Fighting Terror

In today’s third episode of CEP’s Eye on Antisemitism series, Lucinda will delve into how antisemitism manifests among right-wing extremists in Germany with guest Marina Chernivsky. How does the growth of right-wing political movements in Germany influence the prevalence of antisemitic sentiments? Are there any connections between antisemitism and broader issues like nationalism, xenophobia, or Islamophobia? What kind of support or resources do mental health professionals need to effectively combat antisemitism?
Marina is the initiator and director of the Competence Center for Prevention and Empowerment, which is supported by the Central Welfare Board of Jews in Germany. She also founded and directs the Counselling Centre for Antisemitic Violence and Discrimination (OFEK), a Germany-based non-profit organisation and counselling centre specialised in antisemitic violence and discrimination.

In today's second episode of the Eye on Antisemitism, Lucinda delves into the complex issue of antisemitism among the left-wing extremists in the United Kingdom (UK), specifically looking at the UK political landscape. How has the Labour Party, which is historically associated with left-wing politics in the UK, addressed or failed to address the issue of left-wing antisemitism within its ranks? And how does it affect Jewish communities, both in terms of their safety and sense of belonging? What steps can be taken to effectively combat and counter left-wing antisemitism in the UK?

Lucinda speaks with Dave Rich who is a leading expert on left-wing antisemitism. He is currently the Head of Policy at the Community Security Trust, a UK-based charity that protects British Jews from antisemitism and related threats. Dave is also the author of the recently published book ‘Everyday Hate: How Antisemitism Is Built Into Our World – and How You Can Change It’, in which he provides a wide examination of antisemitism among different social groups in the UK.

How is antisemitism defined? What is the current state of antisemitism in Europe and the United States (U.S.)? How have recent global events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, contributed to the popularity of antisemitic conspiracy theories among extremists? The first podcast episode in our new series on antisemitism will provide our listeners with a deeper understanding of antisemitism and current trends on both sides of the Atlantic. With the threat landscape indicating that antisemitic incidents are on the rise in both Europe and the U.S., thereby influencing a variety of violent and non-violent extremists across the political spectrum, there is a need to combat this pervasive challenge.
In today’s episode, Lucinda speaks with Mitch Silber, who is a former Director of Intelligence at NYPD, where he oversaw research, collection, and analysis for the department’s Intelligence Division. Now, he’s the Executive Director of the Community Security Initiative, a small team dedicated to securing the Jewish institutions of New York from antisemitic violence.

In today’s episode, Lucinda is joined by CEP Senior Advisor Alexander Ritzmann. He leads the work of CEP Berlin on violent far-right extremist or terrorist (transnational) networks, both offline and online. Together they take a closer look at a recently published CEP study, titled Transnational linkages between violent right-wing extremism, terrorism and organized crime, of which the main author is Alexander.
About the study:
Existing studies on the extremism/terrorism-crime nexus in recent years have focused on Islamist extremism and terrorism, while the transnational nexus between right-wing extremism/terrorism and organized crime groups remains under-researched. This gap in knowledge can lead to a misunderstanding of the strategies of right-wing extremists as well as of the risks those actors pose to potential victims and society as a whole.
A new CEP study, commissioned by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, shows that several violence-oriented right-wing extremist individuals and groups in Europe and the U.S. engage in or maintain ties with organized crime. Many of the identified cases have a transnational dimension, be it through cross-border activities like the acquisition of illegal drugs for distribution or through supposedly legal activities such as co-organizing hate music concerts, including events with a transnational character. As the study demonstrates, Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, VRWE-affiliated football hooligan groups, prison gangs, and a range of VRWE individuals and groups are part of transnational networks. Such connections are particularly visible in Austria, Germany, Poland, Sweden, and the U.S.
The study aims at informing policymakers working on the prevention and countering of violent extremism or terrorism and organized crime with the goal of fostering a better understanding of the phenomena and to encourage further cooperation between relevant government agencies and civil society organizations.
CEP resources

• The new CEP study can be accessed here.
• Watch the CEP Webinar: The Transnational Nexus of Right-Wing Extremism and Organized Crime here.

In today’s episode, Lucinda speaks with Liam Duffy, CEP Strategic Advisor. They discuss the findings of the recent Manchester Arena Inquiry, which is the third - and final - report of the inquiry. Chaired by Sir John Saunders, this report focuses on radicalisation and preventability. Liam sheds some light on what the inquiry is all about, the tragedy that occurred back in 2017 in Manchester, the radicalisation process of the perpetrator Salman Abedi and - most importantly - whether the attack could have been prevented.