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CEP Mentions
Jewish Chronicle: West Midlands Police chief must go – but it won’t stop the Muslim Brotherhood in Britian
In Britain, the first Brotherhood clubs opened 60 years ago. “None were openly identified with the Muslim Brotherhood and membership of the Muslim Brotherhood remained (and still remains) a secret,” the Jenkins-Farr report said. According to a recent briefing by the Counter-Extremism Project, these groups include mosques, education centres and even sports clubs.
Berliner Morgenpost: Iran protests escalate: Can the mullah regime be overthrown?
The problem: although the wave of demonstrations is widespread, there is a lack of leadership. “The moment has not yet come when the regime is seriously in danger. What is currently missing is a central organization of the protests and a vision for the time after. There are no leaders,” Hans-Jakob Schindler, head of the Berlin think tank Counter Extremism Project, told our editorial team. “But what is even more crucial is that parts of the regime must become disloyal to the leadership. That is not yet the case, but given the enormous scale of the economic crisis, it could lead to disruptions in the power structure in the medium term. A revolution must be organized, and it also needs sympathizers on the other side.”
Analysis
Iran International: What protesters in Iran are chanting
It began with metal shutters dropping in Tehran. At two neighboring shopping centers, shopkeepers on Dec. 28 pulled down their doors as security forces moved in, and the first chants rose from the corridors into the street. “Honorable merchants; support, support!” When security forces arrived, the most urgent refrain was not yet a political manifesto. It was a promise of mutual protection: “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid; we’re all in this together.”
United States
Reuters: US quits global organisation dedicated to preventing violent extremism
A global organisation dedicated to preventing violent extremism said on Friday the U.S. had made a mistake in withdrawing its support while the risk of militant attacks surges in the Middle East and Africa's Sahel. The Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund, which supports prevention programmes across dozens of countries with communities vulnerable to extremism - appeared on Wednesday in a White House memo announcing a U.S. pullout from 35 international agencies and 31 U.N. entities it said rejected U.S. interests.
Washington Post: Video shows ICE agent in Minneapolis fired at driver as vehicle veered past him
A deadly encounter in Minneapolis on Wednesday between federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and a 37-year-old woman escalated in a matter of seconds. In the aftermath, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem said the woman had committed an act of “domestic terrorism,” first disobeying officers’ commands and then weaponizing her SUV by attempting to “run a law enforcement officer over.” President Donald Trump said the woman “violently, willfully and viciously ran over the ICE officer.”
The Hill: Noem doubles down on ‘domestic terrorism’ claim against woman in ICE shooting
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem reiterated her stance that the woman fatally shot by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis on Wednesday was committing an act of “domestic terrorism.” Noem said at a press conference Thursday that the woman, 37-year-old Renee Nicole Macklin Good, was part of a group of people who “followed” and “harassed” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers throughout the day.
Fox News: Jewish students say Mamdani’s first-day move emboldens campus extremists
Jewish students at NYU and Columbia say Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s decision to revoke the city’s IHRA-based antisemitism definition has left them fearful of rising protests and hostility on campus.
Jewish Insider: Mamdani silent as pro-Hamas group protests near synagogue
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was silent regarding an anti-Israel protest in Queens on Thursday that caused nearby schools and a synagogue to close early in anticipation of the demonstration where protesters chanted “We support Hamas.” The radical group behind the protest, called Palestinian Assembly for Liberation [PAL]-Awda, wrote on social media Thursday afternoon that it would gather in the evening outside of an event held by CapitIL, a Jerusalem-based real estate agency, at the Modern Orthodox synagogue Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills. The post called it an “illegal event” promoting “blatant land theft and dispossession.”
Daily Beast: MAGA Stars Tear Into ‘Grandma Groyper’ Megyn Kelly Over Fuentes Praise
Megyn Kelly is under fire for heaping praise on white nationalist Nick Fuentes while urging people to “excuse” his long rap sheet of extremist takes. The host of the “The Megyn Kelly Show” on SiriusXM, who has been slammed for cozying up to controversial MAGA figures, applauded Fuentes during an interview with Tucker Carlson, describing the open white nationalist as “very smart.” She added the caveat that critics should “excuse his thoughts on race, and Jews, and the Holocaust, and all that.”
