Email from Counter Extremism Project (CEP) FBI arrests 4 alleged members of radical pro-Palestinian group accused of plotting New Year’s Eve bombings Eye on Extremism December 15, 2025   Top Stories The Guardian: Anthony Albanese vows to deploy all resources against antisemitism as criticism mounts after Bondi attack Anthony Albanese says his government will dedicate “every single resource required” to eradicate antisemitism in Australia after the Bondi terror shooting, after envoy Jillian Segal and the Coalition accused Labor of not doing enough to fight hate against Jewish communities. Fox News: FBI arrests 4 alleged members of radical pro-Palestinian group accused of plotting New Year’s Eve bombings Federal authorities say they disrupted a credible terrorist threat over the weekend, arresting four alleged members of a radical pro-Palestinian extremist group accused of planning coordinated New Year’s Eve bombings in Los Angeles. The FBI told Fox News Digital that the members self-identified as part of a radical offshoot of the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF), an extremist group motivated by pro-Palestinian, anti-law-enforcement, and anti-government ideology.   REGISTER FOR TOMORROW'S WEBINAR: Counter Extremism Project (CEP) is delighted to invite you to this webinar, where Sofia Koller, Senior Research Analyst at CEP Germany will be presenting key insights from her latest policy paper, From Caliphate to Prison – How Germany is Approaching the Rehabilitation of Islamic State Returnees (originally published in 2024 in German with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and available in English after the webinar). Torben Adams, Head of Division, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs in Bremen, Germany, will be comparing Germany’s experience to that of other affected countries in Europe and the Middle East. RSVP here.   CEP Mentions Homeland Security Today: Death Toll Rises to 15 in Bondi Beach Terror Attack on Chanukah Celebration “Jews were attacked because they are Jews. Such hatred must be named and confronted without equivocation,” said Counter Extremism Project CEO Mark D. Wallace. “This attack demands moral clarity and immediate action to protect Jewish Australians and confront antisemitism—and, specifically, the extreme demonization of Israel. Australia’s lawmakers must do better—immediately.” Tagesspiegel: Expert assumes terrorist cell: The Sydney attackers acted “relatively calmly and methodically” Terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler, like the Australian government, assumes the attack was motivated by antisemitism. However, given the current state of the investigation, it remains unclear which social group the perpetrators belong to. Deutsche Welle: Extremism expert on Bondi attack: 'Threat remains high' Deutsche Welle's Gerhard Elfers talks with the Counter Extremism Project's senior director Hans-Jakob Schindler. They discuss the latest events in Sydney, Australia, where two gunmen attacked a Jewish celebration event at the popular Bondi Beach. At least 15 people have been killed and dozens more wounded. Schindler and Elfers discuss the Israel-Gaza conflict, Australian security and intelligence, and antisemitism. JFeed: Why Qatar Should Pay For Gaza's Cleanup and Rebuilding Those responsible for orchestrating the attacks “are operating in plain sight and within reach in the hands of our purported major non-NATO ally Qatar,” said Mark Wallace, a former U.S. representative to the United Nations and head of the New York-based United Against Nuclear Iran. “We should not hesitate to act militarily on Qatari soil to bring to justice Ismail Haniyeh and Hamas leadership,” Wallace said. Frances Townsend, a top counterterror adviser to George W. Bush and head of the non-profit Counter Extremism Project, also joined the call for action. NTV: Bondi Beach attack: Terror expert assesses the act Following a shooting at Bondi Beach that left several dead, initial findings point to a targeted attack. According to police, a Hanukkah celebration was apparently the target. Terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler assesses the situation. RTL: CEP Senior Director Hans-Jakob Schindler talks about a prevented terror attack on a Christmas Market in Bavaria. ACAMS: Teenagers Triggering More STRs in Europe The involvement of minors in such cases marks an entirely new development, said Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director of the Counter Extremism Project in Berlin, but their “amateurish” tradecraft made their crimes comparatively easy to detect. “Social media, crowdfunding platforms and new technologies have played a central role in intensifying radicalization and offering new, more user-friendly methods of payments without systematic monitoring,” Schindler told