Email from Counter Extremism Project (CEP) Trump says he thinks he will remove Syria from US terrorism sponsor list Eye on Extremism July 8 2026 Top Stories IranWire: IRGC Launches Massive Missile and Drone Strikes on U.S. Bases in Persian Gulf The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a statement announcing that, in a “joint missile and drone operation,” it targeted 85 locations across U.S. military facilities at Salman Port, the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, and the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. The IRGC also claimed to have shot down an American strike drone. Reuters: Trump says he thinks he will remove Syria from US terrorism sponsor list U.S. President Donald Trump on ​Wednesday said he thought he would remove Syria from the ‌United States' list of designated state sponsors of terrorism. "I think I will," Trump told reporters in response to a question during a meeting with Syrian President Ahmed ​al-Sharaa in Turkey. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun—In Facism Young Columbia is the first all-female white nationalist youth club to emerge within the wider Active Club network in the U.S.  New Blog by Alexander Ritzmann: Read Here.  Analysis Times of Israel: Alarm over potential Eilat attack met with skepticism, though not toward Houthi threat Ever since Hamas launched its unprecedented cross-border assault on southern Israel nearly three years ago, Israelis have been acutely alert to the prospect of another surprise incursion along its borders. Jerusalem Post: Syria sets sights on closer NATO ties as Sharaa arrives in Ankara for high-stakes summit – analysis Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in Ankara on July 8 to participate in meetings on the sidelines of an important NATO Summit. This comes after a two-day visit by France’s President Emmanuel Macron to Damascus. United States Iran International: Trump says US may proceed without Iran deal US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the United States might abandon efforts to reach a nuclear agreement with Iran, saying it could achieve its objectives without one. "I don't know if we're going to have a deal," Trump told reporters in Ankara. "We may just do it without a deal, because you know what, it's easier." New York Times: Administration Demands States Change Voting Rules or Lose Antiterrorism Funds The Trump administration is requiring states to change the way they conduct elections or risk losing tens of millions of federal terrorism-prevention funds, in its latest move that would make voting harder and undermine trust in results that don’t go President Trump’s way. Washington Pos: A photo of a Black woman went viral. Her family says she’s more than a symbol. When the woman’s brother first saw the photo, he zoomed in on the only uncovered face. In the photo, a Black woman sits alone on a seat inside a Metro train on July 4 looking in the direction of the camera. Around her in the crowded car are masked members of Patriot Front, a white-supremacist group that was seen marching by the hundreds through D.C. that morning. Jewish Insider: Judge schedules 2027 trial in decadeslong case linking AMP to Hamas murder of American teen A federal judge in Illinois has scheduled a Feb. 8, 2027, trial to determine whether the American Muslims for Palestine group can be held legally responsible for the 1996 murder of American teenager David Boim, according to a court document obtained by Jewish Insider. The landmark case could establish whether U.S. organizations are liable for funding Hamas terror operations. Jewish Insider: El-Sayed says Democratic support for Israel can only be about money As the heated Democratic Senate primary in Michigan enters its final stretch, far-left candidate Abdul El-Sayed told CNN this week that he does not believe that a politician’s support for Israel could be about anything other than money. “Not if you’re a Democrat and you believe in human rights,” El-Sayed told CNN when asked about such a distinction. Jewish Insider: New psychology training program aims to combat antisemitism in mental health care Two leading psychologists are launching an initiative to help future clinicians better care for Jewish patients, Jewish Insider has learned, amid a surge of antisemitism in the mental health field that has left Jewish therapists and clients facing isolation and discrimination. CBS News: Elk Grove man accused making threats to use fireworks to damage generators at Sacramento federal buildings An Elk Grove man is accused of making threats to use fireworks to damage generators outside federal buildings in Sacramento on the Fourth of July, federal prosecutors said on Thursday. France Reuters: Cheers and boos for Le Pen's French campaign launch after guilty verdict French far-right leader Marine Le Pen was greeted by cheers and boos on Wednesday as ‌she launched her presidential