Eye on Extremism: August 11, 2025

CEP Mentions

DW News: 'Israel simply ignored all messages from the international community’ — Israeli diplomat

CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler interviewed on the situation in Gaza and Hamas. "Chancellor Friedrich Merz says Germany will suspend arms exports to Israel that could be used in the Gaza Strip. It marks a major shift for the German government, which has been one of Israel's staunchest allies and largest arms suppliers. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the decision. It comes after Israel announced plans to take control of Gaza City, sparking widespread condemnation both internationally and at home."

DW News: Netanyahu says Israel's new Gaza plan is 'the best way to end the war'

CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler interviewed on the situation in Gaza and Hamas. "In a rare press conference with international journalists, the Israeli Prime Minister has tried to defend his controversial plans to seize Gaza City. Benjamin Netanyahu spoke just before an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, where Israel was strongly condemned for its conduct in Gaza. He claimed taking control of Hamas' remaining strongholds was the best way to end the war and secure the release of hostages."

Analysis

GNET: Introducing BR-ECHO: A Tool to Fight Online Extremism in Brazilian Portuguese

Despite growing advances in technological responses to online extremism — particularly in English and Arabic — many widely spoken languages remain overlooked in both research and content moderation infrastructure. Portuguese, spoken by over 250 million people globally, is one such language. In contexts like Brazil, this absence is particularly critical, as current multilingual moderation systems often fail to detect culturally specific forms of violent discourse. This Insight introduces the BR-ECHO (Brazilian Extremist Content Hashing Observatory), a modular pipeline created to fill this gap. By integrating explainability, adaptability, and traceability, the platform aims to support preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) through linguistically and operationally contextualised tools designed for under-resourced environments.

Times of Israel: Germany’s arms embargo signals sharp downturn in relations with Israel

Twenty-two months into the war in Gaza, Israel’s foreign relations appear to have deteriorated further, with German Chancellor Friedreich Merz’s recent announcement of an arms embargo threatening to put the entire Israeli defense industry in a challenging position. The German halt on selling Israel offensive weapons that could be used in Gaza comes as Israeli citizens, some with no connection to the Gaza war, have been facing threats in multiple countries.

The Conversation: Trump administration cuts to terrorism prevention departments could leave Americans exposed

Staff at the State Department’s Office of Countering Violent Extremism and Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, which led U.S. anti-violent extremism efforts, were laid off, the units shuttered, on July 11, 2025. This dismantling of the country’s terrorism and extremism prevention programs began in February 2025. That’s when staff of USAID’s Bureau of Conflict Prevention and Stabilization were put on leave.

United States

New York Times: The Head of the A.D.L. on Antisemitism, Anti-Zionism and Free Speech

Navigating all these debates is Jonathan Greenblatt, head of the Anti-Defamation League, or A.D.L. Founded more than 100 years ago, the A.D.L.’s stated mission is “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” Under Greenblatt’s decade-long tenure, the A.D.L. has tracked and reported on a precipitous increase in antisemitism on the right and, in more recent years, on the left. The organization is often seen as the arbiter of what is and isn’t antisemitic.

Daily Voice: Bomb Threat Near Wildwood Pizzeria With Alleged White Supremacist Stickers Shuts Down Boardwalk

On Friday, Aug. 8, at 3:24 p.m., the Wildwood Police Department received a call regarding “a bomb threat to a business establishment in the 3300 block of the boardwalk,” the department said in a release. The location is steps from Franconi’s Pizza, which recently went viral on Reddit after a post titled “F— Franconi’s” showed photos from inside the shop’s kitchen, where dozens of stickers covered a refrigerator, including ones appearing to depict SS bolts and a Totenkopf skull.

