Eye on Extremism: August 26, 2025

Top Stories

Times of Israel: Australia says Tehran behind two antisemitic arson attacks, expels Iranian ambassador

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accused Iran on Tuesday of being behind a pair of 2024 antisemitic arson attacks in Australia and expelled Tehran’s ambassador, calling the Iranian actions “dangerous acts of aggression” designed to undermine his country’s social cohesion. Albanese announced that Canberra had also pulled its diplomats from the Islamic Republic and will list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terror organization. It marks the first time Australia has expelled an ambassador since World War II.

 

Reuters: Lebanon to propose Hezbollah disarmament plan on August 31, US envoy says

Lebanon will present a plan on Sunday aimed at persuading Hezbollah to disarm, with Israel expected to submit a corresponding framework for its military withdrawal, top U.S. envoy Thomas Barrack said on Tuesday. Speaking after talks with President Joseph Aoun in Beirut, Barrack said the Lebanese proposal would not involve military coercion but would focus on efforts to encourage Hezbollah to surrender its weapons - including addressing the economic impact on fighters funded by Iran.

Analysis

Prothom Alo: Extremism is already here, not in the streets, but in our conversations

When we talk about extremism in Bangladesh, the mind quickly goes to images of bomb blasts, street violence, or militants caught in raids. But philosopher Quassim Cassam pushes us to look deeper. In "Extremism: A Philosophical Analysis," he argues that extremism is not first about action, it is about mindset. And if we look honestly at our political culture, we will see that extremism is closer to home than we like to admit.

 

Jerusalem Post: Iran is waging a war on the West, and Australian antisemitism is the latest front – analysis

Tuesday's revelations by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation that Iran had orchestrated antisemitic attacks in Australia demonstrated once again the extent of the Islamic Regime's global proxy and terrorism network. In the same way that Iran has maintained a chain of proxy groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis to further its campaign against Israel, the regime's operations in Australia show how they been waging a war on the West and Diaspora Jews using criminal proxy groups.

United States

Times of Israel: Trump claims Gaza war to reach ‘conclusive ending’ in two to three weeks

US President Donald Trump on Monday claimed that the Gaza war will reach a “conclusive ending” in the next two or three weeks, saying that there was a serious “diplomatic push” underway to end the nearly two-year conflict. “I think within the next two to three weeks, you’re going to have pretty good, conclusive — a conclusive ending,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

 

Associated Press: Orlando officials denounce removal of rainbow crosswalk near Pulse nightclub mass shooting site

Orlando officials on Thursday denounced the overnight removal of a rainbow-colored crosswalk outside the Pulse nightclub where 49 people were gunned down, saying it was part of an attack on LGBTQ lives by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration.

 

The Atlantic: Is There a Line That Nick Fuentes Won’t Cross?

In the eyes of Nick Fuentes, Vice President J. D. Vance can’t possibly be the future of the Republican Party. “Vance is not going to be a racist,” Fuentes said during a livestream last week. “You can’t make me go and vote for some fatass with some mixed-race family.” Fuentes, a 27-year-old influencer with more than 730,000 followers on X, showed his audience a photo of Vance with his Indian American wife and biracial kids in front of the Taj Mahal. “How would he possibly ever say that there is an ethnic basis for American identity?” Fuentes asked, referring to a far-right dream of turning America into a white ethno-state. “There’s not even an ethnic basis for his family.”

 

Homeland Security Today: Counterterrorism Expert Examines Decision to Delist Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham

On July 8, the Department of State removed Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), also known as Jabhat al-Nusrah, from the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) list. In a press release previewing the delisting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that the action fulfills President Donald Trump’s May 13 pledge to offer sanctions relief to the people of Syria. On June 30, the White House followed up on Trump’s promise by announcing that the United States would lift all sanctions on Syria, except for those imposed on former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group. The White House ordered the State Department to review the listing of HTS and its leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Ahmed al-Jawlani. The State Department’s FTO delisting of HTS is in direct response to the White House’s order.

 

Fox News: House Republicans give California medical schools two-week deadline in antisemitism probe

House Republicans are demanding that California's top medical schools hand over years' worth of internal documents as part of an investigation into alleged antisemitism at the institutions. House Education and Workforce Committee chairman Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., set a two-week deadline in letters to the University of California Los Angeles and UC San Francisco medical schools. The House is investigating how the universities responded to reports of Jewish people "experiencing hostility and fear" on their campuses.

 

Los Angeles Times: GOP widens UC antisemitism investigations, hitting UCLA, UC San Francisco medical schools

The UCLA and UC San Francisco medical schools have been given two weeks to submit years of internal documents to a Republican-led congressional committee about alleged antisemitism and how the schools responded, widening the federal government’s far-reaching investigations into the University of California.

 

ABC 7: Congressional committee investigating antisemitism allegations at UIC College of Medicine

The House Education and Workforce Committee has launched an investigation into another Chicago-area higher education institution over allegations of antisemitism on campus. According to a letter addressed to the chancellor and executive dean of the University of Illinois College of Medicine, the committee said it was made aware that "Jewish students are experiencing hostility and fear at the university, and it has not been demonstrated that the university has meaningfully responded to address and mitigate this problem."

