Eye on Extremism: July 28, 2026
Top Stories
Iran’s Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, published a video on Monday encouraging supporters to assassinate US first lady Melania Trump. The Persian-language video, which used publicly available information, named several department stores in midtown Manhattan where the president’s wife is known to shop.
Reuters: Houthis pushing to model Iran's Hormuz control in Red Sea, Yemeni FM says
Yemen's Houthi Movement aims to replicate Iran's Hormuz Strait strategy in the Red Sea by disrupting shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb and has been emboldened by an insufficient international response, Yemen's top diplomat said on Monday. "The Houthis want to copy the Iranian model and this will shut down two main straits, the gateways into the Gulf and Red Sea," Yemeni Foreign Minister-designate Afrah Al-Zouba said, speaking to a small group of journalists at the Yemeni embassy in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
CEP Mentions
"This is not just a national sports club or nationalist sports club. In its essence, it’s the strategy to build a neo-Nazi militia,” said Alexander Ritzmann, a senior adviser for the Counter Extremism Project.
Authorities say the suspect who attacked Berlin's Pride event was known to German police for other crimes. Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler of the Counter Extremism Project speaks on German efforts to monitor extremists, and CBS News' Bradley Blackburn takes a look at German data on hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people.
Neue Zürcher Zeitung: How high is the terrorist threat in Switzerland? Experts estimate
Nevertheless, Switzerland is "no island of bliss," says Hans-Jakob Schindler, Director at the Counter Extremism Project, an NGO based in Berlin and New York. After all, Islamist attacks have indeed occurred in Switzerland. In September 2020, an IS sympathizer killed a man outside a kebab shop in Morges, in the canton of Vaud.
FAZ: The breeding ground for Islamists
“These are extremists who not only pursue this ideology but also consider violence a legitimate means to achieve their goals,” says Hans-Jakob Schindler of the Counter Extremism Project, a non-governmental organization that deals with extremism and terrorism.
Merkur: Terrorism expert speaks plainly about Germany's potential threats: "The majority are violent Islamists"
Terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler of the Counter Extremism Project says: "These are, for the most part, violent Islamists." In an interview with the Munich-based newspaper Merkur , published by Ippen.Media, Schindler also discusses the monitoring of these potential terrorists, stating: "It will never be possible to prevent all attacks. There will always be people who kill out of ideology."
Daily Wire: Deadly Attack at Pride Event Shakes Europe & Trump Roasts the Media
A deadly terror attack on a Pride event in Berlin prompts more calls for a crackdown on Islamic extremism. Fresh off the rescheduled White House Correspondents Dinner, Trump signals a new phase in the Iran conflict: And, the key midterm contests are locked in. Reporting from Tim Rice and Cabot Phillips. Plus, we speak with Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, Senior Director of the Counter Extremism Project. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.
GB News: ‘This was the park next to the secure event, where people were coming and going.’
Counter terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler gives the latest on the Berlin Pride attack, as German police say they have identified a suspect and are carrying out a manhunt.
The Guardian: German officials call for tighter extremism laws after Berlin Pride attack
Counter-extremism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler, who advises the German government, told local media there were more than 9,000 Islamists living in the country in 2025, including 2,590 in the capital, 1,940 of whom are believed to be violent.
According to German terrorism expert Hans Jakob Schindler, the radical Islamist community in Berlin is large. "We are talking about a significant number of individuals," Schindler tells *Der Tagesspiegel*. As many as two thousand Berliners are known to be IS sympathizers. Schindler observes a dangerous mix in the German capital comprising radical pro-Palestinian and left-wing extremists, Islamists, and also right-wing radicals prone to violence. "It is simply not efficient for the police to keep an eye on all Islamists."
De Volkskrannt: German terrorism expert: 'Berlin attacker used IS playbook'
"The fact that the attacker chose an LGBTI festival says a great deal," Hans-Jakob Schindler explains by phone from Berlin. The expert is the director of the Berlin Counter-Extremism project and advises the German Ministry of the Interior.
