Half of Jewish Israelis back occupying Gaza after war: poll

THEY WANT THE BEACH FRONT REAL ESTATE

The poll showed most Palestinian citizens of Israeli say Gaza should have self governance, while 50 percent of Jewish Israelis say Israel should govern.

The New Arab Staff
01 June, 2024

[Getty]

A new poll from the Pew Research Centre reveals wide discrepancies within the Israeli public over various aspects of Israel's war on Gaza, including views of the war, the US role in the conflict, and what a post-war Gaza should look like.

Most stark is the divergence in opinion between Jewish Israelis and Palestinian citizens of Israel on how Israel's war cabinet should govern Gaza. Polling also shows a divergence between left-wing and right-wing views on aspects of Israel's war on Gaza.

The poll revealed that 50 percent of Jewish Israelis believe that Israel should govern Gaza, while 75 percent of Palestinian citizens of Israel believe Gaza should be under self-governance, with the results being divided between Hamas (nine percent), Gazans deciding for themselves (37 percent), Palestinian Authority governance with Mahmoud Abbas (11 percent) and without Abbas (18 percent).

However, among Israeli Jews only 28 percent of Hiloni Jews believe Israel should govern the territory, whereas 77 percent of Haredi and Dati Jews believe Israel should govern. That divide is replicated in the left, centre and right divide.

According to the poll, 74 percent of Jewish Israelis have a favourable view of Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, 51 percent for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 56 percent for Benny Gantz.

The poll sharply contrasts with the views of Palestinian citizens of Israel's opinion, with only nine percent for Gallant, seven percent for Netanyahu and 30 percent for Gantz.

Gantz's party, National Unity, recently filed a motion in the Israeli Knesset to dissolve parliament and call for new elections.

Regarding confidence in Biden, 66 percent of Israeli Jews say they have confidence in Biden to do the right thing in world affairs, compared to 77 percent of Palestinian citizens of Israel who said they don't. However, that confidence has declined among both Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel since 2023.

However, the majority of Israelis, including Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel and those on the right, centre and left, disapprove of how Biden is handling the war.

The US has staunchly supported Israel's war, supplying arms, intelligence and voting down three UN ceasefire votes.

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Additionally, there is a decline in respondents who believe it is possible to live peacefully alongside an independent Palestinian State. Only 19 percent of Jewish believe such peaceful coexistence is possible, compared with 49 percent of Palestinian citizens.

That divide is also replicated on the political spectrum within Israel, with 60 percent believing in peaceful coexistence on the left, 33 percent in the centre, and 8 percent on the right.

Israel's war on Gaza, which has been ongoing since Hamas' 7 October attack on Israel that killed around 1,200 people and took 251 people captive, has killed 36,284 Palestinians with a further 82,057 injured.

US families of hostages in Gaza get update from White House on efforts to secure their release

This comes as the U.S. urges Hamas to accept a deal on the table for a hostage release and cease-fire.



By: Haley Bull
 Jun 05, 2024

Families of Americans held in Gaza met with White House officials for the ninth time Tuesday, as the U.S. urges Hamas to accept a deal on the table for a hostage release and cease-fire.

This comes as U.S. officials head back to the region to continue talks.

The administration was still waiting for a formal response from Hamas as of Tuesday evening. The proposal transmitted last week would allow for the release of women, elderly and wounded hostages, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from populated centers in a first phase, and pave the way for a cessation of fighting in a second phase.


The families were updated on the status of the talks in the more than hourlong meeting with National Security adviser Jake Sullivan, according to a source familiar with the meeting. The families expressed that they “remain encouraged by the international community’s continued pressure to reach a deal that brings everyone home — both the living and the murdered,” according to a readout provided on behalf of the families.

“I think it's a fair deal. I think each side can claim that he achieved what he was looking for and that we need to look at this in a larger perspective and look at the future and look at the future of our children. Not just the children of Israel, but the children in Gaza and the West Bank and think we as leaders, the leaders of those communities, what do we do to get to a better future?” said father Ruby Chen.

Chen’s son Itay was thought to be among the living hostages taken by Hamas. It was later learned Itay was killed by Hamas on Oct. 7, with the group still holding his body.