Daily Voice: Disgruntled Ex-Employee Bombed Supervisor’s SUV In Burlington County

On Saturday, July 26 at 2:42 a.m., an explosive device went off near a silver Ford Explorer parked in the victim’s driveway in Delran, Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba said. The explosion caused a debris field extending out approximately 100 feet in diameter, with various nails and bolts lodged in both the body of the Ford Explorer and in adjacent residential homes, Habba said. Surveillance video showed a dark colored Jeep Renegade parked directly across the street from the residence.

Newsweek: Israeli-American Council HQ Targeted With Swastika Graffiti: What We Know

The national headquarters of the Israeli-American Council (IAC) in Los Angeles were vandalized with swastikas and Nazi symbols at the weekend, the organization said. Photos shared on Facebook by IAC Los Angeles show the words "F** Jews" and "BDS" spray-painted on a wall. "BDS" is a reference to the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement against Israel.

Times of Israel: Only 9 US states have strong antisemitism policies, ADL says, unveiling new monitoring tool

Only nine of the 50 US states have implemented most of the best practices for fighting antisemitism, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said Friday. A new tool created by the antisemitism watchdog will be used to evaluate each US state’s response to antisemitism through legislation, education and public policy.

Canada

CBC: Montreal police investigate after Jewish man with young children attacked, beaten

Montreal police are investigating after a 32-year-old Jewish man, with his young children at his side, was attacked on Friday afternoon in the borough of Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension. Police spokesperson Const. Caroline Chèvrefils said officers responded to a 911 call about an altercation at the corner of l'Épée and Beaumont avenues at 2:45 p.m. local time. Chèvrefils confirmed that a video, which is circulating online, shows part of the attack. The 28-second video does not show what led up to it but begins with the assailant straddling and striking the victim, who is on the ground, several times. The victim, who appears to be dressed in traditional Jewish attire, gets up on his knees and one of at least two children clings to him. The attacker picks up some belongings in a grocery bag and then tosses what appears to be a kippa, a head covering worn by Jewish men and boys, into a splash pad area.

Jerusalem Post: Canadian leaders condemn beating of Montreal Jewish father in front of children

Canadian political leaders from every level of government condemned the Friday beating of a Montreal Jewish man in front of his children, with Montreal Mayor Valeri Plante saying Saturday that the Montreal Police Service was investigating the Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension incident. Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Saturday that he offered support to law enforcement in their efforts to catch the attacker. "The attack on a Jewish father in Montreal late yesterday, in front of his own children, is an appalling act of violence," Carney said on X. "Everyone in Canada has an inalienable right to live in safety."

Argentina

Jerusalem Post: Thousands in Buenos Aires protest Gaza war, Netanyahu's planned visit to Argentina

Ten thousand people marched through the center of Buenos Aires on Saturday in support of Palestine. The protest was organized by the Argentine Committee of Solidarity with the Palestinian People and the Workers’ Left Front – Unity (an electoral alliance of four revolutionary Trotskyist parties in Argentina) ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s expected visit to the country at the end of August. Videos from the rally showed protesters mainly wearing red to indicate blood, while many carried doll infants covered in blood. Argentina could face legal consequences should the planned visit go ahead, given it is a member of the International Criminal Court which has an arrest warrant against Netanyahu.

Germany

Deutsche Welle: Germany suspends arms exports to Israel for use in Gaza

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday that Berlin would not approve German weapons exports to Israel for use in the Gaza Strip "until further notice." The announcement marks a major change of course for Germany, which has been one of Israel's staunchest international allies. Merz reiterated that "Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas terrorism." "The release of the hostages and determined negotiations for a ceasefire are our top priority," he said in a statement. However, "the even tougher military action by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip" that was approved by the Israeli Security Cabinet "makes it increasingly difficult to see how these goals can be achieved," he added.

Deutsche Welle: Germany's Merz defends partial weapons halt to Israel

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany's stance on the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza remains unchanged despite his government's order to suspend arms to Israel which could be used in Gaza. "We will continue to help this country to defend itself," Merz told German public broadcaster ARD on Sunday, adding that despite this stance, the German government could not supply weapons to a conflict where hundreds to thousands of civilians could be killed. Merz's decision to halt the export of offensive arms which could be used in Israel's war in Gaza has been met with criticism within the chancellor's own conservative party (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party (CSU).