Die Rheinpfalz: Twelve potential terrorists in Rhineland-Palatinate
CEP Senior Director Hans Jakob Schindler analyses the current terrorism threat level and Germany and Rhineland-Palatinate in light of the terror attack in Berlin
ZDFheute: CSD attack: Why there are no indications pointing to Russia
When ZDFheute asked about the Russia rumors, sources within the authorities with insight into the investigation categorically denied them. Terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler also sees a clearly Islamist background.
Focus: Terrorism expert warns: "We have a huge observation gap"
Following the terrorist attack on the Christopher Street Day parade in Berlin, security vetting is more in focus than ever. More prevention is possible. The state must require internet companies to report suspicious content in a timely manner, demands Islamism and terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler.
Bayerischer Rundfunk: CSD attack: Suspect had contact with deradicalization program
Hans-Jakob Schindler of the transatlantic think tank "Counter Extremism Project" cautioned against drawing hasty conclusions from this case that deradicalization programs have fundamentally failed.
Extremism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler discusses the danger posed by Islamism, which is much greater than the resources of the police – and what can actually be done to combat radicalization online.
TAZ: "IS advises carrying a second weapon in car attacks"
Hans-Jakob Schindler: The problem with mass events is that you can never protect them 100 percent. It's difficult to cordon off a large area around an urban event. People weren't run over at the event itself, but rather those traveling to or from it.
Handelsblatt: Attack at Christopher Street Day parade – Suspect shot dead by police
This assessment aligns with the analysis of extremism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler, who, in a "Tagesspiegel" interview, referred to the extent of the Islamist scene in Berlin."The problem is that the Islamist scene in Berlin is relatively large. It's simply not possible for the police, in terms of resources, to monitor all Islamists equally."
The Pioneer: The Abdul B. case: The justice system comes under criticism.
In the case of successful attacks, the system usually fails on multiple levels, says terrorism and Islamism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler.
Blick.ch: "Hotspots for extremism exist in all major cities."
Radical Islamists repeatedly draw attention to themselves in Berlin. The German capital is considered a stronghold of Islamism in Germany. Expert Hans-Jakob Schindler explains why.
SRF: Expert: "How did the justice system come to dismiss this person?"
Hans-Jakob Schindler is a terrorism expert at the international NGO Counter Extremism Project. He explains the challenges involved in surveillance.
Analysis
Homeland Security Today: Micro-Radicalization, Accelerationism, and the New Extremist Ecosystem
For decades, counterterrorism practitioners viewed radicalization as a relatively linear process. Individuals were recruited into extremist organizations, exposed to ideology, indoctrinated, trained, and eventually mobilized toward unlawful or violent action. While this model remains relevant in some cases, it increasingly fails to explain how contemporary extremism develops across today’s digital landscape.
New York Times: Germany’s AfD Opposes Pride Flags but May Win Support After L.G.B.T.Q. Attack
Analysts say a recent attack on a Pride celebration is likely to focus fall elections on issues favoring the far-right Alternative for Germany party.
Why is Al Dhafra Air Base one of the most important US military installations in the Middle East? In this video, we explain why Iran reportedly targeted Al Dhafra during its retaliatory missile strikes and why the base is considered a critical intelligence, surveillance, and air operations hub for the US military.From F-15E Strike Eagles, MQ-9 Reaper drones, RQ-4 Global Hawk, U-2 Dragon Lady, and E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft to its central role in the CENTCOM network, discover how Al Dhafra supports US military operations across the Persian Gulf.
Iranian-backed militias based in Iraq are again attacking neighboring states and threatening the Middle East. On Monday and Tuesday, the militias targeted Saudi Arabia and the autonomous Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq.
In the decades after the Holocaust, antisemitism did not disappear. But one of its manifestations, violence against Jews, was limited. Across the major Jewish communities of the world, outside the Soviet Union, Jews lived with the knowledge that prejudice persisted yet did not feel they were under physical threat.