Itay, a soldier with dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship, was serving on the border on Oct. 7. His family previously said the 19-year-old moved to Tel Aviv after school, working to protect agricultural villages. His family said they heard from him that the base was under attack, then lost contact, before being told days later he was abducted.

“He joined and is part of 45 U.S. citizens that were killed on Oct. 7, which is the largest terrorist attack on U.S. citizens since 9/11,” Chen said.

Chen said he and his family are stuck in limbo, unable to undergo the Jewish mourning period.

“We are kind of like stuck in limbo, where that evolution that helps us go through the process is much different. And when talking to the president of the United States, the vice president, the secretary of state, I asked them, 'Do you know what a Shiva is?' And all of them concurred. And I explained to them that we as a family are not able to go and have a mourning period because Itay is not back,” Chen said.

President Biden outlined the Israeli proposal in a rare move last week. He said he felt it was important to publicly detail it given how long hostages have been held, past rejections by Hamas, and to show the seriousness with which Israel has taken it, according to National Security communications adviser John Kirby.

In the days since the proposal was transmitted to Hamas through Qatar, there has been greater international pressure for Hamas to accept the deal, as the Biden administration has undertaken a significant diplomatic effort to push it.

US urges UN Security Council to support Biden's cease-fire plan in Gaza

Officials, including President Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Sullivan, have had a flurry of phone calls with leaders of Middle Eastern and Arab nations to underscore the proposal. Meanwhile, G7 nations issued a joint statement urging the deal's acceptance. Blinken met with the U.N. secretary general. And the U.S. is also urging U.N. support of the plan, circulating a draft resolution among the U.N. Security Council.

“In all of these conversations, he has continued to echo the broad international view that Hamas must accept this deal, that we must finalize this cease-fire agreement and begin to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people,” State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said of Blinken’s engagements.

However, Israel has maintained a focus on its war aims as it has faced international pressure for a cease-fire.

“We have gone a long way to return them while adhering to the objectives of the war — first and foremost, the elimination of Hamas. We are insistent that we will achieve both. This is part of the outline, not something that I have just added. It is not something that I have added because of coalition pressure. This is something that we agreed on in the war cabinet unanimously,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

While President Biden said in an interview with Time there was “every reason for people to draw that conclusion” when asked if Netanyahu was prolonging war for political self-preservation, President Biden later — when asked if Netanyahu was playing politics with war — told reporters “I don’t think so; he’s trying to work out a serious problem he has.”

Tuesday, a senior Hamas official claimed it wouldn’t accept a deal without a permanent cease-fire and complete withdrawal from Israel. However, the rhetoric was not unexpected by the Biden administration.


After the comments, the administration underscored it would consider a formal response as one transmitted through Qatar, according to Sullivan, who noted they are in at times hourly contact with the Qataris and have yet to receive that.

“The onus is on Hamas and will remain on Hamas until we get a formal response from them,” Sullivan said.

A spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry said they were “waiting for a clear Israeli position that represents the entire Israeli government” while the Biden administration maintained clarity of it.

White House coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk is heading back to the region for talks on hostages and Rafah, according to a source familiar with the plans.

Central Intelligence Agency director Bill Burns is expected to be consulting with Qatari leaders in Doha, who have had discussions with Hamas.

“Bill Burns will be quite interested in hearing firsthand in person what the nature of those discussions was and where they go from here,” Sullivan said.


Meanwhile, Chen said families will continue to advocate for a deal and support the U.S. and international pressure. That pressure is something the families of hostages initially called for and are encouraged by as they continue to meet with the administration and lawmakers.

“They also shared with us each time that you come, this gives us more energy. There's more things to do. There’s legislation that can happen around economic sanctions, for example, more pressure that can be put on Hamas to get to a deal and have the people of the world understand that terrorism is not a good business,” said Chen, who is also urging more focus on a U.N. Security Council resolution passed in 2019 that urges the return of the remains of those reported missing in conflict.

Chen notes the impact Itay continues to make. President Biden was among those who called after news of Itay’s death.

“Itay in his death has been able to make an impact on many, many people. And on the day that we received the notice from intelligence that actually he was killed on Oct. 7, the amount of people that called us and knew about Itay and were able to tell his story and see what type of impact he made, is something that we need to take as something that gives us some comfort,” Chen said.