The Record: With time running out, will antisemitism bill get vote in New Jersey?
A bill to adopt an official definition of antisemitism in New Jersey appears to have widespread support in the state Legislature, with dozens of sponsors signed on from both sides of the aisle. But with time running out to vote on the measure in Trenton, the legislation looks to be stalled.
Jewish Insider: Gov. Phil Murphy killed New Jersey antisemitism legislation, sources say
A high-profile New Jersey bill adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism is not expected to pass in the current New Jersey Assembly session, four sources familiar with the situation told Jewish Insider.
GW Hatchet: Officials met with DOJ on Tuesday to discuss antisemitism investigation, Granberg says
Officials met with the Department of Justice on Tuesday to discuss the department’s investigation that found GW acted deliberately indifferent to complaints of antisemitic discrimination on campus, University President Ellen Granberg said Thursday. The conversation came after officials requested to meet with the DOJ after it determined in August that GW violated civil rights law by failing to adequately address antisemitism on campus, citing several instances during the April 2024 pro-Palestinian encampment. Granberg said in the message to the community that officials presented the DOJ a “full array” of measures the University has employed to combat antisemitism.
Canada
CBC: New charges against man with al-Qaeda ties as lawyer raises mental health concerns
A homeless man who had attended al-Qaeda training camps and is charged with allegedly threatening to bomb public transit in Montreal is now also accused of issuing a threat from jail to blow up Passport Canada offices. Mohamed Abdullah Warsame, a 52-year-old Somali-born Canadian citizen, appeared at the Montreal courthouse via video conference on Thursday.
Venezuela
Fox News: Venezuela teeters as guerrilla groups, cartels exploit Maduro power vacuum
Venezuela is teetering on the edge after the U.S. capture and arrest of former President Nicolás Maduro, as armed militias, guerrilla groups and criminal networks threaten a path toward stability, according to reports. As interim President Delcy Rodríguez assumes control, backed by President Trump’s administration, analysts have warned that the country is completely saturated with heavily armed groups capable of derailing any progress toward stability.
United Kingdom
Reuters: Six on trial in UK charged with membership of banned PKK
Six Kurdish people went on trial in Britain on Friday charged with membership of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a militant group banned in its home country Turkey as well as Britain and elsewhere. Prosecutors say the defendants, aged between 24 and 63, belonged to or professed to belong to the PKK, which was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in Britain in 2001.
The Telegraph: The Prevent video game that treats every teenager like a far-Right extremist
A state-funded computer game is warning teenagers that they risk being referred to a counter-terrorism programme if they question mass migration. Pathways is an interactive game designed for 11- to 18-year-old pupils and funded by Prevent, a Home Office programme for tackling extremism.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan International: Taliban Extend Ban On Images Of Living Beings To 24 Afghan Provinces
The Taliban have expanded a ban on publishing and broadcasting images of living beings to 24 provinces across Afghanistan, further tightening restrictions on media and freedom of expression, the Afghanistan Journalists Center said.
Gaza Strip/West Bank
Reuters: Israeli strikes kill 11 in Gaza after failed rocket launch
Israeli strikes killed at least 11 Palestinians in separate strikes in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, medics said, in what the military said came in response to a failed rocket attack by militants in the enclave. Medics said an Israeli airstrike killed at least four people and wounded three others, including children, in a tent in the western area of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Another strike killed a person east of the city, near where Israeli forces operate.
Iran
AFP: ‘All are in the streets’: Iranians defiant as protests grow
Tear gas burning his eyes, his voice hoarse from shouting anti-government slogans as cars honked around him, Majid joined crowds of Iranians taking to the streets in defiance of a crackdown on a swelling protest movement. He used a pseudonym for security reasons and, like all those who spoke about the protests, was reached by AFP journalists outside Iran.
Reuters: Iran's rulers face legitimacy crisis amid spreading unrest
With Iran's anti-government unrest evolving rapidly and foreign pressure mounting, the clerical establishment appears unable, for now, to tackle what has become a crisis of legitimacy at the heart of the Islamic Republic. The demonstrations, which began in Tehran last month, have spread to all of Iran's 31 provinces but have yet to reach the scale of the 2022-3 unrest sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini while in detention for allegedly violating Islamic dress codes.
