Email from Counter Extremism Project (CEP) Syria’s ceasefire with Kurds appears to crumble as clashes resume, ISIS prisoners escape Eye on Extremism January 20, 2026   Top Stories Afghanistan International: ISIS-K Claims Kabul Bombing That Killed Seven, Including Chinese Citizen The Islamic State group’s Khorasan branch, known as ISIS-K, has claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a Chinese restaurant in Kabul’s Shahr-e Naw area. The explosion occurred at about 3 p.m. local time on Monday, January 19. Taliban authorities have confirmed that seven people, including one Chinese national, were killed and that 13 others were wounded. Times of Israel: Syria’s ceasefire with Kurds appears to crumble as clashes resume, ISIS prisoners escape A day after a sweeping deal was announced between the Syrian government and the country’s main Kurdish-led force, the agreement appeared to be falling apart Monday. After new outbreaks of clashes on Monday, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces issued a statement calling for “all of our youth” to “join the ranks of the resistance.”   HAPPENING IN ONE WEEK | “Enduring Music: Compositions from the Holocaust” Premiere at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on January 27, 2026 The Counter Extremism Project and ARCHER at House 88 present a piano and orchestra memorial concert in observance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Featuring Maestro Francesco Lotoro and the Remembrance Chamber Orchestra, who will perform musical compositions - including U.S. and world premieres - written in the ghettos and death camps more than eighty years ago. Lotoro has dedicated his life to recovering, preserving, and performing the musical legacy created by victims of the Shoah: composed in dignity and played in defiance. TICKETS HERE!   CEP Mentions BR24: This is how dependent the Syrian president is on Islamists Terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler of the transatlantic think tank Counter Extremism Project says that the interim president relies on foreign jihadists to stabilize his rule and does not want to appear within the Islamist spectrum as someone who betrays former comrades-in-arms. Analysis Jerusalem Post: Is Syria’s leader Ahmed al-Sharaa a master geopolitical chess player? – analysis Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has appeared to outwit many of his enemies over the years. As his forces have swept across eastern Syria, pushing by the Syrian Democratic Forces, one image being published on social media shows Sharaa playing chess. The symbolism is important. Sharaa is seen as a master chess player, out playing his opponents one-by-one. Afghanistan International: Taliban Development Budget: Limited Funding, Centralised Spending Financial management and the budgeting system form the backbone of governance and the foundation of any country’s power structure. Governments, like other economic actors, face limited financial resources and are therefore compelled to make choices among competing challenges and priorities. For this reason, a close examination of a government’s budget structure provides a relatively clear picture of the prevailing political economy, decision-making mechanisms and the true pattern of prioritisation. United States Jewish Insider: Jewish groups meet with HHS civil rights office to confront antisemitism in medicine Representatives from several Jewish groups met with Paula Stannard, the director of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights, last week to discuss potential action to counter antisemitism in health-care and medical education. The meeting, organized by the Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, also included representatives from the American Jewish Medical Association, Hadassah (The Women’s Zionist Organization of America), the Anti-Defamation League, Jewish Federations of North America and StandWithUs. New York Times: Islamic Scholar’s Post-Sept. 11 Convictions Are Tossed on Free Speech Grounds An Islamic scholar in Virginia who was sentenced to life in prison in 2005, for encouraging his followers to join an overseas militant group to train to fight against the United States, has had all of his convictions thrown out. A federal appeals court this month ruled that his statements, no matter how disturbing, were protected by the First Amendment. Jewish Insider: Mississippi’s Jewish community rallies after antisemitic arson s the sun went down Friday night, Mississippi’s Jewish community packed the pews of Northminster Baptist Church in Jackson to welcome Shabbat. Aside from the unusual location, the weekend’s schedule was typical — Friday evening prayers to bring in Shabbat, followed by a meal and oneg; a bat mitzvah service on Saturday morning; Havdalah to conclude Shabbat and Sunday school classes the next day. But this week, each service was also an act of defiance. Jewish Insider: Jewish leaders condemn ‘classic antisemitism’ in Josh Shapiro’s account of Harris VP vetting In the summer of 2024, when Vice President Kamala Harris was vetting potential running mates for her expedited campaign for president, a senior member of her team asked Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro whether he had ever been a “double agent for Israel,” Shapiro writes in a new book that will be published later this month. “Was she kidding? I told her how offensive the question was,” Shapiro recounts in the book. The exchange — which Shapiro describes in an outraged tone — has prompted sharp criticism from Jewish leaders, including some who served in the Biden-Harris administration. Jewish Insider: NYC Jewish groups urge Mamdani to fill key post on combating antisemitism