WDR: Four injured: Neo-Nazis attack members of the Left in Essen

On Friday evening, shortly before the attack, members of the Left Party had demonstrated against a meeting place for right-wing extremists in the Kray district of Essen. According to WDR information, the participants in the anti-fascist demonstration were traveling in a public bus in the direction of the main train station. A group of neo-Nazis then allegedly attacked them on the bus. Christian Baumann, spokesman for the Essen anti-Nazi alliance "Essen stellt sich quer", calls the attack "shocking". However, according to Baumann, this was to be expected, as there is now an aggressive and militant neo-Nazi scene in Essen.

Greece

Jerusalem Post: 'Zionists not welcome:' Protests across Greece reject Israeli tourists

Greek anti-Israel activists waved Palestinian flags and raised signs opposing Israeli tourists in a coordinated mass protest at over 100 islands and cities, according to organizing groups BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) Greece, March to Gaza Greece, and Palestinian Community Greece. Pictures published on social media by the anti-Israel groups showed beaches, ports, and cultural sites flooded with activists rallying against Greece’s relations with Israel and the presence of Israeli tourists in the country during the Israel-Hamas War.

United Kingdom

Associated Press: London police arrest hundreds of people as pro-Palestinian protesters defy new law

London police said Sunday that 532 people were arrested the previous day when supporters of a pro-Palestinian group recently outlawed as a terrorist organization intentionally broke the law to test the government’s ability to enforce the ban. The Metropolitan Police Service released the updated figures as protesters demanding the immediate release of the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza held their own march through central London on Sunday afternoon.

Afghanistan

Reuters: How a CIA hit on al Qaeda ensnared a US citizen in Afghanistan

As a crowd looked on, uniformed Taliban surrounded the Toyota Landcruiser in which Mahmood Habibi, a naturalized U.S. citizen, sat. Other Taliban smashed open the door of his Kabul apartment, emerging later with his laptop and papers. Blindfolded in the back seat, Habibi and his driver were driven off by gunmen sporting shoulder patches of the Taliban's feared secret police, the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI), according to several witness statements in U.S. government possession seen by Reuters.

Israel

Reuters: Netanyahu says new Gaza offensive will start soon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he expected to complete a new Gaza offensive "fairly quickly" as the U.N. Security Council heard new demands for an end to suffering in the Palestinian enclave. Netanyahu, speaking after his security cabinet on Friday approved a much-criticised plan to take control of Gaza City said he had no choice but to "complete the job" and defeat Hamas to free hostages seized from Israel. Israel's military chief has voiced opposition to occupying the entire Gaza Strip and has warned that expanding the offensive could endanger the lives of hostages Hamas is still holding and draw its troops into protracted and deadly guerrilla warfare.

Financial Times: The other Israel-Iran war

In the days after Israel launched its surprise bombing attack on Iran, Israeli officials received a barrage of suspicious text messages containing malicious links. To them, it was clear who was to blame: Tehran, with whom Israel has for years waged a quiet cyber war that flared in intensity in parallel with the physical conflict in June. Recent attacks ranged from a heist at an Iranian cryptocurrency exchange to a surge in spear-phishing messages targeting prominent Israelis, which cyber security company Check Point said have purported to be from diplomats and even the country’s prime minister’s office.

Jerusalem Post: 'Holocaust in Gaza': Western Wall desecrated with antisemitic graffiti

Antisemitic graffiti has been found in multiple locations across Jerusalem, including at the Western Wall complex and the Great Synagogue, on Monday. The graffiti, written in Hebrew, says, “There is a Holocaust in Gaza.” Security guards noticed the graffiti near the Mugrabi Gate on Monday morning and alerted Israel Police of the incident. After further investigation, the police discovered that the suspect had also allegedly graffitied a similar message on the wall of the Great Synagogue in central Jerusalem.