US 'incredibly concerned' by potential Hezbollah-Israel escalation

ISRAEL IS THE AGGRESSOR

AGAINST SOVERIGN LEGANON

'We continue to pursue a diplomatic resolution because we don't want to see escalation of the conflict,' says State Department

Michael Hernandez |05.06.2024 

Residents and civil defense teams conduct search and rescue operations in the rubble of the destroyed building due to the Israeli airstrike in Baalbek, Lebanon on March 12, 2024- Photo: Suleiman Amhaz- Anadolu Agency


WASHINGTON

The Biden administration said Wednesday that it is "incredibly concerned" about the potential for escalation between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah as fears of a full-blown war continue to rise.

"It's something we've been concerned about since the immediate aftermath of October 7," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters. "We continue to pursue a diplomatic resolution because we don't want to see that escalation of the conflict, which would just lead to further loss of life from both Israelis and the Lebanese people, and would greatly harm Israel's overall security and stability in the region."

Miller said that the current situation in northern Israel, where tens of thousands of Israelis have fled under evacuation orders prompted by Hezbollah drone and rocket attacks, is "untenable." He maintained that Israeli officials have maintained privately and publicly "that their preferred solution to this conflict is a diplomatic one."

The comments come after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier Wednesday issued a terse warning to Hezbollah, saying the Israeli military is prepared for "an extremely powerful action" against Lebanon.

Netanyahu made the statement during his visit to the northern settlement of Kiryat Shmona, near the Lebanese border, which has witnessed repeated attacks by Hezbollah in recent days.

Israeli Army Radio said the Israeli government approved a call-up of 50,000 more reservist soldiers in preparation for possible escalation on the Lebanon front.

The radio also said the government allowed an increase in the number of active reservist soldiers from 300,000 to 350,000 in preparation for possible fighting in the north.

Tension has flared along the border between Lebanon and Israel amid intermittent exchanges of weapons fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, in the deadliest clashes since the two sides fought a full-scale war in 2006.

The border tension comes amid an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip that has killed nearly 37,000 people, mostly women and children, since October. A Hamas-led attack that precipitated the current war killed about 1,200 people. ​​​​​​​

 

CPJ calls for investigation of attacks against journalists in Pakistan

Navya Singh | National Law U. Odisha, IN

JUNE 5, 2024 

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Tuesday urged Pakistani authorities to investigate a series of violent attacks on journalists that have escalated across the country.

Haider Mastoi, a reporter for Sindh News TV and Times News, was ambushed by unidentified gunmen on motorbikes in Rohri, Sukkur district on May 29. He was shot four times, while his cameraman was assaulted. Both men are now recovering in the hospital.

A day later, Chaudhary Ikhlaq, a correspondent for the Daily Express, was similarly targeted. Ikhlaq, who had received death threats over his critical reporting, was shot by assailants on a motorbike and is also recovering in the hospital.

These incidents are part of a pattern of violence against journalists in Pakistan. Earlier in May, four journalists were killed in separate attacks across Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. Nasrullah Gadani, a reporter for Awami Awaz, was fatally shot in Sindh province on May 21. His bold investigations into local feudal lords and political figures may have made him a target. Journalist Kamran Dawar‘s killing prompted condemnations from UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. Kamran had received threats for his critical views against militancy. Journalists Ashfaq Ahmed Sial and Muhammad Siddique Mengal suffered the same fate. However, the reasons behind their murder are still unknown.

CPJ reported that, “The killings represent the highest number of journalists killed in the South Asian country in any single month since CPJ began collecting data in 1992″. The attacks have drawn international condemnation and calls for immediate action. Despite multiple arrests by Sindh police in connection with some cases, the overall response from law enforcement has been criticized as inadequate.

CPJ stated that “Since 1992, 64 journalists have been killed in connection with their work in Pakistan”. Due to this, the country consistently ranks on CPJ’s Global Impunity Index. CPJ’s call to action emphasizes the urgent need for Pakistan’s government to protect jouralists and ensure that perpetrators of violence are brought to justice.

5 Surprising Takeaways From India’s Election Results

BY ASTHA RAJVANSHI
JUNE 5, 2024 

After six long weeks of voting in the grueling heat, India’s election delivered stunning results.