New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing pressure from a coalition of local Jewish groups to fill a major administration post related to countering antisemitism, one of the key pledges of his campaign. In a letter the coalition sent to Mamdani on Friday that was shared first with Jewish Insider, the signatories conveyed their priorities with regard to the Office to Combat Antisemitism, which the mayor has vowed to retain. Jerusalem Post: Fuentes, Tate brothers, Sneako seen blasting Kanye's 'Heil Hitler' in Miami Beach nightclub Miami Beach mayor Steven Meiner said he was "deeply disturbed and disgusted" after a video of influencers chanting Nazi slogans in a nightclub went viral online. In the video, influencers Andrew Tate, Tristan Tate, Nick Fuentes, Clavicular, Sneako, Myron Gaines and Justin Waller can be seen blasting Kanye West’s song Heil Hitler during a bottle parade at the nightclub Vendome. Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Nick Fuentes says his problem with Trump ‘is that he is not Hitler’ In the fall, a video of Nick Fuentes criticizing Donald Trump drew the praise of progressive ex-Congressman Jamaal Bowman. “Finally getting it Nick,” Bowman commented, apparently recognizing some common ground between himself on the left and Fuentes, on the far right, who said in the video that Trump was “better than the Democrats for Israel, for the oil and gas industry, for Silicon Valley, for Wall Street,” but said he wasn’t “better for us.” Lexington Herald Leader: Lexington neighborhood littered with KKK fliers ahead of MLK Jr. downtown march Fliers advertising white supremacist group the Ku Klux Klan were found in a downtown Lexington neighborhood late Sunday night and early Monday morning, according to the neighborhood association’s president. The hate group’s fliers came in advance a federal holiday celebrating the life of Civil Rights Movement leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It is unclear who distributed them. CBS News: Lake County Republican Party in Indiana says candidate used Nazi salute in ballot name The Lake County Republican Party in Indiana is speaking out against one of the candidates running to represent Indiana's first district for using a "blatantly antisemitic nickname." Filing paperwork shows Richard Benedict Mayers listed his name with the with the Nazi salute "Sieg Heil." New York Post: Chicago principal resigns two weeks after students caught practicing Nazi tune The headmaster of Chicago’s tony Latin School will resign less than two weeks after it was revealed that students were rehearsing Nazi marching themes for the second year in a row. Dr. Thomas Hagerman revealed his plans to leave his job in a Jan. 14 email to the Latin School community which cited health issues as the reason for his exit. France France 24: French far-right leader Marine Le Pen takes the stand in high-stakes appeals trial French far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s political future hangs in the balance as she faces an appeals trial in Paris, a case that could derail her party’s ambitions to radically reshape France with anti-immigration and nationalist policies. It will be Le Pen’s first opportunity to speak since the trial opened last week, FRANCE 24’s Olivia Bizot said, adding that prosecutors are expected to question her on the role of key individuals involved in the case, in which she was found guilty of misusing EU funds. United Kingdom Jewish Telegraphic Agency: British Jews could be offered asylum in the US, Trump’s UK-born Jewish lawyer says The Trump administration might be considering granting asylum to British Jews, according to Trump’s personal lawyer, who said “the UK is no longer a safe place for Jews.” Robert Garson, a Jewish attorney from Manchester, England, with rising influence in the Trump administration, said he proposed the move to the State Department in an interview with The Telegraph. Afghanistan Afghanistan International: Kabul Blast Kills 7, Injures 13, Says Emergency Hospital An explosion in Kabul’s Shahr-e Naw area on Monday killed at least seven people and injured 13 others, according to Emergency Hospital Afghanistan. Hospital officials said at least 20 people were brought to the facility following the blast. The figures are preliminary and cover only cases registered at Emergency Hospital. Arab News: Pakistan’s president condemns Kabul blast, accuses Taliban of allowing militant ‘safe havens’ President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday condemned a blast that ripped through a Chinese-run restaurant in Kabul, killing at least seven people, while criticizing Afghanistan’s Taliban administration for allowing “safe havens” to militant groups to export extremist violence in the region. Gaza Strip/West Bank Jerusalem Post: Senior Hamas officials planning 'safe exit' from Gaza Strip, Saudi media outlet reports Senior leaders of the Hamas terror group are preparing a "safe exit" from the Gaza Strip, sources within the terror group revealed to Saudi outlet Asharq al-Awsat on Tuesday. This comes after the US announced the start of Phase II of US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan, which calls for establishing a technocratic government to administer the Strip. Reuters: Israel orders Gaza families to move in first forced evacuation since ceasefire Israeli forces have ordered dozens of Palestinian families in the southern Gaza Strip to leave their homes in the first forced evacuation since October's ceasefire, as residents and Hamas said on Tuesday the military was expanding the area under its control. Residents of Bani Suhaila, east of Khan Younis, said the leaflets were dropped on Monday on families living in tent encampments