Iran International: Khamenei says Trump will fall, targets protesters in speech
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Friday warned US President Donald Trump that he would be brought down, as he spoke about protests and accused foreign-backed forces of trying to destabilize Iran. “Trump should know that world tyrants such as Pharaoh, Nimrod, Reza Shah and Mohammad Reza were brought down at the peak of their arrogance. He too will be brought down,” Khamenei said in remarks aired on state television.
Israel
Times of Israel: Leading Religious Zionist rabbi: Extremist settler violence must be stopped from the pulpit
Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein, co-head of Yeshivat Har Etzion in the West Bank settlement of Alon Shvut, discusses the challenges facing his community and the country as a whole.
Lebanon
Reuters: Israeli military says it is attacking Hezbollah targets in several areas in Lebanon
Israeli military said on Friday it is attacking Hezbollah targets in several areas in Lebanon. The Lebanese army said on Thursday it had taken operational control in the south of the country, but Israel said efforts to disarm Hezbollah fighters were insufficient.
Naharnet: Qassem says Hezbollah to continue 'cooperation' with Lebanese state and army
Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem has met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who has been visiting Lebanon since Thursday, Hezbollah said. The two men discussed “the events in the region and the world and their repercussions and impact on all of the region’s countries,” Hezbollah’s Media Relations Department said in a statement.
Naharnet: Geagea: Hezbollah does not have the ability to confront anyone
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has said that, based on his talks with American officials, he can tell that what the U.S. wants for Lebanon is the establishment of an actual state that will sign a peace agreement with Israel. Geagea told Sky News Arabia, in an interview published Thursday, that an actual state cannot be built unless Hezbollah is disarmed, and that Hezbollah can be disarmed without resorting to force, because the group is currently weakened and "does not have the ability to confront anyone".
Naharnet: Salam: Resistance role ended in 2000, only state and army can protect Lebanon today
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stated overnight that the role of the Resistance (Hezbollah) had ended in 2000 with the liberation of south Lebanon from Israeli occupation, asserting that "what protects Lebanon today is the State and the Lebanese Army.” “We want one state for all Lebanese; the decision of war and peace must be in the hands of the State alone, and the exclusivity of arms must serve all citizens and not be directed against anyone," Salam added, in an interview on MTV.
Syria
Reuters: Kurdish groups reject Aleppo withdrawal as US pushes to end fighting
Kurdish groups in Aleppo vowed to defend their neighbourhoods on Friday from government forces, rejecting ceasefire terms declared by Damascus that demand Kurdish fighters withdraw from the Syrian city where clashes have raged this week. The violence in Aleppo has exposed one of the main faultlines in Syria as the country tries to rebuild after a devastating war, with Kurdish forces resisting efforts by President Ahmed al-Sharaa's Islamist-led government to bring their fighters under centralised authority.
Reuters: Syria declares ceasefire in Aleppo after fresh clashes with Kurdish forces
Syria's defence ministry declared a ceasefire in three neighbourhoods of the northern city of Aleppo early on Friday, a move that could halt fresh fighting between government troops and Kurdish fighters. A fierce exchange of fire extended into the night, with rescue workers scrambling to extinguish fires ignited by shelling, before the defence ministry said it would give armed groups a six-hour window to leave the contested areas.
United Arab Emirates
Financial Times: UAE cuts funds for citizens keen to study in UK over Muslim Brotherhood tensions
The United Arab Emirates has restricted funding for its citizens who want to study at British universities, the latest sign of tensions over the UK’s decision not to proscribe the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood group. Abu Dhabi’s decision to exclude UK institutions from a list of universities eligible for state scholarships comes as relations between the two historic allies have frayed in recent years.
Yemen
Reuters: Yemen's separatists appear to split, reflecting Saudi-UAE rift
Yemen's main separatist group appeared split on Friday as some members announced it was disbanding, reflecting a feud between Gulf powers Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that was blown into the open by a separatist advance last month. Saudi-backed fighters have largely retaken areas in southern and eastern Yemen seized by the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) in December, and an STC delegation has travelled to the Saudi capital Riyadh for talks.
