Email from Counter Extremism Project (CEP) Israeli intel official says your 'jaw would drop' at terror plots prevented worldwide Eye on Extremism December 16, 2025   Top Stories Associated Press: Australian police say Bondi Beach mass shooting was inspired by Islamic State group A mass shooting in which 15 people were killed during a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach was “a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State,” Australia’s federal police commissioner Krissy Barrett said Tuesday. The suspects were a father and son, aged 50 and 24, authorities have said. The older man, whom state officials named as Sajid Akram, was shot dead. His son was being treated at a hospital. Fox News: Israeli intel official says your 'jaw would drop' at terror plots prevented worldwide Senior Israeli intelligence officials say warnings delivered to Australia ahead of a deadly attack at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach were part of a much broader alert: an accelerating global rise in attempts to execute terror attacks across Western countries, increasingly aimed not only at Jewish targets, but also at Christians and large gatherings especially during religious holidays.   CounterPoint Blogs & Briefs Sahel Monitoring September 2025 Islamic State Propaganda Evolution Since October 7 — Content Abduction As a Tactic, Not a Byproduct of Terrorism The Overlooked Nexus between Sports and Extremism Financing   CEP Mentions Welt TV: “The threat of terrorism remains abstractly high” Following the attack in Sydney, terrorism expert [CEP Senior Director] Hans-Jakob Schindler warns that the abstract threat of terrorism in Germany remains high: “We have IS and Al-Qaeda networks that continue to try to spread their narrative on German social media.”’ Welt: Terror suspect Tajik came as an au pair and completed training as a nurse [CEP Senior Director] Hans-Jakob Schindler, former counterterrorism coordinator for the UN Security Council and member of the German Federal Ministry of the Interior's “Advisory Group on Preventing and Combating Islamism,” told WELT: “In recent years, ISPK has emerged as the offshoot that is most actively attempting to carry out attacks abroad.” … Although ISPK does not control its own territory, unlike other IS provinces—such as those in West Africa—it has established itself as a robust underground structure in Afghanistan, according to Schindler. This makes ISPK one of the most active and strategically flexible offshoots of the global IS network abroad. According to US intelligence services, it is also one of the “deadliest.” Analysis Global Network on Extremism & Technology: The Weaponisation of Femininity: Gendered Realities in ISIS’s Digital Caliphate CEP Senior Research Analyst Riza Kumar writes that central to ISIS’s digital propaganda is the strategic deployment of gendered narratives, through which it reinforces patriarchal control and mobilizes online supporters. Jerusalem Post: Lebanon–Iran tensions deepen as foreign minister challenges Tehran – analysis Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi slammed Iran on December 15, the latest in growing tensions between the countries. “Iran’s role is extremely negative, and its policies are among the chief sources of instability in Lebanon and the region,” Raggi wrote on social media. Washington Institute for Near East Policy: Cutting Off Hamas’s European Fundraising Spigot Some European governments have been aggressive in prosecuting the group’s continental financiers, but not aggressive enough, while others have yet to take any substantive action. United States Washington Post: Justice officials say they stopped a terror plot targeting companies in L.A. area Federal authorities said Monday they disrupted a planned New Year’s Eve attack targeting U.S. companies around the Los Angeles area and arrested four suspects who allegedly were practicing how to build explosive devices. Fox News: LA terror plot could have been 'devastating,' former DOJ prosecutor warns Former DOJ prosecutor Jim Trusty discusses the arrests of four suspects accused of planning a terror plot on New Year's Eve in Los Angeles and President Donald Trump's move to classify fentanyl as a 'weapon of mass destruction.' New York Post: Far-left extremists face judge in alleged LA bombing plot as trans suspect begs for women’s jail Four people from an “anti-capitalist, anti-government” extremist group accused of hatching a plot to carry out coordinated bombings in and around Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve were in court Monday, as a trans suspect begged the judge to be sent to a women’s jail. The “credible, imminent terrorist threat” to five unidentified companies’ logistics centers in