 

Independent: Gavin Newsom has a new group of fans — the far-right. And it’s for all the wrong reasons

As Gavin Newsom emerges as President Donald Trump’s chief Democratic antagonist, he has some surprising boosters: white nationalists and the far right. And occasionally, Newsom has played along. Whether via trolling or in sincere flattery, many far-right accounts owned by racists, neo-Nazis and so-called Groypers have posted memes about the California governor, who has become a frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028.

Chile

Jerusalem Post: 'You’re part of genocide': Chilean synagogue targeted by anti-Israel vandals

A Santiago synagogue was vandalized on Friday night, according to the Jewish Community of Chile and Israeli ambassador to Chile Peleg Lewi. Lewi said that the gate of the Bikur Cholim Synagogue, which is in limited use by the Jewish community, was sprayed with red paint and plastered with a poster that depicted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a bullet hole in his forehead.

European Union

EU Observer: Jewish leaders rally round controversial EU antisemitism official

Jewish groups from across Europe have voiced support for a controversial EU official dealing with antisemitism. "To attack her for defending Jewish dignity and security is, in effect, to challenge the European Union's own credibility in combating antisemitism," 76 Jewish groups wrote in a letter to the EU Commission on Monday (25 August).

 

Haaretz: 'Fear and Exclusion': New Report Documents Growing Antisemitism on European Campuses

Jewish students in Europe are "increasingly withdrawing from campus life, hiding their identity, and suffering from fear and exclusion," a comprehensive report published on Tuesday warns. The report documents and analyses antisemitism in academic institutions across eight EU member states – Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden – as well as the United Kingdom. It was published jointly by B'nai Brith International, the European Union of Jewish Students, and democ – a German non-profit devoted to the study of and struggle against anti-democratic movements.

France

Times of Israel: US doubles down on support for envoy to France after antisemitism row

A diplomatic row between the United States and France escalated on Monday when Washington decided to stand firmly behind its ambassador’s criticism of the French response to a rising tide of antisemitism. US Ambassador Charles Kushner, the father of US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, was ordered to report to the French foreign ministry on Monday over a letter he penned to President Emmanuel Macron, accusing his government of not doing enough to combat antisemitism.

Germany

WELT: BKA warns of attacks on German arms companies - focus on left-wing extremists

The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) sees German arms companies, suppliers and partners as potential targets of politically motivated crime. The documents speak of an "abstract threat situation". In addition to espionage and sabotage attempts by Russian intelligence services, the BKA also points to an increasing threat from left-wing extremist groups. For example, activists are mobilizing for a multi-day protest camp in Cologne from Tuesday under the motto "Disarm Rheinmetall". The BKA warned that demonstrations, blockades and isolated criminal acts such as damage to property or arson are also to be expected there. Pro-Palestinian and Kurdish groups have also called for actions against the arms industry in recent weeks, according to the document. Among other things, addresses of locations, possible transport routes for arms deliveries and the names of executives were published.

 

Deutsche Welle: Dresden tram stabbing: Police appeal for witnesses

According to the police, two men from a group were harassing female passengers. A 21-year-old US citizen attempted to intervene but was stabbed by one of two men involved in the altercation. The police apprehended a 21-year-old Syrian national but have yet to capture an unidentified man wanted for grievous bodily harm, among other things. US daily tabloid The New York Post published pictures appearing to show the interior of the blood-spattered tram. Police confirmed that the man who had been detained had since been released as the search for the other suspect continued.

 

BILD: Churches deplore brutal vandalism

Attacks on Catholic churches have been on the increase for many years, with houses of worship being attacked more and more frequently, liturgical objects desecrated, valuable statues of saints hacked to pieces, urination on altars and defecation in holy water pools. In addition, valuable altars are sometimes even set on fire. The perpetrators are rarely identified, complains Kopp. This may also be due to the fact that the police treat the crimes as "normal" damage to property and quickly dismiss them. It is therefore impossible to determine whether the perpetrators are politically motivated and want to take revenge for the cases of abuse in the Catholic Church, for example, or whether they are radical Muslims for whom Christian works of art are an abomination.

 

Reuters: Merz: Germany will not join allies' initiative to recognise Palestinian state

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Tuesday Germany would not join an initiative of western allies to recognise the Palestinian state at next month's United Nations General Assembly. Merz was speaking at a joint news conference with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who said last month that Canada planned to recognise the state of Palestine at the General Assembly, following similar announcements by France and Britain.

 

DPA: German military reports rise in extremist incidents

Germany's armed forces, the Bundeswehr, dismissed 90 soldiers for right-wing extremist behaviour last year and took action against six more, the defence ministry in Berlin said on Tuesday. A total of 280 extremist incidents were confirmed in the military's ranks last year, markedly more than in the previous year, which saw 205, the ministry said in response to a parliamentary inquiry from The Left party.

Italy

Decode 39: Suspected terror financing in Italy on the rise

In 2024, Italy recorded 340 reports of suspected terror financing, marking a 14.5% increase compared to the previous year, according to the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) of the Bank of Italy.