United States
Fox News: 9/11 families push to ban Mamdani from 25th anniversary remembrance over 'hostile' record
Families of 9/11 victims are urging organizers to bar New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani from attending this year's 25th anniversary remembrance ceremony in Lower Manhattan. Several families of 9/11 victims published a petition urging the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, which organizes the annual remembrance, to reconsider inviting Mayor Zohran Mamdani, citing a laundry list of criticisms of the Uganda-born socialist Democrat.
Jerusalem Post: Hundreds rally in New York City to condemn Mamdani after stabbing attacks
Hundreds of demonstrators and community leaders converged on New York City’s Upper West Side on Sunday for a “United Against Hate” rally organized by the #EndJewHatred movement. The protest targeted New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, holding city leadership accountable for rising crime and accusing the administration of fostering a dangerous climate for minority communities.
Montclair Local: Montclair Teen Admits Providing Support to ISIS, Accepts 20-Year Plea Deal
A Montclair teen accused of conspiring with ISIS pleaded guilty in federal court on Monday to providing material support to the terrorist organization. Tomaskaan Jimenez-Guzel, 19, of Montclair, entered the plea before U.S. District Court Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark. Jimenez-Guzel pleaded guilty to one count of “conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.”
KTSM: Ex-Navy SEAL jailed after planned protest attack
A former U.S. Navy SEAL who intended to use fireworks against law enforcement during a protest in California and was found with antisemitic materials was sentenced to 16 months in prison, according to a news release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Mexico. Gregory Vandenberg, 49, was convicted by a federal jury of transportation of explosives with intent to kill, injure or intimidate and attempted transportation of prohibited fireworks into California. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, upon his release from prison, he will serve one year of supervised release.
A Second Circuit panel on Monday allowed motivations of racial hatred as aggravating factors into the upcoming federal death penalty case against Payton Gendron, the white supremacist who killed 10 Black people at a Buffalo supermarket in May 2022.
NPR: Inside the culty white supremacists the feds are ignoring
Patriot Front is a white nationalist group that focuses on high visibility stunts, like banner drops, disrupting events, or swarming Washington, DC for Independence Day. Meanwhile, the State Department has convened 60 nations against what it calls far-left terrorism. We talk to NPR’s Odette Yousef about who the guys in Patriot Front actually are, why their finances resemble a pyramid scheme selling stickers and stencils, and what it means that the federal government is aiming its counterterrorism attention in a very different direction.
A federal judge rejected a defendant’s claims that he received constitutionally ineffective assistance of counsel while facing federal hate crime and firearms charges for murdering five people at a Colorado Springs LGBTQ nightclub in 2022. Anderson Lee Aldrich is serving multiple lifetime sentences in prison on state murder charges, plus an effective life sentence for dozens more attempted murder charges. In 2024, he pleaded guilty to 74 additional federal charges, all related to the mass murder he committed at Club Q on Nov. 19, 2022. Aldrich received a life sentence for the federal charges, as well.
Canada
Global News: Canadians returning from ISIS ‘highly likely’ to pose threat, intelligence report says
A group of Canadians detained overseas for allegedly being part of ISIS will “highly likely” pose a threat when they return home, warns an intelligence document obtained by Global News. The Integrated Threat Assessment Centre report was written in June, after Iraq said it had taken custody of an unspecified number of ISIS members from Canada.
Europe
EuroNews: No EU-wide watchlist: Berlin Pride attack highlights gaps in monitoring Islamist extremism
Despite growing concerns about cross-border security threats, no EU-wide register or official figure indicates how many people with established links to terrorism are currently under surveillance. The Berlin Pride attack has reignited questions over whether Europe is adequately monitoring individuals with a history of radicalisation and terrorism-related convictions who may pose a threat, particularly when suspects move across borders.
Czech Republic
Traditional extremist movements weakened in Czechia last year. But the Czech Interior Ministry in its new report warns that online radicalisation is becoming a growing security threat. The document has also sparked political debate by omitting the governing Freedom and Direct Democracy party, which featured in previous editions.
