Email from Counter Extremism Project (CEP) US official to ‘Post’: International Stabilization Force to be deployed at beginning of 2026 Eye on Extremism December 10, 2025   Top Stories Jewish Insider: The limitations of Trump’s executive order targeting the Muslim Brotherhood President Donald Trump’s recent executive order directing a review of Muslim Brotherhood chapters for potential terrorism designations is limited in scope, and leaves out scrutiny of Qatar and Turkey — a strategy that experts say reflects both legal realities and geopolitical constraints. Jerusalem Post: US official to ‘Post’: International Stabilization Force to be deployed at beginning of 2026 The International Stabilization Force (ISF) will be deployed in the Gaza Strip at the beginning of 2026, a US official told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday night. The official noted that the ISF will initially include only personnel from one or two countries, with more countries potentially joining in the future. The ISF “will not be deployed in areas controlled by Hamas in the Gaza Strip," the official added.   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 The Jewish Chronicle: Hamas is a terror threat to Europe – it’s high time to act CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans Jakob Schindler writes: We need to disrupt more effectively its financial structures, both those across the continent as well as those located in the territory of our NATO ally Turkey. Frankfurter Rundschau: “So much hatred is not good for me”: Experts warn of rapid rise in right-wing extremism What's more, it is becoming increasingly well organized—even across national borders, according to extremism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler, director of the Counter Extremism Project in Berlin. “In the German milieu, we repeatedly observe close ties to right-wing extremist milieus abroad, particularly in Austria and Switzerland, but also in Eastern European countries,” Schindler said in an interview with Ippen.Media's Frankfurter Rundschau. Analysis Washington Institute for Near East Policy: Christians in the New Syria: Accepted, But At-Risk Although some Christians have been targeted post-Assad, these incidents are hardly an attempted "genocide," but rather part of the broader internal security challenge affecting all communities in Syria, including the majority population. United States ABC News: As online extremists push teens to self-harm, 2 senators join to propose new law making it a crime For several years, as U.S. authorities have struggled to stop online extremist networks like "764" from pushing teens to livestream acts of violence or self-harm, including their own suicide, the Justice Department has faced what authorities and victims both say is a vexing challenge: Such coercion is not a federal crime. That could change if the Republican chairman and the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which oversees the Justice Department, have their way. Snopes: Is FBI compiling list of American 'extremists'? We confirmed leaked memo In December 2025, a rumor spread that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi had asked the FBI to create a list of people in the U.S. who may be "extremists." The claim was true and the memo was real. In an email, a Department of Justice spokesperson shared the original memo, which matched the document Klippenstein published on his newsletter. You can review the memo the DOJ shared with Snopes below. Jewish Insider: House Judiciary chair backs Muslim Brotherhood terror designation, renews push for Antisemitism Awareness Act Speaking at an event on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, offered his full support for the Antisemitism Awareness Act as well as legislation to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, both of which fall within his committee’s jurisdiction. He also said he’s working to maintain U.S.-Israel ties in the face of antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment. NPR: 'Remigration,' once a fringe idea, becomes a mantra for the Trump administration The recent shooting of two National Guardsmen in D.C. has revived calls from the Trump administration for "reverse migration," or "remigration." But those ideas trace back to European extremists. Florida Phoenix: Gov. DeSantis welcomes lawsuit challenging CAIR’s terrorist designation Gov. Ron DeSantis said a lawsuit filed against him by a Muslim civil rights group he recently declared a terrorist organization is “very much welcome.” Monday, DeSantis declared via executive order that the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) are foreign terrorist organizations. CAIR promised a lawsuit, alleging defamation and that the order is unconstitutional. Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Columbia must add Middle East faculty who are ‘not explicitly anti-Zionist,’ antisemitism task force urges Students at Columbia University have little access to academic expertise on the Middle East that does not come from an “explicitly anti-Zionist” perspective, the school’s antisemitism task force found. The Ivy League university “should work quickly and energetically” to add expertise on Jewish and Israeli topics that do not come from an anti-Israel stance, Columbia’s Task Force on Antisemitism urges in its fourth report since forming amid the fallout over the school’s pro-Palestinian protests in 2024. KATV ABC 7: Calls for accountability increase after Neo-Nazi march in Little Rock sparks outrage In Little Rock, reports and also footage of a group of individuals dressed in red and black emerged Saturday, December 6, who were later confirmed by authorities that they were engaging in a march. Known as The Blood Tribe, its demonstration garnered showers of reactions, including collective outrage from organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Canada Jerusalem Post: Database that doxed Canadians who joined IDF publishes list of schools, synagogues they attended The website that previously published a list of all Canadian citizens who served as IDF soldiers has now published a new list of Jewish institutions (such as synagogues) associated with them. The aim of 'GTA to IDF' is to highlight what role Canadian institutions may play in promoting Israel and the Israeli military. The Albertan: Southern Alberta city grappling with white supremacist graffiti, decals Mounties are investigating a string of white supremacist phrases and symbols, including a crudely drawn swastika on a large flower pot, spray-painted across a community in southern Alberta. Police are asking for the public’s help to find those behind the nine cases of “hateful” comments, messages and symbols in Brooks, a city of about 14,600 residents, since the beginning of October. Netherlands NL Times: Released Jihadists, online radicalization keep Netherlands at substantial terror threat The Netherlands remains at a "substantial" risk of terrorism, with the national threat level held at 4, the Dutch National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCTV) reported in its December 2025 threat assessment. The NCTV said the current threat reflects a “real chance” of an attack in the country, maintaining the level assigned six months ago. United Kingdom Irish Times: PSNI makes three arrests in cross-Border inquiry into violent right-wing extremism Three people have been arrested in Northern Ireland as part of a cross-Border police investigation into violent right-wing extremism. Two men were detained by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) in Co Down and a woman was detained in Co Armagh. BBC: Two released in extreme right-wing terror inquiry Two people have been released after police launched an investigation into terrorism. Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) arrested four people on Thursday following an investigation into extreme right-wing terrorism in East Sussex. Two of those arrested – a 41-year-old man from Eastbourne and a 27-year-old woman from Hailsham – were released on Tuesday with no further action. Mirror: Nigel Farage stunned by swipe over Reform 'white supremacist' from Keir Starmer Keir Starmer has blasted Reform for putting a "white supremacist" in charge of a council as he accused Nigel Farage of sowing "chaos and division". The Prime Minister lashed out at a string of scandals in Reform-run local authorities - saying voters had been "utterly let down". Last week the party's council leader in Staffordshire, Ian Cooper, stepped down after being accused of making racist remarks on social media. ITV: Reform UK Staffordshire councillor denies endorsing racist comments on his TikTok account A senior Staffordshire councillor has denied endorsing a racist comment online that described Labour MP David Lammy as a “greedy none thoroughbred”. Despite the remark appearing beneath his own TikTok videos, from an account carrying his name, which he had access to, Cllr Chris Large, Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for finance, condemned the account's content. Russia Reuters: Prosecutors say major US investor in Russia's agriculture is extremist Russia's prosecutor general said a U.S. fund, which owns major assets in agriculture in Russia, was extremist and filed a lawsuit to a Moscow court asking it to stop it operating, pending a seizure of its assets. The statement said that prosecutors filed a lawsuit on December 9 against the company NCH Capital as well as against its founders George Rohr, a U.S. citizen, and Moris Tabacinic, an Austrian citizen. Rohr and Tabacinic founded NCH in 1993. Afghanistan Afghanistan International: Taliban’s Envoy In Qatar Holds Talks With European & UN Officials On Afghanistan The Taliban’s embassy in Qatar says Suhail Shaheen has met in Doha with the United Kingdom’s special envoy for Afghanistan, a senior adviser to the European Institute of Peace and the UN secretary-general’s representative for children and armed conflict. According to the embassy, the Taliban ambassador discussed Afghanistan’s political situation, humanitarian assistance and regional issues with the officials. Afghanistan International: Taliban Publicly Flog Seven People On International Human Rights Day The Taliban Supreme Court has announced that four men and three women were publicly flogged in the Gospandi district of Sar-e Pol province and the Behsud district of Maidan Wardak on charges described as illicit relationships. The individuals received between 25 