Eye on Extremism: July 3, 2025
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The Buchenwald Concentration Camp Memorial attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year - for most, it is a place of silent remembrance. But right-wing extremists are increasingly disrupting the commemoration with provocative performances and symbols. The tone is becoming harsher, the behavior more unrestrained, people are being threatened - a situation that puts a strain on staff and visitors alike. According to the historian, right-wing extremist incidents are nothing new at Buchenwald. In the 1990s and early 2000s, too, the memorial had increasingly had to deal with right-wing extremism. However, with the founding of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and organizations such as Pegida in 2013/14, the quality of such incidents was raised to a new level. "People are now prepared to go as far as death threats," says Neumann-Thein.
Efforts to reach a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza war appeared to be making progress Thursday amid reports that terror group Hamas could back the proposal, which includes the release of 28 hostages and negotiations on ending the war that has been grinding on since October 2023. Various outlets reported similar terms for the deal, which would see 10 living and 18 deceased hostages released in stages over a 60-day ceasefire period, with Hamas said to agree to forgo public hostage release ceremonies and Israel said to agree to hold off on resuming military operations so long as talks on ending the war were ongoing.
CEP Mentions
ZDF: Iran suspends cooperation with IAEA
Terrorism and extremism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler from the Counter Extremism Project is observing Iran's move with concern: "The suspension of cooperation may strengthen Iran's negotiating position because concessions will now have to be made to Iran," Schindler told ZDF. According to Schindler, the "worst case scenario" would be if Iran also withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. "This could then provide the Israelis with a template for further bombing". Should Iran actually expel all the inspectors, the world would face a major problem, says Hans-Jakob Schindler.
Spreaker: Joshua Fisher-Birch joins Tavis Smiley
Joshua Fisher-Birch, researcher and content review specialist for the Counter Extremism Project, is all about that Base, as in the international Neo-Nazi group he’s been tracking in the U.S. and on foreign battlefields.
Analysis
The international attention on the Islamic State Khorasan Province has increased since the Taliban takeover in 2021. International assessments emphasise its growing international threat, potentially targeting Western countries. The Khorasan branch of the Islamic State has intensified its propaganda efforts to a level comparable to the Islamic State central at its peak, and is the only branch producing magazines in English since the decline of ISIS. This study examines the attitudes towards other nations and enemy perceptions expressed in the English language Voice of Khurasan and Arabic Sawt al-Khurasan, published between January 2022 and June 2023.
United States
CNN: DHS and FBI warn about potential lone wolf attacks ahead of July 4 celebrations
Attacks perpetrated by lone actors are the biggest terrorism threat to July 4th festivities in New York City and elsewhere, federal authorities said in a threat assessment obtained by CNN. The FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and other law enforcement agencies issued a joint bulletin in late June saying “the most significant terrorism threat facing the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks stems from lone offenders and small groups of individuals seeking to commit acts of violence.”
Wall Street Journal: Pentagon Says U.S. Strikes Delayed Iran’s Nuclear Program by Up to Two Years
Pentagon intelligence officials assess that the U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities set back Tehran’s program by up to two years, the Defense Department said Wednesday, a more modest claim than President Trump’s assertion that the attack had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear efforts. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell disclosed the assessment at a press briefing, saying it indicated that the strikes had “degraded their program by two years.”
Reuters: Ex-January 6 defendant gets life in prison for plot to kill FBI agents
A man who took part in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday for conspiring to kill the FBI agents who investigated him, according to the U.S. Justice Department and court records. Edward Kelley was convicted in November of conspiracy to murder federal employees, solicitation to commit a crime of violence and influencing a federal official by threat, court records show.
A hateful anti-Israel vandal who was caught viciously ripping down Israeli child hostage posters while yelling “F–k Israel” after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack was arrested Wednesday after she randomly pepper-sprayed two NYPD officers in Times Square — and tried to take a gun from one of them, according to law enforcement sources. Dana Baraket approached the pair of male officers as they walked at Broadway and 47th Street around 1:20 a.m. and doused them in the eyes and face without warning, police and sources said.