moneylaundering.com. Deutsche Welle: What we know about the Sydney terror attack Hans-Jakob Schindler, Counter Extremism Project, talks to DW about reactions to the Bondi Beach attack. Münchner Merkur: "Six weapons for two hands": Expert puzzled by anomaly in Bondi Beach terror attack "That a father and son would carry out such an attack is certainly a distinctive feature," says terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler, director of the Counter Extremism Project, in an interview with the Munich-based newspaper Merkur, published by Ippen.Media. Nau.ch: That is why Jews are currently particularly at risk For terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler, one thing is clear: anti-Semitism has long since followed its own rules. He told Nau.ch: "The rapid increase in anti-Semitic incidents in Europe, North America and Australia is closely linked to the situation in the Middle East." Analysis Jerusalem Post: Syria at crossroads after terrorist attack on US forces – analysis Syria’s government is scrambling to hunt down extremists after the attack on US forces in the region of Palmyra, in which American servicemen were killed. Two US soldiers were killed, and a civilian Christian interpreter from the Kurdistan region was killed. Jerusalem Post: Death of senior terrorist Ra'ad Sa'ad closes the October 7 chapter, but Hamas remains – analysis There is some good news and some bad news about the assassination of Hamas deputy leader Ra'ad Sa'ad on Saturday. As for the good news, first, Sa'ad was the last living Hamas official who masterminded the October 7 invasion. United States Jerusalem Post: 'F*** the Jews': Gunman fires 20 bullets into Jewish family's Hanukkah-decorated home in California A gunman fired 20 bullets into the home of a Jewish family in Redlands, California, on Saturday. The family’s home was clearly Jewish, as they had decorated the exterior for Hanukkah. According to door cam footage, the suspect shouted antisemitic slurs such as “F*** the Jews” as he fired at the home from his car. Fox News: CAIR's tax-exempt status targeted as Cornyn moves to strip group after terror designations A Senate Republican wants to nix the tax-exempt status of a national Muslim advocacy group that both Texas and Florida have designated as a terrorist organization. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, intends to introduce legislation that would remove the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ (CAIR) tax-exempt status. Currently, an organization's tax-exempt status is suspended if it is designated by the State Department as a terrorist organization. CNN: Inside the White supremacist compound hiding in plain sight In east Tennessee, at the end of a winding dirt road, a mother glances into the woods she roamed as a child. It’s a deep and dramatic vista: a patchwork of pines and oaks disappearing into an endless Blue Ridge mountain range. “We used to ride four wheelers all through the woods,” said one woman, who spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity due to fears for her safety. “We had secret hiding places, we’d just be gone for hours … our parents wouldn’t even know where we were.” But things are different now. NBC News: DOJ weighs novel federal hate crime case against Charlie Kirk's alleged killer Three months after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the Justice Department is weighing how to bring federal charges against the shooter, including under a novel legal theory that it was an anti-Christian hate crime, according to three people familiar with the investigation. WCNC Charlotte: North Carolina men participated in Neo-Nazi rally in Arkansas, public records show Public records show that four men from North Carolina participated in a Neo-Nazi rally in Little Rock, Arkansas, on Dec. 6, 2025. Two of the men are from the Charlotte area. The Arkansas Times, an alternative weekly newspaper that serves Arkansas, shared that the rally last weekend happened in front of the state's capitol and Little Rock Central High School, which was racially integrated in 1957. The rally was held by the group called Blood Tribe and focused near the Little Rock Nine statue, which commemorated the first nine Black students to integrate at the school. The Arkansas Times said the group's rally included the use of a banner with a segregationist slogan. Netherlands Times of Israel: Dutch police arrest 22 at protest of Amsterdam Hanukkah concert featuring IDF cantor Dutch police said they arrested 22 people after clashes with protesters on Sunday outside an Amsterdam concert hall hosting a performance by the Israel Defense Forces’ official cantor. The next morning, an anti-Israel group shared photos of red-paint graffiti on the walls of the concert hall, claiming credit for the vandalism and threatening