Email from Counter Extremism Project (CEP) Army says completed first phase of disarming Hezbollah Eye on Extremism January 8, 2026   Top Stories Jerusalem Post: Synagogues across the US targeted in bomb threat Bitcoin extortion campaign Several synagogues across the United States were targeted with fake bomb threats around New Year's day in order to extort congregations for ransoms to be paid through cryptocurrency addresses, according to information drawn from synagogues, Jewish community organizations, law enforcement, and local media. Naharnet: Army says completed first phase of disarming Hezbollah The army announced Thursday that it had completed the first phase of its plan to disarm Hezbollah, covering the area between the Israeli border and the Litani River. In a statement, the army said it had "achieved the objectives of the first phase" of its plan, with an intention to extend it to the rest of Lebanon. Hezbollah, weakened after a deadly war with Israel in November 2024, refuses to surrender its weapons in the rest of Lebanon.   CounterPoint Blogs The Case of Shamima Begum: Balancing Victimhood, Accountability, and National Security The Faked Death of the “White King” in Ukraine: What the Kapustin ‘Killing’ Episode Means for Europe’s Violent Extreme Right Islamic State Propaganda Evolution Since October 7 — Content Abduction As a Tactic, Not a Byproduct of Terrorism   CEP Mentions SWR: These dangers exist in Germany and Europe due to terrorist organizations like IS. CEP Senior Director Hans-Jakob Schindler talks to SWR about what is important to prevent terrorist attacks. Deutschland Funk: Retreat area and operational area Hamas is one of only 43 organizations on the EU's list of terrorist organizations, explains Hans-Jakob Schindler of the "Counter Extremism Project," a transatlantic think tank for analyzing and combating extremist threats. Furthermore, it has been officially recognized as a terrorist organization through a ban on its activities in Germany. ZDF: After power outage in Berlin: Why investigators are failing to crack the Vulkangruppe ("Volcano Group") | ZDFheute live CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler interviewed about the left-wing extremist attack against the electricity grid in Berlin. Analysis CapX: Islamist gangs are raising hell in Britain’s prisons CEP Senior Advisor Ian Acheson writes that if HMPPS does not collect or hold information on the nature and extent of religious gangs in prison, it cannot hope to win the battle for power and space that is constantly being waged across prisons holding all of our national security threat. Jerusalem Post: Violent Aleppo clashes risk spilling over into rest of Syria if not contained – analysis The recent escalation of violence in Aleppo in the last 24 hours represents a new test of the fragile security and political agreements between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Civilian casualties in the conflict highlight the urgent need to return to dialogue, implement the agreement, and ensure the safety of the civilian population. Without clear political solutions, any settlement will remain temporary and prone to collapse, with potential humanitarian and security repercussions at the local and regional levels. Iran International: What Iran stands to lose after Maduro's downfall As Venezuela enters a volatile phase following Nicolas Maduro’s capture by US forces over the weekend, Iran’s strategic investments in the country’s oil refining sector are facing a sudden and uncertain reckoning. For more than a decade, these ventures—framed as anti-imperialist cooperation between two heavily sanctioned states—served political purposes rather than a commercial ones. United States Jewish Telegraphic Agency: JD Vance continues to minimize right-wing antisemitism as fringe influencers gain ground Vice President JD Vance again downplayed the idea that conservatives should safeguard their ranks against antisemitism, a week after his ally Tucker Carlson hosted yet another antisemitic conspiracy theorist on his web show. Vance’s latest brief comments, made Tuesday during an interview with conservative radio host and CNN pundit Scott Jennings, came in response to Jennings asking, “Does the conservative movement need to warehouse anybody out there espousing antisemitism in any way?” Fox News: Noem condemns alleged attack on ICE agents stuck in snow in Minneapolis as 'act of domestic terrorism' Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said a woman who was fatally shot Wednesday by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis was "using a vehicle to try to kill an officer and his colleagues," noting all elected officials should denounce violent acts against law enforcement. The Hill: Minneapolis mayor: DHS claim of domestic terrorism after woman’s death is ‘positively ridiculous’ Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) on