Email from Counter Extremism Project (CEP) Pope Leo calls for end to antisemitism worldwide Eye on Extremism January 28, 2026   Top Stories Jewish Insider: Saudi pivot could have implications on antisemitism globally, Lipstadt contends Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, the former U.S. envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, told Jewish Insider on Tuesday that she’s concerned by the increased pace of antisemitic rhetoric coming from Saudi Arabia, and warned that an extended change of course by Riyadh could have implications on the spread of antisemitism globally. Reuters: Pope Leo calls for end to antisemitism worldwide Pope Leocalled on Wednesday for an end to antisemitism worldwide, marking the annual commemoration of the Holocaust with a prayer for a world without prejudice or racism. "On this annual occasion of painful remembrance, I ask the Almighty for the gift of a world with no more antisemitism and, with no more prejudice, oppression, or persecution of any human being," the pope said during his weekly audience at the Vatican.   Latest Episode | S6 E1: Hamas financing; West Midlands Police; Iranian street protests; and lawfare in Northern Ireland. In the first episode of Season 6, Edmund and Ian discuss Hamas financial networks; the shocking fallout from the UK West Midlands Police ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans; the crackdown on the Iranian protests and proscribing the IRGC; and how legacy legislation is exposing veterans in Northern Ireland to lawfare. Listen here.   CEP Mentions Washington Reporter: SCOOP: Trump Kennedy Center to commemorate past and present anti-Semitism with programming during week of International Holocaust Remembrance Day The first show is called Enduring Music: Compositions from the Holocaust, and its organizers told the Reporter that it is “a landmark concert of music…composed in ghettos and death camps, performed in defiance of resurgent anti-Semitism.” The Counter Extremism Project’s Daniel Roth told the Reporter that the performance, which will take place on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, “will bring classical, folk, and popular music nearly erased by atrocity back into public consciousness through the work of world-renowned composer, conductor, and musicologist Francesco Lotoro.” South Florida Sun Sentinel: How I reclaimed a blueprint of genocide to fight Holocaust denial | Opinion This acquisition is part of a broader commitment to confront antisemitism and extremism. I was honored to help the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) purchase the former home of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss, which stands just beyond the camp’s walls. Höss lived there in splendor with his wife and five children while directing the murder of a million Jews. CEP has transformed this home of a mass murdering antisemite into the Auschwitz Research Center on Hate, Extremism and Radicalization (ARCHER) at House 88, a groundbreaking initiative using cutting-edge technology to fight back against antisemitism, extremism and terrorism. Berliner Morgenpost: Trump is targeting Ali Khamenei – these two scenarios are now likely "It is likely that, similar to Ali Khamenei's case in 1989, the decision will fall on a weak candidate. In 1989, Khamenei was considered harmless by all religious schools in Qom because he lacked his own religious power base," Hans-Jakob Schindler, head of the Berlin-based think tank Counter Extremism Project, told our editorial team. "Now it will be crucial to find a candidate who does not pose an obvious threat to the enormous power of the various branches of the Revolutionary Guard, but who maintains good relations with the Guard's overall organization." However, the negotiations within the Assembly of Experts could also result in a leadership body of religious clerics instead of a new Supreme Leader. Analysis Commentary: Hamas’s New Attempt to Fool Trump The next phase in President Trump’s Gaza peace plan is the disarming of Hamas. The terrorist group, perhaps feeling lucky, has proposed a counteroffer: What if they traded in their current weapons and in return be given new weapons? Rather than disband, Hamas is hoping the Trump administration will let it simply change uniforms: “In a letter to staff on Sunday, seen by Reuters, Gaza’s Hamas-run government urged its more than 40,000 civil servants and security personnel to cooperate with the” new Gaza administrative government. United States The Hill: Trump says he didn’t hear officials call Alex Pretti ‘a domestic terrorist’ President Trump told reporters Tuesday he had not heard some of his officials refer to Alex Pretti as an “assassin” after being fatally shot by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis over the weekend. “Do you agree with the assessment from some of your own officials that Alex