and 39 lashes and were sentenced to between one and three years in prison. Gaza Strip/West Bank Jerusalem Post: Abu Shabab's death sparks wave of anti-Hamas militia recruitment Groups operating from Israeli-held areas of Gaza say they will continue to fight Hamas despite the killing of their most prominent commander, reporting more recruits since an October ceasefire as they eye a role in the enclave's future. The emergence of the groups, though they remain small and localized, has added to pressures on Islamist Hamas and could complicate efforts to stabilize and unify a divided Gaza, shattered by two years of war. Reuters: From Israeli-held zones in Gaza, foes of Hamas seek lasting role Groups operating from Israeli-held areas of Gaza say they will continue to fight Hamas despite the killing of their most prominent commander, reporting more recruits since an October ceasefire as they eye a role in the enclave's future. The emergence of the groups, though they remain small and localised, has added to pressures on Islamist Hamas and could complicate efforts to stabilise and unify a divided Gaza shattered by two years of war. Iraq Shafaq News: 38% decline in terrorism fails to check rising social violence in Iraq Terrorist attacks in Iraq fell by 38% over the past year, while incidents of social violence climbed by 12%, the Strategic Center for Human Rights in Iraq said on Wednesday. In a statement marking World Human Rights Day, the center’s Deputy Head, Hazim Al-Rudaini, said the data from 2024–2025 reflects a “complex and conflicting” human rights picture, where security gains are being offset by persistent social and institutional pressures. Iran Associated Press: Attack by gunmen kills 3 members of Revolutionary Guard in southeast Iran Gunmen killed three members of the Revolutionary Guard in Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan near the Pakistan border, state media reported. The Guard members were ambushed while patrolling near the city of Lar in a mountainous area about 1,125 kilometers (700 miles) southeast of the capital Tehran, the official IRNA news agency reported. Israel Times of Israel: US envoy to UN: Announcements ‘upcoming’ on phase 2 of Gaza plan; letting Hamas survive would be ‘insanity’ US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz says he expects “upcoming” announcements on the advancement of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan in Gaza, stressing that Washington will not allow Hamas to rebuild under the framework, while meeting with President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem during the envoy’s visit this week to advance the plan. Lebanon Reuters: Lebanon foreign minister declines Tehran visit, proposes talks in neutral country Lebanon's foreign minister Youssef Raji said on Wednesday he had declined an invitation to visit Tehran for now, proposing instead talks with Iran in a mutually agreed neutral third country, Lebanese state news agency NNA reported. Raji cited "current conditions" for the decision not to go to Iran, without elaborating, and stressed that the move did not mean rejection of dialogue with Iran. He did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters for additional comment. Reuters: Bulgarian court rejects Lebanon's extradition request for Russian over Beirut blast A Bulgarian court has rejected Lebanon's request to extradite a Russian shipowner linked to the 2020 Beirut port blast, citing insufficient security guarantees from Lebanese authorities. Igor Grechushkin, a Cyprus-based Russian businessman whose vessel transported the explosive material that detonated at Beirut port in August 2020, killing more than 220 people, was detained in Bulgaria in September for possible extradition to Lebanon, where he is wanted over his role in the disaster. Naharnet: Report: Khamenei tells Qassem Hezbollah can take its own decisions Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has sent a letter to Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem telling him that “Hezbollah’s decisions are left to its leadership in Lebanon,” sources told An-Nahar newspaper in remarks published Wednesday. “This is what he (Khamenei) used to practice with the late Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,” the sources added. Naharnet: Issa says negotiations with govt and war on Hezbollah are two separate things U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa said Wednesday that Israel differentiates between the Lebanese government and Hezbollah. "The negotiations with the Lebanese government and the war on Hezbollah are two separate things to Israel," Issa told reporters in a press conference after a meeting with Speaker Nabih Berri and the American Task Force for Lebanon. Naharnet: Le Drian discusses Hezbollah disarmament, army support as he meets Gemayel in Beirut French Special Envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian met Wednesday with Kataeb leader Sami Gemayel as he visits Lebanon to prepare for a conference to support the Lebanese Army. Le Drian arrived Monday in Beirut and met with President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Foreign Minister Joseph Rajji, Army chief Rodolphe Haykal, former PSP leader Walid