Wednesday said that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s remarks that a woman was killed following a “domestic terrorism” incident are “positively ridiculous.” “I saw the same videos that you saw, and the notion that this is domestic terrorism on the form of the victim? Yeah, is positively ridiculous,” Frey told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “I mean, the way that ICE is behaving is reckless, not just in this incident but numerous others.” New York Times: Depleted and Distracted, Justice Dept. Staff Fear Losing Focus on Potential Threats At the F.B.I. and Justice Department, a striking number of the most experienced investigators have quit or been fired. Many of the agents and prosecutors who remain fear they will be dismissed for simply working on any case that draws unwanted attention from the leaders of their agencies. In many offices across the country, the pace of new cases has slowed — the remaining work force has inherited too many open prosecutions and investigations from those who left, giving them little time to focus on new matters. Jewish Insider: Jewish House Democrats urge Noem to rescind new conditions on security grants The members of the Congressional Jewish Caucus — every Jewish House Democrat — wrote to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem on Wednesday urging her to rescind new conditions — presumably related to immigration enforcement and diversity programs — instituted earlier this year on recipients of Nonprofit Security Grant Program funding. Jewish Insider: U.S. lawmakers weigh in on fears of Saudi Arabia accommodating Islamists Lawmakers in Washington are largely downplaying recent developments suggesting that Saudi Arabia is pivoting away from moderation and entertaining more hardline Islamism. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been at loggerheads in Sudan, Somalia and Yemen — including a recent Saudi airstrike on an Emirati shipment in southern Yemen — prompting questions about Riyadh’s continued interest in acting as a moderating force in the region. Jewish Insider: Qatar ranks as top foreign donor to American universities Qatar is the top country donating foreign funds to American universities, and Cornell University is its leading recipient, according to a new dashboard from the Department of Education that displays foreign gifts and contracts provided to U.S. educational institutions. According to the database, $2.3 billion out of the $3 billion Cornell has received in foreign funding came from Qatar, which is a key financial supporter of Hamas. Qatar has provided $6.6 billion to universities overall, significantly more than the next leading countries, bolstering criticisms of the Gulf state’s potential influence over American higher education. CNN: Mike Pence describes Nick Fuentes as a Nazi Mike Pence addresses the growing split among conservatives on the embrace of antisemitism. Independent: Zohran Mamdani defends his appointee after ‘white supremacy’ posts resurface New York City’s new mayor is standing behind a newly-appointed housing official as she faces backlash for years-old social media posts, including messages that called for the seizure of private property and linked homeownership to white supremacy. Jerusalem Post: 'Curse all of you': Queens man indicted for threatening to kill Jews, Zionists, police After allegedly threatening to murder Jewish and Israeli residents of New York City, a Queens man was indicted on Tuesday for making terroristic threats, according to the Queens County District Attorney’s Office. Rosedale neighborhood resident Nathan White allegedly claimed on social media to have beaten an Israeli on the NYC subway and threatened that if he ran “into another Israeli in NYC alone in the dark, you are dead.” Tallahassee Democrat: FSU student expelled after viral 'antisemitic harassment' incident A Florida State University student agreed to be expelled and banned from campus as part of a deferred prosecution agreement after she was charged with accosting a Jewish student wearing an Israel Defense Forces T-shirt. Reuters: New York's Cooper Union settles campus antisemitism case, pledges reforms Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art will take steps to reduce antisemitism and other harassment on campus, to settle a lawsuit claiming it failed to help Jewish students who were locked inside a library as protection against pro-Palestinian demonstrators. The settlement was announced on Thursday by lawyers for 10 Jewish students who said the private Manhattan college's fostering of a hostile educational environment violated Title VI, a U.S. civil rights law that bars federal funds recipients from allowing discrimination based on race, religion and national origin. Portugal Jerusalem Post: Popular Israeli restaurant in Lisbon forced to close due to antisemitic targeting, hostile campaign A popular Israeli