Ye (formerly Kanye West) is facing very public reckoning. The “Hurricane” rapper made headlines at his Yeezy Paris Fashion Week show on Oct. 3, 2022, for wearing a shirt emblazoned with the phrase “White Lives Matter” on its back, and featuring Black models in the shirt. The phrase is one that was adopted by neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups in response to the Black Lives Matter movement, and the rapper has been facing backlash from both fans and celebrities online.
Washington Times: Judge denies release request by family of suspect in Colorado antisemitic attack
A federal judge declined Wednesday to order the release of the family of the man accused of the attack on a pro-Israel march in Colorado earlier this year. Judge Orlando Garcia said he didn’t have jurisdiction to order their release and that the government isn’t doing anything illegal in the deportation case against the wife and five children of Mohamed Sabry Soliman.
The MIT professor accused of harassing a Jewish PhD student out of the university by calling him a “real-life case study” of Zionist “mind infection,” remains on staff at the university. Former Computer Science student Will Sussman described what he calls a “climate of terror on campus” for Jewish people at the university in a story published in The Post.
New York Times: Columbia’s Acting President Apologizes for Texts Disparaging Trustee
A congressional committee investigating antisemitism on college campuses has released private text messages from Claire Shipman, the acting president of Columbia University, that show her expressing distrust and dislike of a Jewish member of the board of trustees who had been outspoken about the treatment of Jewish students.
Desert Sun: California man accused of soliciting murders of federal officials for 'terrorist group'
Federal prosecutors have indicted a California man who they accuse of conspiring with a white supremacist transnational terrorist group to commit crimes including soliciting the killings of federal authorities, officials said. Noah Lamb, 24, is named in an eight-count federal indictment first unsealed Wednesday, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Allegations include one count of conspiracy, three counts of soliciting the murder of federal officials, three counts of doxing federal officials and one count of making threatening communications.
Washington Free Beacon: Trump Admin Launches Anti-Semitism Probe Into George Mason University
The Trump administration is investigating George Mason University over allegations that Jewish students and faculty have faced a hostile environment on campus, according to a letter obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
MassLive: Trump’s antisemitism probe mostly relies on Harvard’s own report, Harvard claims
Harvard University is claiming that the federal government didn’t conduct a “meaningful investigation” of campus antisemitism following the Trump administration’s threat to cut all funding from Harvard for violating federal civil rights law, according to a Monday filing. Instead, the federal government mostly just pointed to the university’s report on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias. However, the report was released two weeks after the Trump administration froze all research funds to Harvard; therefore, it couldn’t “possibly have been the basis for the challenged actions,” the lawyers said.
Jewish Currents: Inside the New Group Giving Antisemitism Trainings at Harvard
On a campus that has been a focal point for political battles over Palestine-related activism, antisemitism allegations, and DEI in higher education, Project Shema’s trainings have mostly flown under the radar, stirring little controversy. But they have received some criticism: In October 2024, a group of Harvard faculty signed an ultimately unsuccessful petition to cancel an antisemitism and Islamophobia workshop organized by the school’s DEI office and co-led by Project Shema. The petitioners accused Project Shema of conflating antisemitism and anti-Zionism and called out the group for previous collaborations with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
House Majority Leader Pat McGeehan shared more details Wednesday regarding the proof he says he’s collected showing Del. Ian Masters, R-Berkeley, was not responsible for making an antisemitic comment on Instagram last month. McGeehan — in an interview for WRNR 10TV — said he personally investigated the accusation against Masters and found the person who he says left the comment from an Instagram account that was using Masters’ full name and that linked to the Citizens Defense League, where Masters once served as president. WRNR is owned by another member of the House Republican caucus, Del. Mike Hornby, R-Berkeley, per the West Virginia Secretary of State.