other venues “considering platforming Zionists.” Germany Reuters: German far-right lawmaker charged with making Nazi salute Prosecutors in Berlin have filed charges against the far-right Alternative for Germany's (AfD) Matthias Moosdorf for allegedly greeting another party member with the banned Nazi salute during a parliamentary session, they said in a statement on Monday. The Bundestag lower house of parliament voted in October to lift the Russia-friendly cellist-turned-politician's parliamentary immunity, paving the way for the charges. United Kingdom The Scottish Sun: Scots Neo-Nazi mum and daughter duo posted shocking anti-Semitic, racist & transphobic material online A SCOTS Neo-Nazi mother and daughter who posted shocking anti-Semitic, racist and transphobic material on the internet are facing a jail sentence. Shirley Craughwell and daughter Hannah – who used the online name ‘Hannah Hitler’ – posted hundreds of comments, images and videos of extreme right wing content on their social media accounts. Russia Reuters: Anti-Kremlin punk band 'Pussy Riot' designated an extremist group by Russian court Russian anti-Kremlin feminist punk band 'Pussy Riot' was designated an extremist organisation by a Moscow court on Monday, banning its activities inside Russia as part of a wider crackdown on dissenting voices. The ruling, announced by Moscow's court service, was made at a closed-door court hearing at the request of the General Prosecutor's Office. Afghanistan Afghanistan International: Tehran Urges Taliban & Pakistan To Return To Negotiating Table Iran said Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries and Russia, meeting in Tehran, have called on the Taliban and Pakistan to return to negotiations and resolve their differences through diplomatic means. In a statement on the meeting, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Afghanistan’s neighbours and Russia supported efforts to de-escalate tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan and expressed readiness to help strengthen those efforts. Afghanistan International: Pakistan Ulema Council Chief Urges Taliban To Act Against Extremism Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, chairman of Pakistan’s Ulema Council, has urged the Taliban to take action against extremism in Afghanistan, welcoming a recent gathering of Taliban clerics in Kabul and calling for the implementation of its resolution. Afghanistan International: UK Says Security In Afghanistan Remains Volatile, Urges Citizens To Stay Away The United Kingdom has advised its citizens against all travel to Afghanistan, citing heightened military tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan and an increasingly unstable security situation. In an updated travel advisory issued on Monday, the UK Foreign Office warned that violent clashes have occurred in border areas with Pakistan and that the overall security environment in Afghanistan remains volatile. The advisory also said the risk of detention of British nationals in Afghanistan has increased. Gaza Strip/West Bank Reuters: Israel says it killed senior Hamas commander Raed Saed in Gaza The Israeli military said it killed senior Hamas commander Raed Saed, one of the architects of the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, in a strike on a car in Gaza City on Saturday. It was the highest-profile assassination of a senior Hamas figure since a Gaza ceasefire deal came into effect in October. Jerusalem Post: Hamas chief negotiator says Israel strike on Ra'ad Sa'ad threatens Trump's Gaza ceasefire Hamas's chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya said on Sunday that a targeted assassination by Israel on Saturday of one of the group's senior commanders threatens the "viability of the truce" in the Gaza Strip. In a televised address, Hayya, who is also the exiled Gaza Hamas chief, confirmed the killing of the group's senior commander, Ra'ad Sa'ad, in an Israeli strike a day earlier. Times of Israel: Israeli suspected of trying to stab soldier in West Bank shot, seriously hurt A Jewish Israeli man was shot and seriously injured while brandishing a knife and approaching a soldier at a gas station near the West Bank settlement of Kedumim on Monday morning. Some reports suggested the man, who was suspected of attempting to attack the soldier, was mentally ill. Jerusalem Post: Hamas demanded displaced Gazans pay rent on beach tents amid torrential downpour, IDF reveals After their homes had been destroyed in the war, Hamas is forcing displaced Gazans in al-Qarara to pay rent to live in tents on the beach, the IDF's Arabic spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee revealed last week. "Hamas demands that residents pay huge amounts due to renting a space on the beach," Adraee wrote in the post, which included an image obtained by the military of a Hamas message outlining the terror group's demand. Iran Iran International: Iran says IAEA has no right to inspect nuclear sites hit by attacks Iran’s nuclear chief on Monday said the UN atomic watchdog has no right to demand inspections of sites attacked by the United States and Israel in June, deepening the stalemate over Tehran's disputed nuclear program. Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said Tehran had allowed inspections at nuclear sites that were not attacked but drew a distinction with facilities that sustained military strikes. Iran International: From false-flag claims to celebration: Iran's state media spin Sydney attack Iranian state media and loyalists including a top general pushed conspiracy theories after a deadly shooting targeting Australia’s Jewish community on Sunday, with some portraying the attack as a possible false-flag operation and others even praising it. The messaging emerged even as Iran's foreign ministry issued a formal condemnation of the shooting at a Hanukkah event in Sydney that killed 16 people and injured 40 others. Israel Jerusalem Post: Sa'ar announces forum with worldwide Jewish leaders to address growing antisemitism Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar will meet with dozens of leaders from Jewish communities and organizations worldwide as part of the J50 Forum, to be held in Jerusalem between December 21 and 24, his office announced on Monday. Sa’ar founded the forum in May during the International Conference against Antisemitism held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Times of Israel: Bennett meets 15 ambassadors, urges countries to protect Jews from ‘global tsunami of antisemitism’ Following the deadly terror shooting attack on a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, former prime minister Naftali Bennett — a leading challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in elections next year — tells 15 foreign ambassadors that “Jews around the world are in clear and immediate danger,” according to his office. Jerusalem Post: Gov't issues warnings for Israelis abroad to avoid unsecured public events after Sydney massacre The National Security Council on Sunday released new precautions for Israelis abroad, shortly after the Bondi Beach mass shooting, which claimed 15 lives at a Hanukkah party. "History has taught us that it is possible that terror supporters will try to carry out copycat attacks, inspired by this event," the NSC stated. Times of Israel: Former hostages, bereaved families demand Netanyahu open October 7 state probe Marking 800 days since they were abducted, 22 former hostages on Sunday demanded the government either establish a state commission of inquiry into the Hamas onslaught of October 7, 2023, or resign. The demand, made in a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was also signed by dozens of members of 49 hostages’ families, some of whose loved ones were killed in captivity. Syria Reuters: Syria arrests five suspects over shooting of US, Syrian troops in Palmyra Syria has arrested five people suspected of having links to the shooting of U.S. and Syrian troops in the central Syrian town of Palmyra on Saturday, the Interior Ministry said on Sunday. Two U.S. Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed by an attacker who targeted a convoy of American and Syrian forces before being shot dead. The Syrian Interior Ministry has described the attacker as a member of the Syrian security forces suspected of sympathising with Islamic State. France 24: Syrian gunman who killed three Americans was to be fired from security forces for 'extremist views' Syria said on Sunday that the gunman who killed three Americans in the central Palmyra region was a member of its own security forces who was due to be dismissed for extremist views, a day after the deadly attack blamed by Washington on the Islamic State group. Reuters: Two US soldiers and an interpreter killed in suspected Islamic State attack in Syria Two U.S. Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in Syria on Saturday by a suspected Islamic State attacker who targeted a convoy of American and Syrian forces before being shot dead, the U.S. military said. The attack was barely a month after Syria announced it had signed a political cooperation agreement with the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State, which coincided with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's visit to the White House. Yemen Associated Press: UAE-backed Yemeni separatists march to another southern province, raising fears of renewed conflict An Emirati-backed secessionist group in Yemen said its forces were marching Monday to another province as part of the group’s push to expand areas under its control in the country’s south, at