Southern California came from radical members of an offshoot of the left-wing Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF), FBI Director Kash Patel and other law enforcement officials revealed Monday. Naharnet: Trump: We'll see what happens with Hezbollah U.S. President Donald Trump has voiced new remarks about Hezbollah and the situation in the Middle East. “We have legitimate peace in the Middle East. The first time in 3,000 years … We’ll see what happens with Hamas. We’ll see what happens with Hezbollah, but regardless, we have countries that want to go in and clean that out if we want them to do it,” Trump said, apparently referring to the countries that are backing his Gaza peace plan. Jewish Telegraphic Agency: JD Vance: Stopping immigration is the best way to curb antisemitism in the US Under fire over antisemitism within the Republican Party, Vice President JD Vance said on Monday that “the single most significant thing you could do to eliminate anti-semitism” is reducing immigration to the United States. Vance also laid out his attitude about criticism of Israel, tweeting, “I would say there’s a difference between not liking Israel (or disagreeing with a given Israeli policy) and anti-semitism.” Alabama Reflector: Tommy Tuberville’s anti-Muslim attacks land senator on civil rights group’s extremist list U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville accelerated attacks on Muslim Americans over the weekend, calling for the forced deportation of those of the Islamic faith. The Alabama Republican’s remarks followed attacks on a school for Muslim children and Somali immigrants in Minnesota, accompanied by the filing of two bills targeting Muslims. The moves drew condemnation and led to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a civil rights group that advocates on behalf of people of the Islamic faith, placing him on a list of anti-Muslim extremists. The Guardian: Lawyers accuse DoJ of political pressure in University of California antisemitism investigation Attorneys with the US Department of Justice have reportedly said they felt pressured to accuse the University of California of discriminating against Jewish students and faculty, at the urging of the Trump administration, in what one lawyer described as a “hit job”. Times of Israel: Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men attacked on NYC subway An Orthodox Jewish man was attacked on the New York City subway last night, in an incident that was recorded and published on social media. In the footage, two men approach a group of Orthodox men, reportedly members of the Chabad Lubavitch sect, and begin hurling insults at them. Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Antisemitism tensions rise as NYC Young Republicans host the far-right The guest list at the New York Young Republican Club’s annual gala on Saturday included white nationalists, antisemitic conspiracy theorists and a Jewish City Councilwoman, who ultimately decided not to attend. Inna Vernikov, a Jewish City Council member who represents a south Brooklyn district with a large Russian Jewish population, did not attend despite being promoted as an “honored guest.” Vernikov, who was one of a few politicians to back out, later suggested on social media that her absence was connected to antisemitism on the right. WJLA ABC 7: Rise of violent online extremists targeting children leads to wave of arrests, lawsuits Supervisory Special Agent Nick DeGeorge, who’s worked for the FBI for 15 years, describes his latest caseload as “by far the most graphic material that I've encountered.” DeGeorge’s boss, FBI Director Kash Patel, refers to it as the new form of “modern day terrorism in America." A string of recent federal indictments describes 764 as just one of a number of online networks now operating under the ideology of nihilistic violent extremism. Cincinnati Enquirer: Glendale plans peaceful rally after resident marched with neo-Nazis in Arkansas A Glendale man joined what is being called a neo-Nazi march earlier this month, and his neighbors are now planning a peaceful vigil for Dec. 17 in response. Keith Elflein was one of 23 men who participated in a Dec. 6 rally and march in Little Rock, Arkansas, police there confirmed. Canada The Canadian Press: OneBC party split over staffer's 'disgusting' views on race and Jews, says ex-leader British Columbia legislator Dallas Brodie, whose OneBC party has removed her as leader, said the split happened after colleagues tried to stop her from firing a caucus staffer whose views on Jewish people were "disgusting" and antisemitic. Brodie said she wanted the man removed because she is not a "neo-Nazi," and it was "obscene" to think that the young man's views could be in the