With all of the 640 million votes now counted, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is poised to preside over a rare, third consecutive term in power—making him only the second Indian prime minister to do so after Congress leader Jawaharlal Nehru in 1962. With all its allies, Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also managed to secure a majority of 283 seats in the Lok Sabha, the 543-seat lower house of India’s Parliament. Under India’s electoral system, the party or alliance that wins more than 272 seats can form a government.

Yet, the results have shocked most pollsters and Modi supporters—and indeed, the country. That’s because the BJP won only 240 seats this election, effectively losing the single-party majority Modi has enjoyed since he was first elected in 2014.

“Modi will have to act in a more consultative, deliberative, and inclusive manner,” says Milan Vaishnav, director of the South Asia Program at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “This is anathema to the PM who, going back to his days as Gujarat chief minister, has never had to truly worry about coalition politics.”

As the election draws to a close, it has brought with it a series of waves that will reshape India’s political landscape for the next five years and beyond. But ask any Indian about the election outcome and they’ll tell you that the country’s democracy is so vibrant that it never fails to surprise. “Nobody knows anything about India. This is one thing one should know about India,” one observer even posted on X.

Here are some of the most surprising takeaways from India’s 2024 election.

Busting Modi’s “400 paar” promise

This election, Modi and the BJP ran on an ambitious slogan: "Ab ki baar, 400 paar.” That meant that the ruling party was aiming to win more than 400 seats with its NDA alliance—which ultimately backfired as the BJP did not even win a simple majority on its own, a stark departure from the BJP’s thumping victory in 2019 when it won an unprecedented 303 seats. The result also means an unprecedented electoral stall for Modi, who in his 23 years in politics as the chief minister of the state of Gujarat from 2002 and then as India’s prime minister from 2014, has fallen way short of a majority despite appearing as the central face of the BJP’s campaign. (In the BJP’s 48-page manifesto, Modi’s name is featured 67 times.)

BJP loses stronghold in Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, holds significant sway in Indian elections with 80 parliamentary seats. In 2014 and 2019, the BJP won 71 and 62 seats respectively that helped fuel the party’s rise to power in Delhi. But 2024 looks very different. The BJP won just 33 seats, while its allies secured three seats. Most notably, it lost in the Faizabad constituency, where Modi inaugurated the Ram temple in Ayodhya earlier this year, seen as a centerpiece of the BJP’s campaign.

BJP wins a seat In Kerala for the first time

The southern state of Kerala has long been seen as a bastion of the left, but the BJP finally made inroads after Suresh Gopi won by a margin of 74,686 votes in the Thrissur constituency and became the BJP’s first Lok Sabha parliamentarian from Kerala. Experts say this might reflect Islamaphobic elements among the Christian communities in Kerala, where Hindus make up 55% of the state’s population, while Muslims and Christians make up 27% and 18% respectively.

Women voters prefer Modi

Indian women, who have become a formidable force in India’s voter turnout due to political knowledge, literacy, and media exposure. Traditionally, female voters were more inclined to vote for Congress, but in the last few elections, they have redirected their votes to the BJP. A pre-poll survey predicted that 46% of India's 472 million women voters would opt for the BJP-led alliance in the election. The reason: Modi’s welfare schemes, which have focused on women’s welfare—including cash handouts and domestic benefits like free cooking gas, piped water, and sanitation.

A Sikh separatist and Kashmir leader is elected from jail

Amritpal Singh, a 31-year-old Sikh separatist leader who was arrested last year after a month-long police manhunt in the state of Punjab, was elected a lawmaker after defeating 26 other candidates. Singh rose to prominence calling for a separate Sikh homeland known as Khalistan. Sheikh Abdul Rashid, another jailed leader from Indian-administered Kashmir in the disputed Himalayan region, won a seat by more than 200,000 votes. The former state legislator was arrested by the Modi government on charges of "terror funding" and money laundering in 2019.

 

Lithuanian Greens unveil landmark all-women list in EU election • FRANCE 24 English

 

In pioneering Lithuania, the first all-women list in the country’s political history has been unveiled. The Lithuanian Greens are hoping that this list will help more women get elected to the European parliament, where men still make up around 60 % of the institution. The candidates are also trying to draw attention to other gender issues, such as the pay gap.