Pretti is a domestic terrorist or an assassin?” a reporter asked Trump during a stop in Urbandale, Iowa. The Hill: Fox News host presses DHS spokesperson on ‘domestic terrorist’ label on Alex Pretti Fox News host Dana Perino on Tuesday pressed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin on labeling Alex Pretti, the second Minneapolis resident shot and killed by federal immigration enforcement officers this month, as a “domestic terrorist” after administration officials differed on using the term. Fox News: Top Dem fundraiser slammed for honoring Nazi officer in social media post: ‘Disturbing trend’ A top Democratic fundraiser in Michigan is taking heat for a Veteran’s Day social media post in which she honored her grandfather, who served as an officer in the Nazi military forces during World War II. Kelly Neumann, a fundraising host for Michigan Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson and senatorial candidate Mallory McMorrow, honored her grandfather, Albert Neumann, a WWII German military officer whom she called "one of my best friends." NBC 4 Los Angeles: Long Beach man accused of sending $1,600 to suspected ISIS terrorists pleads guilty A 29-year-old Long Beach man pleaded guilty Tuesday to sending payments to ISIS and possessing a homemade bomb inside his home. Mark Lorenzo Villanueva pleaded guilty in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom as part of an agreement with prosecutors to one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Sentencing was scheduled for June 17, when the lawful permanent resident from the Philippines could face up to 35 years in prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. CBS 17: Judge keeps NC teen jailed in foiled ISIS-inspired attack case, calls evidence ‘chilling’ A Mint Hill teenager accused of planning a violent, ISIS-inspired attack will remain behind bars as his federal case moves forward, according to court documents. Christian Sturdivant, 18, appeared in court on Wednesday for a detention hearing. The judge ruled Sturdivant will stay in custody until his next hearing, despite requests from his defense team to release him to his grandparents’ care. Jewish Insider: Anti-Israel group organizing protests outside NYC synagogues gets cash windfall The group behind a pro-Hamas demonstration near a Queens synagogue earlier this month and a series of other events targeting Jewish religious institutions has deep pockets — and deep roots, which criss-cross the country and link it to various extremist cells — according to publicly available tax filings. Iran International: US deports three former IRGC members, ICE says The United States has deported three former members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said in a post on X. “Foreign terrorist organizers are NOT welcome in our country,” ICE wrote, announcing that Ehsan Khaledi, Mohammad Mehrani and Morteza Nasirikakolaki were returned to Iran over the weekend. Times of Israel: NYC Council probing pro-terror event, speaker vows ‘zero tolerance,’ after ToI report Lawyers for New York City are investigating an event that sold merchandise in support of terrorist groups, a spokesperson at the New York City Council said last week. Vendors sold keychains, stickers and pins in support of US-designated terrorist groups during a fundraiser at the Muslim American Society youth center in Brooklyn last week, in an incident first reported by The Times of Israel. Jerusalem Post: Chicago unanimously adopts IHRA definition, becoming second largest US city to do so Chicago has unanimously adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, making it the second-largest city in the US to codify IHRA into municipal code law. Jerusalem Post: Rabbi physically attacked in NYC on International Holocaust Remembrance Day A rabbi was physically assaulted and verbally harassed in Forrest Hills, Queens, on Tuesday, which was International Holocaust Remembrance Day, according to a joint statement released by a number of New York officials. Germany Jerusalem Post: Grandson of Auschwitz commandant: 'My grandfather was greatest mass murderer in history' "My grandfather is the greatest mass murderer in human history," Kai Höss, the grandson of Auschwitz concentration camp commandant, Rudolf Höss, said in a Tuesday interview with Walla at the Holocaust memorial in Berlin, for International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Höss spoke in front of an audience of Jews who he said, "in essence, should hate me for what my family did." AFP: Holocaust Survivor Urges German MPs To Tackle Resurgent Antisemitism Tova Friedman, one of the dwindling band of Holocaust survivors, took to the floor of the German parliament Wednesday to urge lawmakers to get "tougher" on resurgent antisemitism. In a speech that left some MPs visibly moved, 87-year-old Friedman recounted her experiences as a