Eurasia Review: Houthi Detentions Halting Aid In Crisis-Hit Yemen, HRW Says
The Houthis’ stepped-up detentions of civil society and United Nations agency members has contributed to increasing the humanitarian aid crisis in Yemen, already one of the worst situations in the world, Human Rights Watch said Thursday.
Yemen Online: Houthis Launch Major Military Offensive on Villages in Al-Zaraniq Area of Yemen’s Tihama Plain
Local sources reported that Houthi forces launched a large-scale military campaign Thursday targeting villages in the Al-Zaraniq area of the Tihama plain, within Beit al-Faqih district of Hodeidah governorate. According to residents, heavy and continuous shelling struck the villages of Nafhan and Al-Khadra, causing civilian casualties and widespread destruction of homes and property.
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.
Pakistan
Jerusalem Post: 'Worst criminal of humanity': Pakistani DM calls on US, Turkey to 'kidnap' Netanyahu
Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said in a televised interview on Pakistan's largest television channel, Geo, on Thursday that the United States should “kidnap” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and bring him to court. Asif added that Turkey could also abduct Netanyahu, whom he called “the worst criminal of humanity,” asserting that the International Criminal Court had acted against him.
Nigeria
Fox News: Christians targeted in systematic kidnapping campaign in Nigeria by jihadi herdsmen, experts say
The spate of kidnappings of Christians in north-central Nigeria by mostly Muslim Fulani militants is a deliberate tactic to target, bankrupt and destroy Christian communities, according to multiple sources who spoke to Fox News Digital. "Kidnapping for ransom is a strategic aim of the Fulani militants," Steven Kerfas, lead researcher for the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA), told Fox News Digital. "They do it to fund their terrorism, but also to bankrupt the Christian community."
Somalia
Dawan Africa: Somali Special Forces Kill 22 Al-Shabaab Militants in Bay Region
Somali special forces killed 22 Al Shabaab militants during an overnight operation in the country’s southern Bay region, the Ministry of Defence said on Friday, successfully neutralizing a cell allegedly preparing imminent suicide attacks.
Australia
Jerusalem Post: Adelaide Festival accused of anti-Palestinian racism after canceling author post Bondi attacks
The Adelaide Festival Board has been accused of anti-Palestinian racism after it chose to cancel Dr. Randa Abdel-Fattah’s appearance at Adelaide’s Writers’ Week due to her “past statements” not being “culturally sensitive” so soon after the Bondi massacre. Adelaide Writers’ Week is a large literary festival held annually in the South Australian capital. Abdel-Fattah is an Australian sociologist, writer, and Palestinian advocate.
SBS News: Social cohesion concerns voiced as Royal Commission to air issues of antisemitism, extremism
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a Federal Royal Commission into the Bondi terror attack and rising antisemitism. It's to be led by former High Court Justice Virginia Bell and incorporate a national security review by Dennis Richardson. While the inquiry aims to promote social cohesion and address extremism by December 2026, experts warn that its success will depend on navigating the delicate balance between free speech and hate speech.
New England Times: Chaffey, Joyce want gun laws and Islamic extremism in the Bondi Royal Commission
They are now in different parties, but our two local MPs are singing from the same hymn sheet when it comes to reviews of gun restrictions and Islamic extremism being needed in the federal Royal Commission into antisemitism and the Chanukah Massacre at Bondi Beach. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday announced a Royal Commission after weeks of intense lobbying from Jewish groups, business leaders, the opposition and others.
Technology
Inkstick: Deep Dive: How Neo-Nazis Turn a Buck with Cryptocurrency
In a recent report, the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) has documented a new trend of neo-Nazis, white nationalists, and other extremist actors increasingly exploiting cryptocurrency markets to spread hate, launder ideology, and generate significant personal profit. The report, “The Trump Administration Embraces Cryptocurrency, ‘Meme Coins’ Spread Hate and Enrich Their Creators,” finds that so‑called “meme coins” — cryptocurrencies created as jokes or viral stunts — have become a lucrative vehicle for far‑right propaganda, Nazi symbolism, and racist messaging, particularly as the Trump administration embraces crypto‑friendly policies.
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