#EuropeanElections #EuropeanUnion #EuropeanParliament

Crabs on cocaine: raw sewage threatens UK marine life | REUTERS

Cocaine and ecstasy are just some of the drugs and pharmaceuticals that have been found in marine species in coastal waters around Britain, according to scientists.

From refugee camps to World Cup glory: Inspiring journey of Afghanistan cricket

June 05, 2024 
By Jafar Haand
Matiullah Abid Noor

Afghanistan'’s Karim Sadiq dives to catch the ball while fielding during the Asia Cup one-day international cricket tournament against Pakistan in Fatullah, near Dhaka, Bangladesh, Feb. 27, 2014.

WASHINGTON —

When the parents of Karim Sadiq and Taj Maluk fled a wrecked Afghanistan torn apart by the 1979 Soviet invasion and infighting warlords, they didn’t imagine their children — Karim and Taj — would return to reunite the war-torn nation through cricket.

Taj Maluk became the first coach of the Afghan national team. Fans refer to him as one of the founding fathers of Afghan cricket. Younger brother Karim Sadiq played a key role in Afghanistan’s qualification in the World Cup in 2010, creating history for the cricket-loving nation of more than 40 million.

The brothers were brought up in a refugee camp called Katcha Garhi, in Peshawar, Pakistan. The family left a decent life in the eastern Nangarhar province to live in a sea of mud houses and poverty.

“Life was all struggle those days,” Karim Sadiq recalls. “Doing odd jobs in the night and playing cricket in the daytime. We used a stick as a bat, used to make plastic balls from plastic waste material.”

There was an old black-and-white TV set in their refugee camp where the young and elders watched international matches, including Pakistan winning the 1992 World Cup. These events had a huge influence on aspiring cricketers in Afghan refugee camps.

Afghan national cricket team coach, Taj Maluk, speaks to his team in Kabul, May 27, 2006.

The elder brother, Taj Maluk, searched for talent in refugee camps and founded the Afghan Cricket Club, which arguably laid the foundation of the future Afghanistan team.

Another Afghan cricketer, Allah Dad Noori, also played a key role by pioneering a path for cricket in Afghanistan.

Like the brothers, many international Afghan players, such as Mohammad Shehzad, Raees Ahmadzai, Mohammad Nabi, and the country’s first global star Rashid Khan, now captain, all grew up learning cricket and becoming cricketers in Peshawar, Pakistan.

Gujarat Titans' Rashid Khan plays a shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans in New Delhi, India, April 24, 2024.

“It was our passion. We didn't know then that Cricket would bring such happiness to the Afghan nation,” Karim Sadiq told VOA. “Cricket conveys a message that Afghanistan is not a country of war and drugs. It's a country of love and sports.”

In 2001, after the invasion of the U.S. forces against the Taliban rule, cricket flourished in Afghanistan, which became an associate member of the ICC, the world’s cricketing body.

A new younger generation of cricketers emerged. Now, Afghanistan is a full member of the ICC’s elite club of 12 countries, and it enjoys the status of a test-playing nation.

The Afghan team won many hearts in the 2023 World Cup after earning wins against the former world champions — Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka.

“Afghan players fight for every match as they are fighting for the nation,” Pakistan’s former captain, Rashid Latif, who coached Afghanistan, told VOA. “T20 cricket needs aggression and Afghanistan players have it. They are capable of surprises in the World Cup.”

Now, Afghanistan is playing in the T20 Cricket World Cup co-hosted by the United States and West Indies. It has strong contenders like New Zealand and West Indies in the group, along with minnows Papa New Guinea and Uganda. Some experts call it the “Group of Death” because only two teams will make it through the knockout stage.

A sign advertises the Cricket World Cup matches in East Meadow, New York, May 8, 2024.

The Taliban banned all women's sports and put restrictions on some men’s sports, but not cricket. There is speculation it’s because they enjoyed the game themselves or were apprehensive about the possible public reaction if they banned it, given its massive popularity.

A few weeks ago, when Afghanistan’s team captain, Rashid Khan, visited Afghanistan to meet family and friends, Taliban officials presented him with bouquets and took selfies with the superstar.