Jumblat, and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea. Syria Jerusalem Post: Israeli Druze leader seeks US security guarantees for Syrian minority Israeli Druze leader Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif urged the United States to guarantee the security of the Druze community in Syria to prevent a recurrence of intense violence earlier this year in Sweida, a Druze-majority province in Sunni-dominated Syria. Turkey Naharnet: Turkey launches Syria-Hezbollah and Syria-Iran mediation Turkey is mediating between Syria and Hezbollah on the one hand and between Syria and Iran on the other, which reflects Ankara's attempt to control the dynamics of a delicate regional phase characterized by rapidly shifting balances, a media report said. A well-informed source told the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper that Turkey has succeeded in recent weeks in bringing together a high-ranking official from the new Syrian regime and a prominent Hezbollah official in meetings held repeatedly behind the scenes. Ankara has also hosted high-ranking officials from Syria and Iran. Yemen Reuters: UN chief condemns Houthi referral of some detained UN staff to court United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemns a referral by Yemen's Houthis of some of the dozens of U.N. staff they have detained to a special criminal court, his spokesperson said on Tuesday. U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the Houthis have arbitrarily detained 59 Yemeni U.N. personnel, who have been held "incommunicado - some for years - without any due process, in violation of international law." Yemen Online: Yemen: 2 Gov’t Soldiers , Several Houthi Fighters Killed in Fierce Clashes East of Taiz Military sources reported that heavy clashes erupted east of Taiz city, the provincial capital in southern Yemen, after Houthi forces launched an assault on positions held by the Taiz Axis troops in the al-Karifat front. According to the sources, the fighting resulted in the death of two Yemeni soldiers and several Houthi fighters, amid intense exchanges of fire involving various types of weaponry. Pakistan NDTV: Sindh Leader's "Extremist-Controlled Nukes" Warning Amid Asim Munir's Rise In Pakistan As Pakistan's powerful Army Chief General Asim Munir faces intense criticism at home and abroad for what many describe as an unconstitutional and unreasonable concentration of authority, a Pakistani politician has issued a dramatic public appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a detailed letter sent on the eve of World Human Rights Day from Frankfurt, Sindhi leader Shafi Burfat warned that Pakistan is entering a dangerously unstable phase under what he calls a "radicalised, militarised command structure," posing threats not only to Sindh but to the entire region. Congo Reuters: Rwanda-backed M23 rebels enter east Congo town of Uvira, sources say Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have entered the eastern Congo town of Uvira, an important base for the Congolese army near the border with Burundi, four sources including two residents told Reuters on Wednesday. Uvira, situated on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, has served as the headquarters of the Kinshasa-appointed government in South Kivu after the province's capital, Bukavu, fell to M23 in February. It has also served as the regional military base and M23's seizure of the town could allow it to advance on other sites beyond South Kivu. Australia The West Australian: Daniel Alexander Stocks: Fascist group member who made nazi salutes at Perth pub says he’s ‘proud’ A white supremacist, who repeatedly made a ‘heil Hitler’ salutes at a Perth pub, says he’s proud to be a neo-nazi, despite claiming in court that he was remorseful. Daniel Alexander Stocks had attended the March for Australia anti-immigration rally at Supreme Court Gardens with other members of the National Socialist Network on August 31 when he committed the crime. Technology Jewish Telegraphic Agency: ADL says bots can be tricked into antisemitism — if you feed them a really elaborate prompt A new study by the Anti-Defamation League found that open-source artificial intelligence models can be “easily” manipulated into generating antisemitic and dangerous content. But in order to test the 17 open-source models in its study, the researchers had to offer up lengthy prompts that sounded anything but easy. The Guardian: Coordinated online attack sought to suggest Taylor Swift promoted Nazi ideas, research finds Analysis has found that a coordinated online attack sought to align Taylor Swift and her latest album, The Life of a Showgirl, with Nazi and rightwing imagery and values, from accounts feigning leftist critique and designed to encourage outrage. The AI-driven behavioural intelligence platform Gudea produced a report examining more than 24,000 posts and 18,000 accounts across 14 social media platforms between 4 October, the day of the album’s release, and 18 October. These posts accused Swift of sowing dogwhistle references in her lyrics and alleged that a lightning bolt-style necklace from her merchandise line – a reference to the album track Opalite – resembled SS insignia. 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