France
Jerusalem Post: Twelve Torah scrolls stolen in targeted antisemitic break-in at synagogue near Paris
Thieves stole 12 Torah scrolls from the Grand Synagogue of Levallois (ACCIL) on the outskirts of Paris on Sunday night, the synagogue’s rabbi and the Jewish Community Protection Service (SPCJ) reported Monday. Two suspects broke into the building and stole the scrolls, even though the premises were protected by cameras and extensive surveillance systems, according to reports.
Germany
Deutsche Welle: Police 'should have kept an eye on' Berlin Pride attacker
The attack near Berlin Pride celebrations was allegedly carried out by a man already known to the authorities. Could the attack have been prevented? Terrorism expert Guido Steinberg shares his insights.
Reuters: Berlin Pride attacker recorded pledge of allegiance to IS, prosecutors say
The man believed to be behind a deadly vehicle attack near Berlin's Pride celebration over the weekend left a video on his phone pledging allegiance to militant group Islamic State, German prosecutors said on Tuesday. Though the person in the video was masked, authorities assume it shows the suspected attacker, 21-year-old German citizen Abdul Ballout, a spokesperson for the federal prosecutors' office said.
In the wake of the recent violent attack in Berlin near a pride festival, German officials are left to contend with the questions surrounding why suspect Abdul Ballout was free to perpetrate the assault despite his recent conviction related to supporting ISIS. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday wished to know how the violent assault could have been prevented.
DPA: Confession video found on suspect's phone after Berlin Pride attack
A confession video has been found on the deceased suspect's phone after the deadly Berlin Pride attack, a spokeswoman for Germany's Federal Public Prosecutor's Office said on Tuesday. The spokeswoman confirmed a report in the Bild tabloid that investigators have discovered a video claiming responsibility for the attack on Saturday evening.
Greece
Times of Israel: Israelis say they were attacked by anti-Israel mob who stormed their hotel in Crete
Israeli tourists said they were violently attacked near and inside their hotel on the Greek island of Crete early Sunday morning by assailants armed with sharp objects and rifles who shouted “Fuck Israel” and “Free Palestine,” leading them to fear for their lives.
United Kingdom
When British undergraduate student Brodie Mitchell joked that a keffiyeh-clad student was “wearing a tea towel” on her head, Royal Holloway University suspended him for nine weeks and evicted him from his university accommodation.
Jewish News: NHS doctors call in lawyers to oppose IHRA definition of antisemitism
Activist doctors have enlisted lawyers to warn NHS trusts against adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, claiming that the measure meant to protect Jewish staff and patients would discriminate against critics of Israel.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan International: Head Of Taliban Information & Culture Killed In Badakhshan
Taliban police in Badakhshan have confirmed that Zabihullah Amiri, the group’s head of information and culture in the province, has been killed in an attack by two motorcyclists. In a statement on Tuesday, Taliban police said Amiri was killed while travelling to his office on the Baharak-Faizabad road. The Taliban said Amiri’s bodyguards killed one of the attackers.
Afghanistan International: Former Afghan Security Personnel Still Face Killings And Torture, Says UN
The United Nations says killings of former Afghan security personnel are continuing, documenting eight deaths and 29 cases of arbitrary arrest or detention between April and June 2026. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, released its latest quarterly report on the country’s human rights situation on Tuesday. The report covers the three-month period from April to June 2026.
Cross-border fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan has killed nearly 500 civilians in Afghanistan and wounded over 1,000 others between October and the end of June, the United Nations said Tuesday. In a report on the human rights situation, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said it had documented 499 civilians killed and 1,216 wounded by the fighting between the neighbors that has defied international peace efforts.
Gaza Strip/West Bank
Jerusalem Post: Hamas decries Katz's ordering IDF takeover of Palestinian refugee camp in West Bank
Hamas called Defense Minister Israel Katz a terrorist for commanding the IDF to take over a Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank, the terrorist organization said in a Tuesday post on Telegram.