campaign in western France, the day after an appeals court enabled her to run despite confirming her conviction for embezzling EU funds. France 24: France's far-right leader Le Pen hits campaign trail after conviction in EU embezzlement case France's far-right figurehead Marine Le Pen launched her fourth presidential campaign in the small town of La Flèche in the country's Loire Valley Wednesday after an appeals court cleared her to run for office – despite upholding her conviction for misusing millions of euros in public funds. Germany Jerusalem Post: Germany launches ShoutOut platform to fight Holocaust denial and antisemitism online Learning platform ShoutOut, designed to teach students how to recognize and respond to Holocaust denial and antisemitism on social media, has officially launched in Germany, the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) announced. Switzerland AFP: Swiss teen avoids jail for 2024 antisemitic stabbing attack A teenager who stabbed a Jewish man in March 2024 in Zurich is sentenced to one year in prison – the maximum for someone of his age – but his punishment is commuted to compulsory mental care. United Kingdom BBC: Neo-Nazi who planned gun attack jailed after MI5 sting A neo-Nazi who was plotting a gun attack has been jailed for 13 and a half years after being caught in an MI5 sting. Agents lured Alfie Coleman, 22, to a car park in east London and swooped on him as he collected a Makarov pistol and 200 rounds of ammunition in September 2023. Jewish News: Jewish leaders tell MPs antisemitism is a ‘British crisis’ at Westminster gathering The Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) has used its annual parliamentary reception to warn MPs and peers that antisemitism must be recognised as “a British crisis”, not simply a Jewish one. The Guardian: Two in five Britons think Muslims cannot integrate in UK, poll finds Two in five Britons believe Muslims cannot integrate into British society and more than half believe the country’s national identity is disappearing due to “diversity”, a report authored by a former government adviser on extremism has found. Afghanistan Afghanistan International: One Year After ICC Warrants, Taliban Leaders Remain At Large One year ago, on 8 July 2025, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and Taliban Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani. Gaza Strip/West Bank Times of Israel: Report alleges NGOs exploited Gaza suffering to raise funds, dismissed antisemitism claims International humanitarian and human rights groups neglected antisemitism complaints from staffers, exploited suffering in Gaza for fundraising and sought to shape an anti-Israel narrative around the Gaza war, according to a report released this week. JNS: IDF kills Hamas terrorist who infiltrated Kibbutz Nirim on Oct. 7 Israeli forces killed a Hamas Nukhba cell commander in a strike in southern Gaza on Tuesday, the military said, identifying him as Mohammed Emad Alrahman Abu Taima, a participant in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack who infiltrated Kibbutz Nirim. Time: Hamas Says It Will Cede Power in Gaza. What Comes Next? Hamas announced Monday that after nearly two decades of governing the Gaza Strip, it will dissolve its government and hand over power to a Palestinian technocratic governing authority. The move is part of the U.S.-brokered peace plan that paved the way for an October 2025 ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. The militant group said it was prepared to hand over governmental responsibilities as part of the deal, but did not pledge to disarm—a key demand of both Israel and the United States. Iran IranWire: IRGC Launches Massive Missile and Drone Strikes on U.S. Bases in Persian Gulf The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a statement announcing that, in a “joint missile and drone operation,” it targeted 85 locations across U.S. military facilities at Salman Port, the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, and the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. The IRGC also claimed to have shot down an American strike drone. Caliber: IRGC commander brands Iran-US memorandum "worthless garbage" An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander has dismissed the memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States as "worthless," saying anyone who trusted US President Donald Trump's signature had been mistaken. AFP: IRGC member killed in US strikes: State media US strikes in southwest Iran on Wednesday killed a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ navy, Iran’s official IRNA news agency said. “A member of the Guards, Mohammad Reza Khazini, was hit by shrapnel and died a martyr while confronting enemy drones” in Mahshahr, a port city not far from the Iraqi border, IRNA reported, citing a statement from the IRGC, the ideological arm of the Iranian military. Iraq Reuters: Thousands march as Khamenei's funeral procession crosses into Iraq Mourners marched through Iraq's holy city of Najaf on Wednesday, following ​the coffin of slain Iranian leader Ayatollah ‌Ali Khamenei as his six-day funeral procession, which drew huge crowds in his home country, pressed on ​across the border. Israel JNS: Border Police shoot, arrest knife-wielding terrorist at Rachel Crossing Israeli Border Police officers shot and arrested a Palestinian terrorism suspect overnight Wednesday after he brandished a knife at officers and threw stones at security personnel near the Rachel Crossing between Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Lebanon Naharnet: Gemayel to Hezbollah: The very least you should do is shut up Kataeb leader Sami Gemayel lashed out at Hezbollah Wednesday, accusing the group of dragging Lebanon into occupation. "The very least you should do is shut up," he said. Naharnet: Bassil wants Hezbollah to 'submit to state', slams 'cover' granted to Israel Free Patriotic Movement leader Jebran Bassil has lamented that Israel has “deliberately” targeted “civilians who have no connection to the war – doctors, engineers, paramedics, students, and this time a school principal and her family." India The Hindu: NIA conducts pan-India searches in online terror radicalisation case The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday (July 8, 2926) carried out nationwide searches in a case related to online terror radicalisation. India TV: NIA expands crackdown on ISIS-AQIS radicalisation network, hunts those behind 'caliphate' plot The agency said it is working to identify others involved in an alleged conspiracy to destabilise the country and establish a "Caliphate" through violent jihad against India's democratically elected government. Pakistan Reuters: Pakistan says 42 security personnel killed in Balochistan attacks this week Pakistan's military said ​on Wednesday ‌that 42 police ​and army ​personnel have been ⁠killed ​in three ​militant attacks in the troubled ​southwestern ​province of Balochistan since ‌July ⁠6. A total of 54 ​militants ​were ⁠killed in these ​incidents, ​the ⁠military added. Africa Eurasia Review: Deadly Jihadist Groups Gain Momentum Across African Continent Islamist militants fighting for factions affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group (IS) are expanding across national borders in several regions and launching sophisticated attacks on state forces and civilians. Burkina Faso Defense Post: Suspected Jihadists Kill at Least 22 Soldiers, Militia in Burkina Faso At least 22 soldiers and civilian militia were killed in suspected attacks by extremists at the weekend in northern Burkina Faso, security sources told AFP on Tuesday. Around 14 military personnel and seven civilian army volunteers were killed at a military base in Di, near Dedougou, on Saturday morning, while there were several deaths at Solhan, two sources said. Australia Australian Broadcasting Corporation: ABC rejects claims of antisemitic bias ahead of fronting royal commission The ABC has rejected "claims that its journalism has contributed to antisemitism or social division" ahead of appearances by ABC and SBS executives at the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion on Thursday. The Australian: Australia the worst country I’ve seen for antisemitism, says Israeli envoy Israel’s ambassador to Australia says he has never seen so much hatred toward Jews as he has in this country in a 26 year-long diplomatic career, declaring modern “blood libel” myths are being normalised and the nation could face more antisemitic terror and violence. In his most searing comments since landing in Canberra earlier this year, and in the middle of a groundbreaking royal commission, top Israeli diplomat Hillel Newman has called the nation’s antisemitism scourge significantly worse than the two Muslim countries he was previously ­ambassador in. J-Wire: New charges over alleged violent extremist material linked to Hamas and Hezbollah A second Gold Coast man has been charged after police allegedly found violent extremist videos and propaganda linked to Hamas, Hezbollah and other listed terrorist organisations. The 51-year-old Pacific Pines man was arrested by the Queensland Joint Counter Terrorism Team as part of an investigation that had already led to charges against 19-year-old Mohamed Ghassan Eltatary from the same suburb. Technology Jewish Insider: AI models more lax with antisemitism when engaging in Persian, new ADL study finds Major AI chatbots consistently fail to reject antisemitic inquiries in Persian as effectively as they do in English, according to a report released on Wednesday by the Anti-Defamation League. The group argues the safety flaw has broad implications as millions rely on these platforms to understand conflicts such as the U.S.-Israel war against Iran. 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