the expense of its allies in the internationally recognized government. The Southern Transitional Council this month seized most of the provinces of Hadramout and Mahra, including crucial oil facilities and the border with Oman. The move raised fears that the relative calm in the country’s stalemated civil war might be shattered. Reuters: At least 32 security personnel killed in Yemen's Hadhramaut in attacks by STC-affiliated groups Yemen's internationally recognised government said on Friday at least 32 security personnel were killed and 45 wounded in eastern province of Hadhramaut attacks by STC-affiliated groups, state news agency reported. India Jerusalem Post: India issues high alert for potential terror attacks against Jews, Israelis over Hanukkah India’s intelligence services have issued a high-level alert warning of the potential of terror attacks against Jewish citizens, especially in the aftermath of the Bondi Beach attacks on Sunday. Security agencies across India, but especially in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, have been told to remain vigilant. In fact, according to local reports, the alert was put in place last week, following intelligence suggesting a potential terror attack. The alert will now stay in place. Congo Reuters: M23 says hundreds of Burundi soldiers captured in latest Congo offensive The Rwanda-backed M23 group has captured hundreds of Burundian soldiers during its latest offensive in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a rebel official said, as clashes continued despite a warning from the Trump administration. Last week M23 entered the strategic town of Uvira near the border with Burundi, less than a week after the presidents of Congo and Rwanda met in Washington with U.S. President Donald Trump and affirmed their commitment to a peace deal known as the Washington Accords. Australia Associated Press: Father and son gunmen kill at least 15 people in attack on Hanukkah event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach Two gunmen opened fire during a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi beach, killing 15 people, including a child, officials said Monday, in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called an act of antisemitic terrorism that struck at the heart of the nation. The shooters were father and son, authorities said. Jerusalem Post: Australia's Albanese denies link between recognizing Palestinian statehood and Bondi Beach massacre There was no link between Australia’s recognition of a Palestinian state and the Bondi Beach terrorist attack that claimed the lives of at least 15 people and wounded another 40, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said during an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Monday. Sydney Morning Herald: CCTV captures moment alleged Bondi shooters embark on terror mission This was the moment the father and son terrorists who allegedly opened fire on Bondi Beach stepped out of their hideaway and put into action their plan to massacre Sydney’s Jewish community. Naveed Akram, 24, and his father, Sajid, told their family they were on a fishing trip in Jervis Bay over the weekend. Jerusalem Post: Son of former Iranian ambassador to Australia posts antisemitic message hours before Sydney attack The son of Iran’s former ambassador to Australia posted an antisemitic message on X/Twitter just hours before the attack on the Jewish gathering in Sydney on Sunday. In the post, Ahmad Ghadiri Abyaneh, the son of ex-envoy Mohammad-Hassan Ghadiri Abyaneh, labeled Hanukkah celebrations as a “platform for satanic rituals of Masonic circles” and called for “defense.” NBC News: What we know about the victims of the Bondi Beach shooting in Australia A Holocaust survivor, a 10-year-old and a Chabad rabbi were among the 15 people killed when two gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah event at Australia's Bondi Beach on Sunday. Hundreds of people had gathered to mark the first day of the Jewish festival, before the attackers struck at the event in Sydney. The dead range in age from 10 to 87, and include French, Slovak and Israeli citizens, officials have said. At least 40 people were also wounded. Bloomberg: Bondi Massacre Sparks Anger Over Missed Antisemitism Warnings Anger over the Bondi Beach massacre spilled over as Australia’s Jewish community accused the government of failing to halt a years-long increase in antisemitism that culminated in the nation’s worst-ever terrorist incident. Hundreds of people of different faiths gathered Monday near the site of the killings to leave flowers, hug each other and cry, or to show solidarity with Sydney’s Jewish population. Many also expressed deep-seated acrimony toward authorities after a two-year surge in antisemitic incidents. Jerusalem Post: 'Only a matter