives from both groups held meetings in Somalia during July and September 2024, amid the Red Sea crisis.
Mali
Newsweek: Jihadists Bring Another State to Verge of Collapse
A jihadist group linked to Al-Qaeda is bringing the West African country of Mali near collapse as its forces largely control rural areas and are strangling fuel supplies to the capital, Bamako. It raises the prospect of militant Islamists turning a swathe of West Africa into a new fiefdom.
Nigeria
Reuters: Nigeria court gives separatist Kanu final chance to defend himself in terrorism trial
A Nigerian court warned separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu that he risks losing his right to defend himself against terrorism charges if he does not present a defence by Wednesday in a trial that has become a lightning rod for unrest in the southeast.
Reuters: Nigerian army says 19 bandits killed in Kano clash, troops among dead
Nigeria's military on Tuesday said 19 armed bandits were killed in a firefight in Kano state, marking a rare outbreak of violence in the northwestern commercial hub. Army spokesman Babatunde Zubairu said in a statement that two soldiers and a local vigilante also died in the operation.
Sudan
Long War Journal: Islamic State redoubles call for jihad in Sudan, urges foreign fighters to migrate
As news of more mass atrocities committed by the United Arab Emirates-backed Rapid Support Forces (RSF) circulates, the Islamic State has again called for jihad in Sudan. In this week’s Al Naba newsletter, the global jihadist organization made its second call to arms for Sudan this year, while also encouraging foreign fighters to migrate to the country. “Among the remnants of nationalism produced by contemporary ignorance is the denial, neglect, and disavowal of the wounds of Muslims, as long as they do not affect the original homeland in which that ‘nationalist’ being was raised,” the Islamic State’s editorial began. The group claimed that nationalism is the reason that Sudanese Muslims suffer within the current conflict.
Australia
Jewish News Syndicate: A Sri Lankan-born pastor’s daughter becomes a voice against antisemitism in Australia
When Sharon Stoliar saw the images of masked terrorists rampaging through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, she immediately was taken back to her childhood nearly four decades ago in Sri Lanka. The academic researcher and former midwife, who came to Australia as a girl of five, vividly recalled how her father, a pastor with the Wesleyan Methodist Church, was held at gunpoint by rebels in Sri Lanka.
Technology
Jewish Insider: Conservatives resist blaming Musk for reinstating Nick Fuentes on X
When Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts responded to the latest controversy roiling the Republican Party — podcaster Tucker Carlson’s friendly interview with white nationalist Nick Fuentes — it was a touch ironic that Roberts’ chosen venue to defend Carlson was on the social media platform X, where Roberts posted a video on Thursday calling Carlson a “close friend.” That’s because X is the only mainstream social media site where Fuentes is still allowed to have an account, after being banned on Meta’s platforms and on YouTube for a long history of hateful rhetoric targeting Jews, women, Black people and many other minority groups. The far-right conspiracy theorist was once banned from X, too, but owner Elon Musk allowed Fuentes back onto the platform last year.
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