survivor of the Auschwitz extermination camp and appealed on those present to "use your power to fight". United Kingdom The Telegraph: BBC accused of ‘ignoring Jews’ on Holocaust Memorial Day The BBC has been accused of “ignoring Jews” on Holocaust Remembrance Day. A lengthy Holocaust Remembrance Day segment ran on BBC Breakfast for about seven minutes without mentioning either Jews or anti-Semitism, with the motivations of the Nazis left unexplained. The Telegraph: Ofsted clears school that cancelled Jewish MP’s visit Ofsted has found “no evidence” of political bias at a school that cancelled a visit by a Jewish MP. The watchdog was investigating Bristol Brunel Academy after Damien Egan was prevented from visiting the school following protests by pro-Palestine campaigners. Yahoo! News: Neo-Nazi fanatic jailed over explosives in garden shed A neo-Nazi fanatic who made explosives in his garden shed as he contemplated turning Muslims into “mincemeat” has been jailed for three years and nine months. Harry Whittaker, 33, manufactured a homemade bomb and stored chemicals in a makeshift laboratory in the garden of the home he shared with his mother in the Bedfordshire village of Caddington, near Luton. Russia Associated Press: Putin hosts Syria’s interim leader for talks, with Russian military bases on the agenda Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa visited Moscow on Wednesday for the second time in less than four months, and Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized his readiness to help the country rebuild its war-battered economy. “I know that there is a lot that’s necessary to restore in Syria, and our economic operators, including the construction sector, are ready for this joint work,” Putin said. Afghanistan Afghanistan International: Taliban Declare Opposition To Their Laws ‘A Crime’ The Taliban’s Ministry of Justice said Wednesday that all legislative documents issued by the group are based on Islamic law and warned that objections to those laws would be considered a crime. In a statement, the ministry said the Taliban’s legal texts were drafted by committees of clerics across various ministries and institutions, based on the Quran, Sunnah and recognised Hanafi jurisprudence. It said none of the legislation contradicts Islamic Sharia or lacks a religious basis. Afghanistan International: Taliban-Era Data Show 6,660 Killings In 4 years Mohammad Shah Amiri, an Ismaili resident of Badakhshan province, was returning home from work on the evening of January 1 when he was ambushed in an alley by an armed man who opened fire from behind a garden hedge at a distance of two to three metres. Afghanistan International: Women Prisoners In Afghanistan Rise 435 Percent Under Taliban Rule The number of women prisoners in Afghanistan has risen by 435 percent to 1,825, with women now held in 34 prisons, according to figures released by the Taliban’s Interior Ministry. Of the total, 469 women are held in Kabul, the largest concentration in a single location, followed by Herat and Balkh. The data show the number of women detainees has increased 18.7 percent compared with last year. Gaza Strip/West Bank Times of Israel: Abbas signs decree seen aimed at barring Hamas from participating in local elections Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has signed a decree that will likely prevent Hamas and other like-minded factions from participating in PA municipal elections slated for April. The election law amendment announced on Tuesday by the PA’s central election committee will require all candidates to sign a statement accepting the Palestine Liberation Organization’s “national program” — an apparent reference to the PLO’s resolutions, which include the recognition of Israel, the renunciation of terrorism and the pursuit of a two-state solution. Jerusalem Post: Hamas will only discuss disarmament after Rafah Crossing opens, sources tell 'Post' – exclusive Discussions over disarming Hamas are expected to begin only after the reopening of the Rafah Crossing, two sources familiar with the matter told The Jerusalem Post. According to the sources, a Palestinian technocratic administration in Gaza is slated to lead negotiations with Hamas regarding disarmament. “The idea is that Palestinians will negotiate with Palestinians,” one of the sources said. Times of Israel: Several Palestinians reportedly wounded during settler attacks in southern West Bank A number of people were wounded in settler attacks on the Palestinian enclave of Masafer Yatta in the southern West Bank on Tuesday, with dozens of Israelis reportedly torching homes in several villages. Others were wounded by IDF gunfire elsewhere in the territory, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, including a man who the Palestinian Authority’s health ministry later said succumbed to his wounds. Iran Times of Israel: Several of Iran’s