in the Al-Reqeb neighbourhood. Times of Israel: PM vows no Qatari, Turkish troops in Gaza after countries given role on oversight body Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged Monday that Turkish and Qatari forces would not set foot in Gaza, days after the White House announced that officials from the countries would sit on a key committee set to oversee the Strip’s postwar management. He also acknowledged that Israel and the US had a “certain argument” about the issue. Iran AFP: Iran warns protesters who joined ‘riots’ to surrender within three days Iran’s top police officer issued an ultimatum on Monday to protesters who joined what authorities have deemed “riots,” saying they must hand themselves in within three days or face the full force of the law. But the government also pledged to tackle economic hardships that sparked the demonstrations, which were met with a crackdown that rights groups say left thousands dead. Jerusalem Post: Iran's parliament vows to fight 'holy war' if US targets Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in strikes Any attack on Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would trigger a declaration of jihad, or holy war, the Iranian Students News Agency quoted Iran's national security parliamentary commission as saying on Tuesday. Tensions between Iran and the United States have grown following a severe crackdown on protests across Iran, which US President Donald Trump warned could lead to a response from Washington. Israel Times of Israel: Trump to hold Board of Peace signing ceremony in Davos, but participants may be limited The US is planning to hold a signing ceremony for President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace later this week, as it seeks to jumpstart phase two of his Gaza peace plan while also establishing the nascent international oversight body as the address for conflict resolution around the globe. The signing ceremony is scheduled to be held on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, according to a copy of the invitation circulating online whose authenticity was confirmed by a US official. Times of Israel: Haredi extremists riot against autopsies of babies who died at unlicensed Jerusalem daycare Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox extremists clashed with police in Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh on Monday night as they protested authorities’ plans to perform autopsies on the bodies of two babies who died in an overcrowded, unlicensed daycare center in the capital. Police and the State Prosecutor’s Office are pushing for the autopsies in order to uncover the exact cause of death for 4-month-old Leah Goloventzitz and 6-month-old Aharon Katz, whose bodies were found on Monday morning, along with 53 other babies and toddlers with varying degrees of injuries at the Haredi daycare center. Times of Israel: IDF: Settler violence rose by 27% in 2025, severe attacks spiked by over 50% The number of attacks by extremist Jewish settlers against Palestinians and Israeli security forces in the West Bank rose by 27 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year, according to data recorded by the Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet security agency. The number of severe incidents of “nationalistic crime” by settler extremists, classified by Israeli security bodies as terrorism, also rose by over 50%, according to the data, which was shown to reporters on Monday. Jerusalem Post: Hostage family sues UNRWA for alleged role in October 7 abduction, murder The family of Yonatan Samerano, 21, who was murdered during Hamas’s October 7 attack, has filed a lawsuit in the Jerusalem District Court against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), alleging the agency played a role in his abduction and death. Jerusalem Post: Gadi Eisenkot: Netanyahu ceded Gaza security, IDF must return to fighting Former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot called for a return to combat operations in the Gaza Strip and the dismantling of Hamas’s military capabilities, stating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had failed to manage the country during the Israel-Hamas War in an interview with Kan Reshet Bet on Tuesday. Lebanon Naharnet: Report: Aoun and Haykal vow to act in N. Litani prior to Washington visit President Joseph Aoun and Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal have committed to taking “a certain step in the North Litani region,” al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Tuesday. The step will take place “prior to Haykal’s travel to Washington next month,” the pro-Hezbollah daily added. Naharnet: Pro-Aoun minister says arms monopolization on track despite Qassem’s remarks The decisions taken by Lebanese authorities regarding arms monopolization “were taken to be implemented and nothing will change the president’s stances,” ministerial sources close to President Joseph Aoun said, in response to Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem’s latest remarks. “Qassem wanted to object and escalate in front of his environment, and this all remains rhetorical,” the sources told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, noting that it is unlikely that Hezbollah would take any steps on the ground. Naharnet: Report: Hezbollah tried to prevent army from reaching bombed N. Litani sites Hezbollah has changed the way it deals on the ground with the Lebanese Army and it tried to prevent army troops from reaching sites bombed by Israel north of the Litani River, sources told Al-Arabiya’s Al-Hadath channel. The sources added that a fistfight erupted between members of Hezbollah and the allied Amal Movement after Israel