The Sullivan County Coalition Against Antisemitism, a recently formed group, has condemned recent reports of antisemitic acts against Jewish people in two of the county's hamlets. In a news release, the coalition said eggs allegedly were thrown at a local rabbi in front of a synagogue in Woodbourne, and at other Jewish individuals in South Fallsburg.
Despite its proximity to a busy highway, Lincoln Heights’ rolling hills, parks and well-kept lawns are pictures of calm suburban life north of Cincinnati. Today it’s home to about 3,000 mostly African American people a few miles from Kentucky and the Ohio River, which divided free northern states from the slave-owning south. In the 1920s, Lincoln Heights became one of the first self-governing Black communities north of the Mason-Dixon line. But residents say much of that peace and security was destroyed on 7 February, when a group of neo-Nazis paraded on a highway overpass adjacent to the community. About a dozen armed and masked extremists unfurled flags with Nazi and other racist iconography bearing language such as “America for the white man”.
Canada
Reuters: Bomb threat grounds departures in Montreal and Ottawa, says the FAA
A bomb threat on Thursday halted departing flights at international airports in Montreal and Ottawa, according to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
Haiti
Haiti’s gangs have gained “near-total control” of the capital and authorities are unable to stop escalating violence across the impoverished Caribbean nation, senior U.N. officials warned Wednesday. An estimated 90% of the capital Port-au-Prince is now under control of criminal groups who are expanding attacks not only into surrounding areas but beyond into previously peaceful areas, Ghada Fathy Waly, executive director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, told the U.N. Security Council.
Venezuela
Reuters: Venezuelan lawmakers declare UN human rights official Turk persona non grata
The Venezuela government-allied National Assembly unanimously declared United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk persona non grata on Tuesday after Turk publicly decried what he said were arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances and other human rights violations in the South American country. The government of President Nicolas Maduro has rejected Turk's comments, made before the Human Rights Council in Geneva last week.
Austria
The Guardian: ‘Preaching water, drinking wine’: Austrians mock far-right MPs for lucrative side jobs
Austrians have poured scorn on far-right MPs for topping the list of highest earners in the country’s parliament, accusing the purported champions of the working class of hypocrisy over their lucrative side hustles. A report based on mandatory income declarations for 2024 revealed this week that MPs from the anti-immigration Freedom party (FPÖ), which came in first in the September general election, to be cashing in most with supplementary earnings.
Croatia
AFP: Nazi-sympathising singer's huge gig to paralyse Zagreb
A concert by a singer known for pro-Nazi sympathies will draw a record-breaking 450,000 fans to Zagreb this weekend and Croatian authorities on Wednesday warned people to steer clear as the event jams its streets. A dozen hospitals have been put on alert to brace for a surge in demand during the Thompson concert on Saturday, while thousands of police will be deployed to manage the influx into a city already hosting summer tourists.
Denmark
Danish police said Thursday they have deployed officers to the Israeli embassy in the Nordic country’s capital to examine a suspicious package. Copenhagen police wrote on X that “we are present at the Israeli embassy, where we are investigating a shipment received.”
European Union
Le Monde: Far-right RN and allies face new embezzlement scandal at European Parliament
The decade-long case of the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party's fake European parliamentary assistant jobs has only recently been tried, resulting notably in Marine Le Pen's conviction and ban on running for office. Yet now, her party and its allies find themselves at the center of a new scandal concerning the embezzlement of the European Parliament's public funds, an investigation by Le Monde, the German investigative television program Kontraste, the German magazine Die Zeit, and the Austrian weekly newspaper Falter has found.
France
Reuters: France demands immediate release of French couple held in Iran
France on Thursday demanded the immediate release of two of its citizens held in Iran for more than three years and said espionage charges reported to have been filed against them were unfounded. The French government has accused the Islamic Republic of detaining Cecile Kohler and partner Jacques Paris arbitrarily, keeping them in conditions akin to torture in Tehran's Evin security prison and barring proper consular protection.