Jews detained over protests, community says it’s a mistake — report Several members of Iran’s Jewish community have been arrested in recent days, purportedly on suspicion that they were involved in the recent mass anti-regime protests, Hebrew outlets reported on Tuesday. The community has reportedly denied any connection to the demonstrations, saying the arrest of the Jews was a mistake. Iranian Jewish leaders are involved in efforts to have the detainees released, sources close to the community said, according to Kan and Israel Hayom. Iraq Iraqi News: US praises Iraq in expediting the transfer of ISIS terrorists from Syria The Chargé d’Affaires of the US mission in Iraq, Joshua Harris, praised on Tuesday Iraqi leadership in expediting the transfer and detention of ISIS terrorists from Syria. According to a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Harris also commended Iraq’s ongoing diplomatic efforts to ensure countries rapidly repatriate their citizens from Iraq, bringing them to justice. Shafaq News: Iraq’s Counterterrorism Service arrests two terrorists in Al-Anbar Iraq’s Counterterrorism Service said on Wednesday it arrested two terrorists in Al-Anbar province, less than 24 hours after authorities announced the detention of an ISIS member wearing a suicide belt in the same province. The Counterterrorism Service did not release further details about the identities of the suspects, the location of the arrests, or the circumstances of the operation. Israel Times of Israel: Netanyahu: No Gaza rebuild before Hamas disarms, Israel will keep ‘security control’ over Gaza Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated his assertion that Israel will not allow Gaza’s reconstruction before terror groups in the Strip disarm, and said Israel would maintain security control over Gaza and the West Bank, in a wide-ranging press conference called Tuesday evening following the return to Israel of the final slain hostage, Ran Gvili. “Now we are focusing on completing the two remaining missions: dismantling Hamas’s weapons and demilitarizing Gaza of arms and tunnels,” the premier said. Times of Israel: Israel’s antisemitism confab welcomes far-right pols, but draws less fire than last year After last year’s government-sponsored International Conference on Combating Antisemitism sparked controversy for including far-right politicians, this year’s version was a more muted affair. Right-wing politics were still on full display at the conference on Tuesday, with a colorful lineup of influencers, Israel advocates, and foreign politicians including some from the far right, and intellectuals associated with conservative movements from within Israel and around the world. Jerusalem Post: Border Police neutralize suspect in possible terror stabbing near Jerusalem A suspect in a potential terror stabbing at the Tunnels crossing near Jerusalem was neutralized on Wednesday afternoon, the IDF and Israel Police confirmed. No injuries have been reported, and IDF and police personnel are on the scene investigating the incident. Lebanon Naharnet: Report: Arms 'freezing' proposal still on the table Cairo is viewing the developments in Lebanon with concern, particularly regarding potential actions by the Israeli side, informed sources in Cairo said. The sources explained to al-Akhbar newspaper that the Egyptian approach stems from “an effort to obstruct Israel's attempts to mobilize American support for launching a new strike against Lebanon.” Naharnet: Rajji goes softer on Hezbollah in major change of tone Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji has called for everyone to return to the State and to not give Israel excuses to keep up its attacks and occupation. "We demand that everyone return to the state, the state of law," Rajji said Tuesday in a seminar, adding that "this is not the time for fiery statements or ideological slogans but a time to work on ensuring the enemy is given no excuse for stalling." Naharnet: Jumblat slams Qassem's 'irresponsible' stances that 'provoke Israelis' Druze leader Walid Jumblat has described Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem’s latest remarks on supporting Iran in the event of a new war as “irresponsible, irresponsible, irresponsible.” Warning that such remarks “provoke the Israelis,” Jumblat lamented in remarks to Lebanon’s L'Orient-Le Jour newspaper that Qassem’s statements “threaten the good progress that the government has achieved in the army’s plans in the south.” Naharnet: UK's Mideast minister welcomes 'progress' in bringing Hezbollah arms under control Minister for the Middle East and North Africa Hamish Falconer has held phone talks with Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji and welcomed the “progress” of the Lebanese Army in “bringing Hezbollah’s weapons in the south under state control.” “The UK will continue to support all efforts