Times of Israel: IDF: Islamic Jihad commander who directed October 7 kidnappings killed in strike
A Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander who commanded a cell of terrorists that abducted Israeli civilians during the October 7, 2023, onslaught was killed in a strike in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday, the military announces.
In a picture published by Hamas, al-Kafarna is seen in full military gear, holding a loaded rifle. His name is one of scores published by Hamas and its fellow Gazan terror group, Islamic Jihad, in recent months, belatedly identifying their many fighters killed during the two years of war sparked by the October 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel. Among the names are not only those previously identified as journalists and athletes, but also healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, and hospital employees.
Iran
Iran International: Iran indicts Trump over Khamenei killing on charges carrying death penalty
Tehran Prosecutor Ali Salehi said Tuesday that an indictment had been issued against US President Donald Trump over the killing of Ali Khamenei, IRGC-affiliated Fars News reported. The charges include “corruption on earth,” murder, destruction, intentional assault and “terrorist acts.” Under Iranian law, “corruption on earth” and murder can carry the death penalty.
Israel
Jerusalem Post: Teenager who planned terror attack indicted by IDF prosecutor after confession
A 16-year-old from the West Bank was indicted by the IDF's military prosecutor on Monday for planning a terror attack, after being arrested two weeks prior. The charged terrorist confessed to police interrogators and revealed where he had hidden a knife involved in the accusations against him.
Lebanon
Naharnet: Lebanese Army reportedly finds Hezbollah arms in pilot zone
The joint coordination mechanism between the United States, Lebanon and Israel has been informed that the Lebanese Army, during its operations in one of the pilot phase areas, had discovered a Hezbollah weapons cache, Israeli media reports said. Israel’s public broadcaster said that this is the first time since the start of the pilot phase that the Lebanese Army has successfully uncovered Hezbollah arms.
Naharnet: Report: Lebanon warned of 'hefty price' if Hezbollah attacks Israel
Washington has relayed to Lebanon a “firm, strongly worded and dangerous” message saying that there will be a “hefty price” to pay if Hezbollah attacks Israel in the event of a new U.S. war on Iran, the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper said.
Yemen
France 24: Yemen says ready to escalate against Houthi rebels as they target Saudi Arabia
Yemen's government on Monday issued a warning to the Houthi rebels after they stepped up recent attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure and imposed a maritime blockade, raising fears that the Iran-backed group's campaign could open a new front in the wider regional conflict and threaten shipping through the Red Sea.
Africa
Reuters: Nigeria and South Africa seek to ease tensions over xenophobic attacks
Nigeria said South Africa had agreed to bring to justice those responsible for attacks on foreign nationals, while Abuja was compiling compensation claims for losses suffered by Nigerians as both countries pledged to tone down rhetoric over the violence.
Democratic Republic of Congo
Le Monde: At least 31 civilians killed by ADF jihadists in northeast DRC
At least 31 civilians have been killed in northeast Democratic Republic of Congo since the middle of last week in attacks attributed to ADF fighters, local and security sources said on Monday, July 27.
Singapore
The Straits Times: Man to be charged over transferring $93 to facilitate terrorist acts in Gaza
A 23-year-old Myanmar national and Singapore permanent resident is slated to be charged in court on July 29 over terrorism financing, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement on July 28. The Internal Security Department’s (ISD) investigations showed that the man had in August 2024 transferred funds to an overseas-based X user who claimed to be soliciting donations online to buy military equipment.
Technology
The National: 'AI evangelism' is contributing to anti-tech extremism, experts say
The rapid introduction of artificial intelligence is making it difficult for people to build resilience to its side effects, leading to a rapid rise in anti-technology extremism, experts have said. The phenomenon can be found in many parts of the political spectrum, the experts told an event hosted by George Washington University in the US capital on Monday.
Jerusalem Post: Antisemitic content nearly seven times more likely to go viral on Instagram
Antisemitic content is nearly seven times more likely to appear among an Instagram clip account’s most-viewed videos than other content, according to a new report published by the Antisemitism Research Center (ARC) by CAM on Tuesday.
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