Rashid and his team members, including young superstars — batters Rehmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai, spinners Mujeeb-ur Rehman and Noor Ahmed — have arrived in the West Indies, as have their diehard supporters from Europe, Canada and the U.S.

Back in Afghanistan, Karim Sadiq is now working to promote the sport, while his elder brother, 49-year-old Taj Maluk, has turned to religion. “Cricket is not just a game. It reunites Afghans and brings joy to the lives of people,” Taj Maluk told VOA. “We will pray for their success.”

Karim Sadiq recalls when Afghanistan qualified for the T20 World Cup in 2010. “When we returned home, it was a festival. Everywhere, celebrating crowds held up the Afghan flag. We all wish to see such festivity again, to see Afghanistan become the World Champion.”

Across Afghanistan, fans have made special arrangements to view the matches. Some have pooled their money to buy dish antennas. Others have decorated the hujras, or living rooms, with national flags.

“Afghanistan is a wounded land. Cricket helps people stitch those wounds,“ said Shams ul Rahman Shirzad, a cricket fan in Nangarhar, from where the brothers Taj Maluk and Karim Sadiq hailed and once dreamed of having a national cricket team.

This story originated in VOA’s Afghan service.

Johannesburg: The Evolving Face of Chinatown and South African Chinese

South Africa has seen several waves of immigration from China, with early generations of migrants fleeing extreme poverty at home and newer arrivals seeking business opportunities. Kate Bartlett has the story about Chinese South Africans who have established businesses Johannesburg’s old and new Chinatowns.

Study finds US Islamist extremist co-offenders form close-knit groups driven by mutual contacts, homophily effects

by Public Library of Science

US Islamist co-offending network. Note: isolated nodes are excluded. The network includes

 only individuals who had at least one co-offending relationship. 

Credit: Schwarzenbach, Jensen, 2024, PLOS ONE, CC-BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

The formation of relationships within violent US Islamist extremist groups is highly driven by mutual contacts and the tendency for people to bond with others similar to themselves, according to new research.

Anina Schwarzenbach, formally of Harvard University and the University of Maryland (currently affiliated with the University of Bern) and Michael Jensen of the University of Maryland present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on June 5, 2024.

Prior research on social structures within extremist networks has primarily explored outcomes, such as insurgency or conflict, with scant focus on how relationships first arise. The few studies on relationship formation have suggested that, unlike groups that are mostly profit-driven, terrorist groups prioritize trust-based relationships that increase security over those boosting efficiency.

Building on that prior work, Schwarzenbach and Jensen analyzed how trust-based co-offending relationships—relationships between extremists who commit ideologically motivated crimes either together or separately after receiving each other's influence—form within networks of Islamic extremists radicalized within the United States.

They analyzed data from the publicly accessible Social Networks of American Radicals (SoNAR) database, which includes court-record data on relationships between US Islamist offenders.

The researchers first applied algorithms for detecting community structures to SoNAR data, revealing that the US Islamist co-offending network consists mostly of small, separate, close-knit community clusters, with only a few larger communities.

Next, they applied a technique called exponential random graph modeling to SoNAR data to examine the potential roles of homophily—a tendency to bond with similar people—and transitivity—connection through mutual contacts—in the formation of these co-offender relationships.

They found that relationships were shaped by mutual contacts, ideological affiliation, spatial proximity, and shared socio-cultural traits, suggesting that both homophily and transitivity help to drive co-offending relationships among US Islamist extremists.

The authors note several limitations to this work, including that their findings may not be generalizable outside of the US or to other kinds of extremist offenders.

Still, they say, the findings point to several avenues for disrupting terrorist networks and preventing violence, such as the importance of engagement-prevention programs and policing techniques that are informed by the local—as opposed to online— context in which trust-based co-offending relationships typically form.

The authors add, "The results underscore the significance of local connections and personal interaction in the mobilization of extremist activities. They suggest that combating terrorism requires a multifaceted and localized approach, combining efforts in the digital area with traditional police work at a local level."

More information: Extremists of a feather flock together? Community structures, transitivity, and patterns of homophily in the US Islamist co-offending network, PLoS ONE (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298273

Journal information: PLoS ONE 

Provided by Public Library of Science Study of convicted extremists shows open social media platforms play an increasing role in radicalisation