Germany
Reuters: German interior minister seeks direct migrant deportation deal with Taliban
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt wants to negotiate a direct agreement with the Taliban on receiving Afghan migrants deported from Germany, he told Focus magazine in an interview. In August, Germany resumed flying convicted criminals of Afghan nationality to their home country, after pausing deportations following the Taliban's takeover in August 2021, with the support of what Berlin said were "key regional partners".
Ireland
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman James Risch (R-ID) issued a sharp warning Tuesday, accusing Ireland of embracing antisemitism and threatening potential economic consequences if the Irish government proceeds with new legislation targeting Israeli trade. “Ireland, while often a valuable U.S. partner, is on a hateful, antisemitic path that will only lead to self-inflicted economic suffering,” Risch wrote in a post on X. “If this legislation is implemented, America will have to seriously reconsider its deep and ongoing economic ties. We will always stand up to blatant antisemitism.”
Italy
Israel Hayom: 'Nazi-Jewish' uniform sparks outrage in Rome
A wave of outrage swept through Rome on Tuesday when a shocking antisemitic poster appeared at a bus stop in the capital, portraying a Nazi soldier with a Star of David replacing the swastika on his arm.
Netherlands
NL Times: Dutch integration exam to focus more on women’s rights, Holocaust
The new requirements for the civic integration exam, which took effect on Tuesday, place greater emphasis on women’s self-determination and knowledge of the Holocaust, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment announced. The civic integration candidate “shows respect for Dutch sensitivities regarding expressions of antisemitism” is currently part of the requirements to pass the exam. From Tuesday, that has been “knows that the Netherlands was occupied by Germany during the Second World War, knows what the Holocaust entails, and that many Dutch Jews were murdered during it, and knows that antisemitism is banned by law.”
Poland
TVP World: Polish PM hits out at right-wing ‘militias’ on German border
Right-wing, opposition-backed “militias” protesting the return of illegal migrants to Poland from Germany are hindering the work of border guards, the Polish prime minister has said. A day after he announced the return of border controls on Poland’s frontiers with Germany and Lithuania, PM Donald Tusk accused his opponents and their supporters of “paralyzing” the efforts of border guards through their presence at crossings.
Russia
Gul Hassan, the newly appointed Taliban ambassador to Russia, arrived in Moscow on Tuesday, marking a significant step in the group’s expanding diplomatic engagement with the Russian Federation. According to Russian state media outlet TASS, Hassan is set to officially begin his diplomatic mission as the Taliban's envoy in Moscow. A source at the Afghan embassy in Moscow also confirmed to Agence France-Presse that his arrival had been expected on Tuesday.
United Kingdom
Reuters: UK lawmakers approve ban of Palestine Action as terrorist group
British lawmakers voted on Wednesday to ban pro-Palestinian campaign group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, after its activists broke into a military base and damaged two planes in protest at what it says is Britain's support for Israel. Palestine Action, which describes itself as a direct action movement that uses disruptive methods, has routinely targeted companies in Britain with links to Israel, including Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems (ESLT.TA), opens new tab, which it has called its "main target". Proscription would officially designate Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation on a par with Islamic State or al Qaeda under British law, making it a crime to support or belong to the groups.
Reuters: Four pro-Palestinian activists charged over UK military base break-in
Four pro-Palestinian activists have been charged after breaking into a military air base in central England last month and damaging two planes in protest against Britain's support for Israel. Counter-terrorism police said the charges were for conspiracy to enter a prohibited place knowingly for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the UK, and conspiracy to commit criminal damage. The four, aged between 22 and 35, remain in custody and are due to appear in a London court on Thursday. Police said they will present evidence to court linking the offences to terrorism.
Afghanistan
Amu: Taliban deny detaining Mahmood Shah Habibi
Taliban denied on Thursday that they are holding Mahmood Shah Habibi, a dual US-Afghan citizen and former head of Afghanistan’s civil aviation authority, in response to a recent US Justice Department reward offer of up to $5 million for information on his whereabouts. Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, said in a statement that Taliban authorities had investigated the case at the request of Habibi’s family and found no evidence that he was in their custody.