party. Global News: No credible threats to Jewish holiday events in Canada but attack a ‘realistic possibility,’ report says A Canadian government report distributed on Monday said there was no indication of a credible threat to Jewish holiday events in this country but that a violent attack was still a “realistic possibility.” The unclassified report was prepared by the federal Integrated Threat Assessment Centre following Sunday’s deadly terrorist attack at a Hanukkah gathering in Sydney, Australia. CBC: Windsor Jewish leader calls for action on extremism after attack on Australian Jews kills 15 The executive director of the Windsor Jewish Federation and Community Centre says she’s shocked and horrified by Sunday’s mass shooting in Sydney, Australia, that left 15 people dead and at least 38 others injured after two gunmen opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach. Belarus Belsat: Belarus reverses decision to label Council of Europe website as “extremist” The Partyzanski District Court in Minsk ruled that the Council of Europe website was “extremist,” but changed its mind five days later, noted the human rights center Viasna. On December 5, a court in the Partyzanski district of Minsk ruled that the website of the Conference of International Non-Governmental Organizations (CINGO) contained “extremist materials.” The court's ruling specifically mentioned the official website of the Council of Europe. Poland Reuters: Polish student detained over suspected Christmas market attack plot Polish security services have detained a 19-year-old student suspected of seeking to establish contacts with Islamic State and charged with preparing an attack at a Christmas market that could have caused mass casualties, authorities said on Tuesday. Mateusz W., a student at the Catholic University of Lublin, wanted to commit an attack using explosives and planned to join a terrorist organization, said Jacek Dobrzynski, a spokesperson for Poland's special services. United Kingdom Reuters: UK police charge two men with belonging to Hezbollah, attending terrorism training British police said on Tuesday they had charged two men with belonging to the banned Iran-backed group Hezbollah and attending terrorism training camps in Lebanon. The men were arrested at their home addresses in London in April and rearrested last week when they were subsequently charged with a total of nine terrorism offences. Russia Times of Israel: Exiled in Moscow, toppled Syrian dictator said to make quiet return to ophthalmology Over a year since he fled to Moscow after his regime was toppled by rebel forces, former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad is taking ophthalmology lessons and enjoying a luxurious lifestyle with his family in Russia, according to a Monday report by The Guardian, citing sources familiar with his situation. Afghanistan Afghanistan International: Taliban Leader Urges Officials To ‘Know Their Limits’ After Haqqani’s Remarks Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has urged members of the group to “recognise their limits and authority” after assuming office, warning against discord, negligence and arbitrary conduct. His remarks follow comments by Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s interior minister, who recently said the group governs through humiliation, violence, fear and intimidation. Afghanistan International: Lashkar-e-Taiba-Linked Figure Says Group Supports Pakistan Army Against Taliban Yaqoob Sheikh who has been described as having links to Lashkar-e-Taiba has warned the Taliban that if they fail to guarantee Afghan territory will not be used against Pakistan, his party will stand alongside the country’s army. In a video message circulated on social media, Sheikh said his group was ready to make “any sacrifice” to defend Pakistan. “We are prepared to sacrifice everything for the defence of our beloved homeland,” he said. Afghanistan International: Taliban Publicly Flog Four, Including Woman, In Ghazni & Badakhshan The Taliban have publicly flogged four people, including a woman, in separate incidents in Ghazni and Badakhshan provinces, according to the group’s Supreme Court. In a ruling by a primary court in Andar district of Ghazni province, two people accused of “extramarital relations” were publicly flogged with between 35 and 39 lashes and sentenced to one year in prison. Gaza Strip/West Bank Times of Israel: US hosts forum in Qatar on international Gaza force, with Turkey left out The United States Central Command is hosting a conference in Qatar on Tuesday with dozens of partner nations to discuss plans for an International Stabilization Force for the Gaza Strip. Two US officials told Reuters that the conference will include sessions on the