restaurant in Lisbon has been forced to close because of the rise in antisemitism, the establishment announced on Tuesday. Tantura was opened ten years ago by chef couple Elad Budenshtiin and Itamar Eliyahu. Tantura’s menu drew inspiration from various Jewish cuisines to represent the Israeli melting pot. United Kingdom Jewish Telegraphic Agency: British Jewish groups call for resignation of police chief who banned Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from soccer match Two British Jewish groups are calling for the ouster of a local police chief over claims that the force allegedly mishandled the banning of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from a soccer game in November. The decision to ban the fans from a match against Aston Villa Football Club on Nov. 6 was initially made after the West Midlands Police advised the group responsible for issuing safety certificates for the fame to ban the fans over “public safety concerns.” Financial Times: Abu Dhabi paid for Nigel Farage to meet senior UAE officials The UAE’s leadership was keen to speak with Reform owing to a shared opposition to the Muslim Brotherhood, said people familiar with the matter. Farage has said he would classify the Islamist group as a terrorist organisation in Britain if he won power. Afghanistan Afghanistan International: Taliban Leader Reshuffles Two Cabinet Ministers The Taliban leader has reshuffled two senior Taliban cabinet ministers and made several other senior appointments, the group’s spokesperson said on Thursday. Zabihullah Mujahid said Hibatullah Akhundzada appointed Abdul Latif Mansoor, previously minister of energy and water, as minister of rural rehabilitation and development. Under the same decree, Mohammad Younus Akhundzada, who had served as minister of rural rehabilitation and development, was named minister of energy and water. Afghanistan International: Former Uprising Forces Commander Killed In Jowzjan A local commander affiliated with the National Islamic Movement Party of Afghanistan was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in northern Afghanistan after being deported from Iran, the party’s spokesperson said. Ehsan Niro told Afghanistan International that the Taliban were responsible for the killing of a commander known as Yousuf in Khwaja Du Koh district of Jowzjan province. Gaza Strip/West Bank Bloomberg: With Rifles and Defiance, Hamas Clings to Remnants of Gaza Rule It’s hemmed in by Israel’s tanks and troops. US President Donald Trump has threatened it with annihilation. But Hamas, defiant in the ruins of less than half of Gaza, is clawing its way back to a semblance of pre-war governance. Surviving civil servants have returned to work. Taxes are being collected, including from now-homeless Palestinians living in tents. Courts are open for the few who can still afford to bring cases. Hamas functionaries, some of them armed fighters recently reassigned from fighting the Israelis, keep watch at street corners. Jerusalem Post: West Bank settlers set fire to Palestinian vehicles, three detained by IDF Israeli security forces arrested three suspects at the Shavei Shomron Junction in the Samaria region of the West Bank on Wednesday after they allegedly set four Palestinian vehicles on fire with Molotov cocktails, according to an IDF statement. Jerusalem Post: Rocket launched toward Israel misfires, crashes near Gaza hospital Terrorists in Gaza attempted to launch a rocket at Israel on Thursday, but the projectile fell short and nearly hit a hospital, the IDF stated. The military noted that it detected the launch coming from Gaza City and that it quickly responded by striking the source of the fire. Wall Street Journal: War in Gaza Is Paused but the Battle Over Aid Rages On The cease-fire in Gaza has held for almost three months, but the battle over aid in the enclave rages on and is rapidly turning into a standoff—with two million Palestinians caught in the middle. Throughout the two-year war, Israel and humanitarian groups have clashed over the amount and type of aid allowed into the territory and who could distribute it. Now, new rules have led to a deadlock between the two sides, putting at risk access to aid and services for Palestinians trying to rebuild their lives out of the wreckage of the conflict. Israel Jewish News Syndicate: Israeli teen indicted for planning ISIS-inspired terror attack A 15-year-old from northern Israel was indicted on Thursday for planning to carry out Islamic State-inspired terrorist attack, police said. The suspect, who had pledged allegiance to ISIS, was arrested a few weeks ago, according to a police statement. Lebanon Jerusalem Post: Lebanon not doing enough to disarm Hezbollah despite army's 'operational control,' Israel says Lebanon's government and army have not made sufficient efforts to disarm Hezbollah, and this is evidenced by the terror group's efforts, with Iran's