Amu: Taliban enforce ban on foosball tables in Kabul parks: Sources
Taliban morality enforcers ordered several operators of foosball tables in public parks and residential areas to cease their activities, sources said Wednesday, adding that those who resisted were allegedly threatened and subjected to flogging. The enforcement officers had previously warned the operators to destroy the molded heads on the table players — claiming that their presence disrupted the “balance of the game.” Despite the warning, when owners attempted to continue their business, they were “beaten by the enforcers”, sources said.
Amu: In new directive, Taliban ban all political discourse on air
In their new media directive, the Taliban have banned all critical political discourse on air, requiring television and radio stations to obtain prior approval for show topics, guest speakers, and analyst commentary. The sweeping regulations, issued by the Taliban-run Ministry of Information and Culture, impose tight controls on what can be said, who can speak, and how political content is framed — across television, radio, print, and digital platforms.
Taliban forces have arrested at least 37 people in Khash district of Badakhshan province in connection with recent protests that turned deadly, local sources told Afghanistan International. The arrests follow clashes that began on 30 June, after Taliban units attempted to destroy local poppy fields. The operation was met with resistance from residents, sparking violent confrontations.
Afghanistan International: Herat Clashes Break Out Over Taliban Crackdown On Shia Mourning Sites
Clashes broke out on Monday evening, in the Jebrael area of Herat city after Taliban forces attempted to dismantle Muharram mourning tents, prompting resistance from mourners. Local sources told Afghanistan International that at around 10 p.m., Taliban security personnel in the 13th district began removing tents they claimed had been erected outside designated areas. The action triggered objections from participants in the mourning ceremonies, followed by gunfire at the scene.
Gaza Strip
Reuters: Hamas seeks ceasefire guarantees as scores more killed in Gaza
Hamas is seeking guarantees that a new U.S. ceasefire proposal for Gaza would lead to the war's end, a source close to the militant group said on Thursday, as medics said Israeli strikes across the territory had killed scores more people. Israeli officials said prospects for reaching a ceasefire deal and hostage deal appeared high, nearly 21 months since the war between Israel and Hamas began. On the ground, intensified Israeli strikes across Gaza continued unabated, killing at least 59 people on Thursday, according to health authorities in the territory.
Hamas suggested Wednesday it was open to a ceasefire agreement with Israel but stopped short of accepting an American-backed proposal announced by US President Donald Trump hours earlier, insisting on its longstanding position that any deal bring an end to the war in Gaza.
American contractors guarding aid distribution sites in Gaza are using live ammunition and stun grenades as hungry Palestinians scramble for food, according to accounts and videos obtained by The Associated Press. Two U.S. contractors, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were revealing their employers’ internal operations, said they were coming forward because they were disturbed by what they considered dangerous and irresponsible practices. They said the security staff hired were often unqualified, unvetted, heavily armed and seemed to have an open license to do whatever they wished.
Iran
A central art gallery in Tehran has staged a new exhibition of cartoons and caricatures on the theme of Iran’s war against Israel and the US, many of which contain antisemitic imagery and symbolism. The exhibition, titled Muzzle, was launched on Monday at the Abolfazl Aali Gallery of the Art Bureau in Tehran. A total of 82 cartoons are on display, all said to have been created during the 12 days of the Israel-Iran war.
Amu: Iranian police arrest eight Afghan nationals in Tabriz
Iranian police have detained eight Afghan nationals in the northwestern city of Tabriz for allegedly residing in the country without legal documentation, a senior police official said on Wednesday. Yadollah Jahan Ara, the city’s police chief, said the arrests were made during a targeted operation. “These undocumented foreign nationals were apprehended and transferred to a police facility,” he said, according to a report from the state-run IRNA news agency.