to ensure security in Lebanon and across the region,” Falconer added, in a post on X. Naharnet: Gemayel describes Hezbollah as 'armed militia' in second heated budget session Kataeb leader Sami Gemayel described Wednesday Hezbollah as an armed militia, as parliament discussed the 2026 budget for a second day in a row. Gemayel said no one will invest in Lebanon as long as there are war and armed militias, which angered a Hezbollah MP. Syria Jerusalem Post: ISIS numbers grow as Syrian instability continues, Iraq warns ISIS is on the rise again in war-torn Syria as the group’s numbers and operations grow exponentially. Iraqi National Intelligence Service Director Hamid al-Shatri has issued a warning in a rare interview with The Washington Post over what he described as a sharp increase in Islamic State activity in neighboring Syria. Turkey Associated Press: Turkish authorities arrest 6 on suspicion of spying for Iran Turkish authorities have arrested six people, including an Iranian national, on suspicion of spying for Iran, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Wednesday. The arrests followed coordinated operations carried out by Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization and counterterrorism police across five provinces. Australia Times of Israel: Hospital staff changed Bondi attack victim’s name to hide Jewish identity, reports say One of the survivors of the Hanukkah terror attack on Bondi Beach was given a non-Jewish-sounding pseudonym when she was admitted to the hospital following the attack, local media reported on Tuesday. Staff at the Liverpool Hospital in western Sydney changed the name of Rosalia Shikhverg to the alias “Karen Jones” in the medical records, possibly in order to “disguise” her identity, an investigation by Sky News found. New South Wales Health Minister Ryan Park has issued an apology to Shikhverg. Jerusalem Post: Australia at risk of sliding toward the UK’s extremism crisis, former Australian PM says Former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison said Australia faced “a great danger” of moving in the UK’s direction on radical Islam and social cohesion, arguing that the surge in antisemitism since the October 7 massacre exposed long-running failures that Australian leaders, institutions, and communities avoided confronting. Sky News Australia: Scott Morrison calls for action against Islamist extremism and antisemitism Former prime minister Scott Morrison is calling for action against antisemitism and Islamist extremism in the wake of the Bondi terror attack, Sky News host Chris Kenny reports. “Speaking at an antisemitism conference in Israel, Morrison echoed the reality that I’ve pointed out here for more than two years,” Mr Kenny said. Sky News Australia: Albanese realising Australia is threatened by people with ‘contempt for its values’ Sky News host Andrew Bolt says Prime Minister Anthony Albanese realises Australia is being threatened by people with “contempt for its values”. “I've said before the theme of this year will be Australians fighting back against the people trying to divide us,” Mr Bolt said. Sky News Australia: Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke cancels Jewish influencer Sammy Yahood's visa hours before flight to Australia Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has cancelled the visa of Jewish influencer Sammy Yahood just hours before his flight to Australia. The British-born social media personality and activist has courted controversy over his claims Islam is a "murderous ideology" and "cannot be trusted to simply ‘co-exist’" with Western society. The Australian: Stop saying ‘radical, extremist’ Islam: imams The nation’s imams have demanded an end to the use of terms like “radical Islam” and “extremist Islam”, as they claim former prime minister Scott Morrison’s push for reform in their leadership of being reckless and irresponsible. Australia’s peak Muslim body accused Mr Morrison of making “profoundly dangerous” comments and Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy called the speech “troubling,” while Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg went on the defence for the former PM and urged Muslim leaders to “take responsibility” for extremist elements. The Guardian: Former Australian neo-Nazi group member who owned 16 guns appeals loss of firearms licence A former member of the Australian neo-Nazi group the National Socialist Network is appealing a police decision to revoke his weapons licence, on the grounds it infringes his right to freedom of political communication. The Queensland civil and administrative tribunal is hearing an application by Joshua Ryan Hoath, 27, to have the licence reinstated. Hoath has argued that his “political views, activities, or communications” should not have been considered by police. 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