command structure and other unresolved issues relating to the force. Egypt, Indonesia, Qatar, Jordan, the UAE, Italy, France, the UK, and Azerbaijan are among the attendees, an Arab official told The Times of Israel. Times of Israel: Palestinians protest PA prisoner payment reform, in apparent sign of implementation Hundreds of Palestinians attended protests across the West Bank on Sunday against the Palestinian Authority’s new prisoner payment system. The public anger indicates that Ramallah is moving ahead with the Western-pushed welfare reform, after a series of illicit payments made under the old mechanism led to the firing of the PA finance minister last month. Jerusalem Post: IDF destroys Hamas equipment, dismantles infrastructure along Gaza’s Yellow Line in eastern Rafah The IDF operated to dismantle terrorist infrastructure along Gaza's Yellow Line in eastern Rafah over the course of the last week, during which troops killed terrorists who posed threats, and located weapons, missiles, and filming equipment used by Hamas operatives, the military stated on Monday. “The troops located weapons and surveillance equipment, including AK-47 rifles, RPG rockets, and cameras used by Hamas terrorists against IDF troops operating in the area,” the IDF noted. Iran Jerusalem Post: 'The hunt has begun': Iran-linked hackers put bounties for info on Israeli air defense developers An Iran-linked hacker group has put a bounty for information on over a dozen Israelis it claims are developers of Patriot, Arrow, and David's Sling air defense systems, as part of a continued project threatening and doxing Israeli academics, journalists, and defense personnel. Iran International: Khamenei says Tehran faces propaganda war aimed at its downfall Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said in a speech that Iran faces a campaign by its enemies aimed at public opinion and cultural identity to bring about regime change which a US-Israeli war in June failed to achieve. “We are in a propaganda war and a spiritual war,” Khamenei said during a meeting in Karaj on Monday which local media published the next day. Israel Jerusalem Post: Shin Bet Chief Zini: In wake of war, Israelis, Jews face heightened danger of kidnapping Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) director David Zini recently told the security cabinet that the danger of hostile parties trying to kidnap Israelis and Jews, whether in Israel or abroad, has spiked following the Israel-Hamas War. Yediot Aharonot first reported the statement, but The Jerusalem Post has received similar indications. Times of Israel: IDF: Troops killed terror operative who crossed Gaza ceasefire line in Strip’s south The IDF says it killed a Palestinian terror operative who crossed the Gaza ceasefire line in the Strip’s south earlier today. According to the military, the operative crossed the Yellow Line and approached troops of the 7th Armored Brigade “in a way that posed an immediate threat” while “carrying a suspicious object.” Times of Israel: Tel Aviv man questioned by police on suspicion of attacking right-wing provocateur Hadar Muchtar Police interrogated a man in his 70s on suspicion of attacking right-wing provocateur Hadar Muchtar during a protest in Tel Aviv on Saturday night. The man, a Tel Aviv resident in his 70s, was summoned for questioning at the Lev Tel Aviv police station and released on restrictive conditions after the interrogation. Jerusalem Post: IDF issues new security guidelines for soldiers traveling abroad after deadly Bondi shooting In response to the terror attack in Bondi Beach, Australia, where 15 people, including one Israeli, lost their lives, the IDF issued a series of new recommendations to soldiers and personnel who are currently abroad, Army Radio reported on Monday. Lebanon Times of Israel: IDF says it struck a second Hezbollah operative in southern Lebanon The IDF announces that it carried out a strike against another Hezbollah operative near the southern Lebanon town of Sebline. Sebline is located some 40 kilometers north of Israel’s border, close to Sidon. Naharnet: Senior Lebanese official rules out Israeli escalation Despite the alarming reports published in the Israeli press, senior Lebanese officials do not seem to be worried, with “credible sources” telling al-Joumhouria newspaper that Lebanon is receiving many foreign signals that are downplaying the possibility of an Israeli strike. Congo Reuters: Rwanda-backed M23 group says it will withdraw from seized Congo town after US request Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have said they would withdraw from the eastern Congo town of Uvira at the request of the U.S. administration, which had criticised seizure of the town last week as a