Gaza Strip

Jerusalem Post: Hamas delegation to head to Egypt to resume stalled ceasefire talks

A delegation of Hamas officials will reportedly be heading to Egypt on Monday in an attempt to resume the stalled ceasefire negotiations, according to the London-based al-Araby al-Jadeed news outlet. The outlet explained that the seeming resumption of negotiations follows a visit by a Hamas delegation to Ankara last week, where they met with Turkish officials to discuss the situation in Gaza. After the meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan flew to Cairo to present the official request, on behalf of Ankara, to mediate and resume negotiations between Egypt and Hamas. Qatar and Egypt expect to complete the latest formulation of a ceasefire-hostage deal proposal next week.

Times of Israel: IDF strike on Gaza City kills Al Jazeera reporter accused of being a Hamas cell leader

An Israeli strike in Gaza City Sunday night killed a prominent Palestinian journalist for Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera, Anas al-Sharif, whom the Israel Defense Forces has long argued was a Hamas terrorist in charge of rocket launching. Al Jazeera confirmed the 28-year-old’s death along with fellow journalist Mohammed Qreiqeh and videographers Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Moamen Aliwa in the strike, which it said targeted a tent near Shifa Hospital. An official at the hospital said two other people were also killed in the strike.

Syria

New York Times: Clashing Visions of Syria’s Future Play Out in Ancient Alleys of Damascus

The change has energized religious Sunni Muslims in the capital, but shaken secular Syrians and the country’s religious minorities. Though the new government has refrained from imposing hard-and-fast restrictions on social freedoms, the abrupt empowerment of hard-liners and the increasingly conservative atmosphere have made liberals curb their behavior, fearing what may come next. They worry that the new government led by President Ahmed al-Shara, a former rebel who was previously allied with Al Qaeda and the Islamic State, will impose extreme Islamic rule on the country.

Iran

Reuters: Iran says IAEA official to visit for talks, no access to nuclear sites planned

A senior official from the U.N. nuclear watchdog will fly to Iran for talks on Monday, but no visit to nuclear sites is planned, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday. Since Israel launched its first military strikes on Iran's nuclear sites during a 12-day war in June, inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have been unable to access Iran's facilities, despite IAEA chief Rafael Grossi stating that inspections remain his top priority. Iran, which denies seeking nuclear weapons, said it remained committed to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Morocco

Middle East Online: Morocco arrests 'Daesh' supporter suspected of plotting terrorist attacks

Morocco's Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) arrested on Sunday an 18-year-old individual imbued with extremist ideology of the terrorist organization “Daesh” who was active in Douar El Amarna, in the province of Settat, based on information provided by the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance.

Mali

Reuters: Mali arrests dozens in military who posed threat to government

Mali has arrested more than 30 soldiers and military officials accused of attempting to destabilise the government, two sources said, a sign of internal tensions as the West African nation's leaders take steps to strengthen their hold on power. The arrests have unfolded over multiple days and have targeted several senior officials including General Abass Dembele, former governor of the central Mopti region, said a Malian security source who put the total number of arrests at 36. Mali's military leaders took power after coups in 2020 and 2021, vowing to restore security in a country where militant groups control large areas of the north and centre and stage frequent attacks on the army and civilians.

Nigeria

Reuters: Nigeria arraigns five accused in 2022 Catholic church massacre in Abuja court

Nigerian prosecutors on Monday arraigned five men accused of carrying out a deadly Islamist militant attack on a Catholic church in Owo, in the southwestern Ondo state, that killed at least 50 worshippers in 2022 and wounded over 100 others.

Somalia

Garowe Online: Somalia Hails Capture of Strategic Town From Al-Shabaab After Major Battle

The Somali National Army (SNA) Ground Forces commander Brigadier General Sahal Abdullahi Omar visited Barire town, a day after liberation from the Al-Shabaab militants who suffered heavy casualties in the process, on Friday.