help, to rearm and reestablish its infrastructure, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office stated on Thursday afternoon. Naharnet: Israel responds to Lebanese army with map of alleged Hezbollah sites south of Litani Israel's Foreign Ministry said Thursday that Hezbollah is "rearming faster than it is being disarmed," showing a map of alleged Hezbollah compounds, launch sites, and underground networks south of the Litani River. Lebanon's military had said it had concluded the first phase of a plan to fully deploy across southern Lebanon and disarm non-state groups, notably Hezbollah. Naharnet: Aoun backs army statement, asks friendly countries not to send arms to Hezbollah President Joseph Aoun voiced Thursday his support to the army, as cabinet convened at the Baabda palace to discuss the army's plan to disarm Hezbollah. The army had announced, in a statement, earlier on Thursday, that it had concluded the first phase of their plan to fully deploy across southern Lebanon and disarm non-state groups, notably Hezbollah. Naharnet: Army moves to north Litani after completing first phase of Hezbollah disarmament The Lebanese army will present in February an evaluation of the second phase of a plan to disarm Hezbollah in its monthly report to the government, Information Minister Paul Morcos said, after a cabinet session that discussed the matter. Morcos said the army will start working on a plan for disarmament north of the Litani river that will be discussed by the government in February. He added that the army will also continue the process of weapons "containment" in other parts of Lebanon, meaning that they will not be allowed to be used or moved. United Arab Emirates OneArabia: UAE Appoints Maqsoud Kruse As Envoy To Counter Extremism And Terrorism H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, has appointed Maqsoud Kruse as Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Countering Extremism and Terrorism, reinforcing the UAE’s active engagement in international efforts against extremism and terrorism. Yemen Reuters: Saudi coalition says separatist leader fled Yemen with UAE help, advances to Aden The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said on Thursday that the United Arab Emirates had spirited a separatist leader out of the country by boat in a dramatic twist to a rift between the Gulf powers, as Saudi-backed forces advanced to the port of Aden after losing ground there. The escape of Aidarous al-Zubaidi, head of a UAE-backed southern separatist group, could exacerbate tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, global oil heavyweights and both close allies of the United States. Yemen Online: Muslim Brotherhood Activity in Yemen Tied to Wider International Coordination The Muslim Brotherhood’s branch in Yemen has stepped up its political and organizational activity in recent days, in a move that observers say extends beyond the country’s borders and intersects with broader initiatives of the international organization. This development comes at a time of mounting tensions in southern and eastern Yemen, where the security and political landscape remains volatile. Somalia Associated Press: Somalia’s fight against extremist militants shows signs of success on the streets of Mogadishu Mogadishu’s first line of defense against the next militant attack on Somalia ’s capital ranges from machine gunners in pick-up trucks to young men in plainclothes manning checkpoints. One of the leaders is Abdikani Ali Mohamed, a teenage-faced colonel whose authority has grown in the city as Somalia’s government tries to dismantle al-Shabab networks. Sri Lanka UCA News: Sri Lankan clergy urge withdrawal of proposed anti-terrorism law Christian priests and nuns have urged Sri Lanka's government to withdraw a proposed new anti-terrorism law, warning it threatens freedom of expression, privacy and basic civil liberties. Thirty-seven Catholic priests, three Catholic nuns and eight human rights activists called on the government on Jan. 7 to abandon the controversial draft Protection of the State from Terrorism Act, or PSTA, which would grant expanded arrest and detention powers. Australia BBC: Australia PM announces royal commission into Bondi shooting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a royal commission, the country's most powerful form of independent inquiry, into last month's shooting at Bondi Beach. The attack targeting a Jewish festival left 15 people dead, making it one of the deadliest in the country's history. Daily Telegraph: UK citizen to be deported over ‘White Australia’ ties A UK citizen living in Perth has had his visa cancelled and is being deported over links to the neo-Nazi ‘White Australia’ movement. The man was detained by immigration authorities on Tuesday, a senior member of the group’s WA branch posted on social media. 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