of time': Australian Jewish leaders say Bondi Beach terror attack was 'long dreaded' The Bondi Beach Hanukkah massacre that claimed the lives of at least 15 people and wounded another 40 was the expected progression of two years of rising antisemitic actions and rhetoric, said the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies president, David Ossip, and Executive Council of Australian Jewry Alex Ryvchin, urging the federal government to take greater care to prevent future incidents. Jerusalem Post: Mossad sent warnings to Australia about antisemitic terror attack risks The Mossad has been warning Australia regularly for months about Iranian and other potential terror plots against Jews, The Jerusalem Post has learned, following the attack that murdered 11 at a Hannukkah event on Sunday. Already in August, the Mossad gave helpful warnings to Australia regarding terror threats from Iran. Jewish News Syndicate: Murdered Sydney rabbi’s antisemitism plea to Australian PM revealed Hours after Rabbi Eli Schlanger was murdered at Bondi Beach, Sydney during a mass shooting at a Chanukah event, a letter he had recently sent to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was revealed. In it, the rabbi made an impassioned plea regarding Australia’s recognition of a Palestinian state and rising antisemitism in the country. New York Times: Bondi Shooting Is Latest in Alarming Rise of Antisemitic Attacks in Australia Australian Jews had gathered on Sunday on Sydney’s Bondi Beach to mark Hanukkah, one of the most joyful and family-friendly Jewish holidays, when two gunmen started firing into a crowd. At least 15 people were killed in the mass shooting and dozens were wounded, according to the authorities. One of the shooters was also killed. BBC: 'I've grown up in fear': Jewish Australians say rising antisemitism made attack predictable Bondi Beach is almost unrecognisable. The sun is out but the surf is empty. The usually heaving main street is hushed. Helicopters track overhead. Forensic investigators - bright blue figures in the distance - comb over the crime scene from Sunday afternoon when two gunmen opened fire at an event marking the Jewish festival of Hannukah, killing at least 15 people and injuring more than 40 others. Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Parents of man who wrestled gun from Bondi Beach shooter call son a 'hero' The parents of a fruit shop owner who tackled and disarmed one of the Bondi Beach attackers have called their son a hero. Incredible footage shows Ahmed Al Ahmed, 43, running up to one of the gunmen from behind before wrestling a long-barrelled gun from him. AFP: Australia’s antisemitism envoy: Hate has been ‘seeping into society for many years’ The Australian government’s special envoy to combat antisemitism, Jillian Segal, says hate has been “seeping into society for many years and we have not come out strongly enough against it.” The Bondi shooting was an “attack on Australia, not just on the Jewish community,” she tells public broadcaster ABC. Reuters: Australia plans tougher gun laws after police say father and son killed 15 at Bondi Beach Australia vowed stricter gun laws on Monday as it began mourning victims of its worst mass shooting in almost 30 years, in which police accused a father and son of killing 15 people at a Jewish celebration at Sydney's famed Bondi Beach. The older gunman, aged 50, was killed at the scene, taking the tally of dead to 16, while his 24-year-old son was in a critical condition in hospital, police told a press conference. Fox News: Jewish advocate warns antisemitism is ‘going unaddressed’ in Australia Jewish and Israeli advocate Mor Greenberg discusses slain Rabbi Eli Schlanger’s legacy and the Australian government’s response to rising antisemitism on ‘Fox & Friends.’ Associated Press: Israel’s Netanyahu lashes out while world shows shock and sympathy over Australia shooting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at Australia’s leader on Sunday while nations expressed shock and sympathy over a mass shooting at a Jewish holiday event, saying he had warned Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that “your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on the antisemitic fire.” Technology EuroNews: IS and other extremist groups use AI to produce fake content and recruit new members Militant groups began using AI as soon as programs such as ChatGPT became widely accessible. In the years since, they have increasingly used generative AI programs to create realistic-looking photos and videos. As the rest of the world rushes to harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI), militant groups are also experimenting with the technology, even if they are unsure exactly what to do with it. 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