threat to mediation efforts. The rebels entered Uvira, on the border with Burundi, less than a week after the presidents of Congo and Rwanda met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington and affirmed their commitment to a peace deal known as the Washington Accords. Australia Times of Israel: Jewish couple tussled with Sydney terrorist before killing spree began — and were slain New videos have emerged of unarmed bystanders who sought to thwart the gunmen in the Bondi Beach Hanukkah terror attack and paid for their heroism with their lives. The chilling footage shows how the terrorists — father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram — were almost stopped before they began their killing spree on the Jewish gathering in Sydney, Australia, which left at least 15 dead. Reuters: Antisemitism allowed to fester in Australia, says daughter of wounded Holocaust survivor Government authorities have not done enough to stamp out hatred of Jews in Australia, which has allowed it to fester in the aftermath of October 7, said the daughter of a Holocaust survivor who was wounded at the Bondi shootings on Sunday. Victoria Teplitsky, 53, a retired childcare centre owner, said that the father and son who allegedly went on a 10-minute shooting spree that killed 15 people had been "taught to hate," which was a bigger factor in the attack than access to guns. Wall Street Journal: Bondi Beach Attack Badly Shakes Sense of Safety for Australia’s Jews The attack, by a father and son who, according to Australian authorities, were motivated by Islamic State ideology, has badly shaken Sydney’s small and tightknit Jewish community. As many mourned their loved ones and cared for the injured, some expressed frustration that authorities hadn’t heeded warnings about a rise in antisemitism since the Gaza war began, particularly in a country that many had viewed as a model of multiculturalism. Times of Israel: Australian leaders dodge questions over how Bondi shooter was licensed gun carrier Australian leaders on Monday were evasive when asked why one of the perpetrators of a deadly antisemitic terror attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach was permitted to hold six guns despite his son, the second perpetrator, reportedly having been investigated in the past over suspected ties to ISIS. Pressed on whether the 2019 investigation into Naveed Akram, 24, should have raised red flags over his father Sajid’s firearm ownership, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it was important that “the authorities be enabled to do their work.” Reuters: Explainer: Bondi Beach suspects travelled to Philippine region known for Islamist militancy The father and son duo accused of carrying out Sunday's Bondi Beach attack had travelled to the southern Philippines, a region long plagued by Islamist militancy, before the attack that Australian police say appeared to be inspired by Islamic State. Times of Israel: Victoria premier booed at Melbourne vigil amid ire at Labor party over Bondi attack The premier of one of Australia’s states was booed and heckled at a Hanukkah event in her constituency Monday evening, as Australian Jews took their anger out at a government representative for policies that allegedly helped lead to the massacre a day earlier at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. Jacinta Allan, who leads Victoria, attended a Hanukkah candle lighting and memorial vigil held at a synagogue in the Melbourne suburb of Caufield, and was promptly greeted by heckling from the congregation, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The Guardian: As beachgoers fled the Bondi terror attack, viral photo shows lifeguard sprinting ‘pedal to the metal’ towards the scene Alexandra Ching has lived in Bondi her whole life, describing the iconic beach nearby as her back yard. On Sunday evening, like many residents in the area, she heard pops echo through the neighbourhood and thought they were fireworks. “Everyone did, but I thought it was too light and no one could see them, so what’s the point,” Ching tells the Guardian. She left her apartment to see people “streaming up Bondi Road”. When she saw the looks on their faces, she knew something was wrong. Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Man, 18, charged over allegedly displaying Nazi symbol near mosque in Perth suburb Police have arrested and charged an 18-year-old man who was allegedly spotted wearing a Nazi symbol near a mosque in Perth's south-eastern suburbs. Officers were conducting proactive patrols in the vicinity of a mosque on Mills Road West in Gosnells at about 8:20am on Tuesday. 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. 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