Iran International: Iran using post-war crackdown to reassert control, experts say
Iran is intensifying a nationwide crackdown in the wake of its 12-day war with Israel, targeting ethnic and religious minority groups as well as foreign nationals, in what experts describe as a bid to reassert control, deflect blame, and suppress dissent. Iran’s Jewish community has come under intensified pressure since the end of Israel's campaign, with members directly targeted by security forces.
Iran International: IRGC targets 52 people accused of links to Israel in southeastern Iran
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) says it has killed or detained 52 people in southeastern Iran, describing the targets as Israel-linked terrorist elements. “Five individuals mainly foreign nationals involved in drone sabotage operations remain at large,” the statement said, adding that the accused were working with Israeli intelligence services.
Israel
Times of Israel: Likud ministers urge Netanyahu to annex West Bank by the end of the month
Senior lawmakers and ministers in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party launched a push on Wednesday urging the premier to annex the West Bank before the end of the Knesset’s summer session on July 27, claiming that he must ride the “historic achievements” of the war against Iran. In a letter signed by 15 Likud ministers currently in government as well as Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, the lawmakers wrote that “after the State of Israel’s historic achievements in the face of Iran’s axis of evil and its sympathizers, the task must be completed and the existential threat from within must be eliminated, to prevent another massacre in the heart of the country.”
Reuters: UN expert urges states to cut Israel trade ties over 'apocalyptic' Gaza situation
A U.N. expert on Thursday called on states to impose an arms embargo and cut off trade and financial ties with Israel, which she alleged is waging a "genocidal campaign" in Gaza. In a speech to the U.N. Human Rights Council, U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese said: "The situation in the occupied Palestinian territory is apocalyptic."
Syria
Jerusalem Post: Syria's Sharaa makes moves toward Abraham Accords to reduce Turkish influence
By strengthening ties with Israel, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is essentially trying to reduce Turkish influence in Damascus, Tel Aviv University's Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies's Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak told Maariv on Wednesday. Sharaa is trying to reduce dependency on Turkey without completely severing ties, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is concerned as a country that was once under his influence may join the Abraham Accords. Is Turkey's influence in Syria strong enough to prevent it from joining? A complex geopolitical struggle is unfolding with Turkey at the center.
Mali
NDTV: 3 Indians Kidnapped Amid Attacks By Al Qaeda-Linked Terror Group In Mali
India on Wednesday expressed deep concern over abduction of three Indian nationals in Mali amid a series of terrorist attacks in various parts of the West African country. A day after the Indians were abducted, New Delhi on Wednesday called upon the Mali government to take all necessary measures to secure their "safe and expeditious" release.
South Africa
South African Jewish Report: SA ‘not nearly as antisemitic as media makes out’
American-Israel activist, social media influencer, and basketball trainer Barak Swarttz says he wants Jews around the world to “wake up” and recognise that “the boots on the ground reality” is that it’s a “bullshit narrative that so many people hate us”. Swarttz came to South Africa recently to see for himself the situation for Israelis and “to bring Israel to the people”. He has been astonished at the warmth he has received from everyone.
Technology
In a stirring demonstration of American–Israeli unity and determination, innovators, policymakers, investors, and academics gathered in Manhattan for Hack the Hate: Innovating Against Antisemitism in the Digital Age. Held on June 18, this high-impact event spotlighted cutting-edge technologies and transformative partnerships designed to counter the alarming surge in antisemitic violence, hate speech, and digital disinformation.
A new report analyzing online responses to the Boulder terrorist firebomb attack on June 1 exposed a deeply troubling pattern — the rapid and coordinated spread of antisemitic rhetoric, disinformation, and conspiracy theories across X, Facebook, and TikTok. The report — commissioned by CAM and conducted by the Cyabra social media analytics — looked at social media discourse on the attack from June 2-4. It found that antisemitic narratives were deliberately amplified — not only by known extremists, but also by networks of inauthentic accounts, designed to distort the facts, inflame tensions, and manipulate public perception.
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