bombed buildings in the southern town of Kfar Hatta, with Amal accusing Hezbollah of “storing weapons in residential areas.” Syria Reuters: US estimates 200 Islamic State fighters escaped Syrian prison, US official says About 200 low-level Islamic State fighters escaped Syria's Shaddadi prison on Monday after guards from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces left the facility, but Syrian government forces recaptured many of them, a U.S. official said on Tuesday. The official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said about 600 foreign fighters from Islamic State had been transferred from Shaddadi prior to January 19 to other facilities and remain in detention. New York Times: ‘Chaos’ as Kurdish-Led Forces Stop Guarding Camp for ISIS Families Kurdish forces withdrew on Tuesday from a vast detention camp that houses tens of thousands of family members of Islamic State fighters as tensions with the government grew over who controls northeastern Syria, according to Kurdish and government officials. The Syrian Democratic Forces, or S.D.F., is led by Kurds and has controlled Al Hol camp for more than a decade. It said it had been forced to redeploy troops to nearby areas. The Syrian government, in turn, accused the S.D.F. of abandoning its posts without coordination with officials or with the U.S.-led coalition, adding that this had allowed detainees to escape. Arab Weekly: Turkish PKK leader Ocalan sees Syria clashes as ‘sabotage’ to peace process Recent deadly clashes in Syria between government forces and Kurdish fighters seek to “sabotage” the peace process between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the jailed leader of the Kurdish militant group said Sunday. PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has led the Turkish peace process from prison, last year urged the group to lay down its weapons and disband after more than four decades of conflict that claimed at least 50,000 lives. UAE Reuters: UAE becomes early supporter of Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ with formal acceptance The United Arab Emirates (UAE) accepted an invitation to join U.S. President Donald Trump's newly proposed “Board of Peace,” the UAE foreign ministry said on Tuesday, placing Abu Dhabi among the first governments to publicly endorse the initiative. The ministry said the UAE stood ready to “contribute actively to the mission of the Board of Peace, supporting greater cooperation, stability, and prosperity for all,” marking Abu Dhabi's formal alignment with Washington’s new conflict‑resolution effort. Pakistan Dawn: Militant hideouts destroyed in Lakki operation Police personnel, with the help of the counter-terrorism department’s commandos, destroyed militant hideouts and sanctuaries during a major operation in the trans-river belt here on Monday. The operation was conducted within the limits of Dadiwala police station on the special instructions of Bannu Regional Police Officer Sajjad Khan under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s police zero tolerance policy against terrorism, according to a police official. Arab News: Tirah Valley residents flee homes ahead of Pakistan’s planned anti-militant army offensive In the rugged mountains of Pakistan’s Tirah Valley, long lines of tractor-trolleys and mini-pickups inched toward a registration camp earlier this month. The vehicles were stacked with bedding, food supplies and families escaping their homes as a military operation against militants looms in the conflict-striken northwestern region. Arab News PK: Police kill five militants, foil plan to block highway in Pakistan’s southwest Pakistan’s counterterrorism police on Monday said they had killed five militants, who were planning to block the Quetta–Sibi highway and target security forces, in an intelligence-based operation in the southwestern Balochistan province. The operation took place in Mastung district when militants affiliated with the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) were planning to carry out “subversive activities” against security forces and the public, according to a CTD spokesperson. Nigeria Reuters: Nigerian airstrikes kill scores of militants in Borno, military says Nigerian air force strikes destroyed about 10 canoes and killed more than 40 militants preparing attacks in Borno state, the military said late on Sunday, in the latest in a series of operations targeting groups around Lake Chad. Borno, where fighters from militant groups Boko Haram and ISWAP have recently intensified attacks on military convoys and civilians, remains the epicentre of the 17-year Islamist insurgency in the northeast of the country. Australia The Guardian: Albanese condemns ‘antisemitic hate incident’ in which Jewish boys ‘ran for their lives’ in Melbourne Five Jewish boys “ran for their lives” while Nazi slogans were yelled at them in Melbourne on Monday night, the father of one of the boys has said, with the prime minister condemning the “antisemitic hate incident”. Victoria police said the five Jewish teenagers, all aged 15 or 16, had just finished school studies in Ripponlea and were walking home on Glen Eira Road in St Kilda East about 9.50pm when a white ute, later confirmed to be stolen, drove past. Times of Israel: Month after Bondi Hanukkah attack, Australian MPs pass stricter gun, hate crime laws Australia’s parliament voted in favor of tougher hate crime and gun laws Tuesday, five weeks after gunmen targeting Jewish people on Bondi Beach killed 15 people. Lawmakers in both the House of Representatives and the Senate backed the legislation in response to the December 14 shooting at the famous Sydney beach. 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