Spain

Ara: A third of arrests for jihadism are made in Catalonia, and the radicalization of minors is a concern.

Up to 95 people have been arrested this year in state police operations for their alleged involvement in jihadist terrorism, eight of them minors. According to data from the Ministry of the Interior, 84 have been arrested in Spain and 11 abroad. Catalonia is a hotspot for police interventions due to jihadist radicalization: of the more than fifty interventions that police have carried out throughout the state, almost a third of the arrests have been made in Catalonia.

United Kingdom

Jewish News: Police have arrested four people for criminal damage after a new anti-Israel direct action

group attacked a defence factory in Wolverhampton, claiming the site had “involvement in the F-35 programme…being used in the genocide against Palestinians”. Four arrested after Palestine Action copycat group attacks UK defence factory

 

Le Monde: UK's far right mobilizes around asylum crisis: 'I don't want to pay for them anymore'

Following a court decision upholding the closure of a hotel housing migrants in Epping Forest, opposition to their presence has shown no sign of waning, as seen on Saturday, August 23, in Horley, southern England.

 

BBC: Asylum hotel protests 'understandable', says Scottish Tory leader

It is "understandable" that people are protesting outside of hotels housing asylum seekers, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives has said. Russell Findlay insisted that "lawful" demonstrations were "entirely reasonable". Anti-immigration protests have been held in Perth, Aberdeenshire and Falkirk this month, with officials raising fears that the events could turn violent. Campaign group Stand up to Racism Scotland accused Findlay of scapegoating refugees.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan International: Taliban Unveils Five-Year National Development Strategy

The Taliban have approved a five-year National Development Strategy that outlines priorities in governance, security and economic growth, spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Monday. Mujahid said the strategy brings together all Taliban-run agencies’ resources and programmes under a single framework. It is divided into three broad areas — governance and international relations, security and public order, and economic and social development.

Iran

Iran International: Iran slams Australia envoy's ouster, warns of response

Iran has condemned Australia’s decision to expel its ambassador and said the move will not go unanswered, calling it a politically driven act tied to Australia’s internal affairs. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on Tuesday that “any inappropriate diplomatic action will be answered in kind,” and that Iranian officials were reviewing their response. He said the allegations were “completely baseless” and described the accusations as part of a broader Western narrative.

 

Iran International: Iran warns next war with Israel will spread to new battlefronts

Iran will abandon military restraint and open new battlefronts if another war erupts with Israel, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Tuesday, as both sides signal that another conflict may be near. “In the next possible war, our restraint will end,” Ghalibaf told parliament. “New geographic areas and targets will be added to our response. And if the enemy overreaches again, the war could expand into economic and political arenas as well.”

Iraq

Jerusalem Post: Iraq to deport 50,000 Turkish, Russian, Azeri nationals linked to ISIS

Iraq is weighing deporting hundreds of foreigners it has detained since the war on ISIS. The foreigners appear to be mostly arrested on charges of being affiliated with ISIS or being members of families of ISIS members. According to AFP, “Iraq wants to return hundreds of foreign women and their children detained in the country, though two foreign diplomats told AFP on Monday the process would be a lengthy one.”

 

Kurdistan24: KRG Official Calls for Legal Framework to Address ISIS Crimes and Ensure Justice for Victims

The absence of a national legal framework recognizing ISIS crimes as international offenses remains a major obstacle to justice. The Iraqi judiciary has yet to take the necessary legal steps to prosecute perpetrators, secure accountability, and ensure adequate compensation for the families of victims, Dindar Zebari, Coordinator for International Advocacy of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), stated on Monday.

 

AFP: Iraq seeks to deport hundreds of detained women and children

Iraq wants to return hundreds of foreign women and their children detained in the country, though two foreign diplomats told AFP on Monday the process would be a lengthy one. The initiative would exclude women condemned to death, but encompass those affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group as well as those found guilty of common crimes, an Iraqi security official told AFP.

 

Kurdistan24: Kurdistan Region President, U.S. Senator Ernst Reaffirm Anti-ISIS Cooperation, Discuss Regional Stability

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and visiting United States Republican Senator Joni Ernst on Sunday reaffirmed the critical importance of joint cooperation to confront the persistent threat of ISIS, which both sides agreed continues to pose a real danger to the security of Iraq and Syria. The high-level meeting, according to the readout of the meeting by the Kurdistan Region's Presidency office, underscored America’s continued support for the stability of the region and highlighted the necessity of internal harmony among Kurdish political forces.

Israel

Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Netanyahu says ‘tragic mishap’ fueled Gaza hospital strikes that killed 20, including 5 journalists

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described two strikes on a hospital in the Gaza Strip Monday that killed about 20, including 5 journalists, as a “tragic mishap.” The first strike Monday hit the upper floor of the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, killing at least two people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The second strike came as ambulance crews and journalists arrived at the scene — in what is known as a “double tap” strike.

 

Times of Israel: Thousands demonstrate, block roads on nationwide day of protests for hostages

Thousands of protesters took to the streets from early Tuesday, blocking highways and demonstrating outside ministers’ homes as part of an organized day of action demanding the government reach a deal for the release of 50 hostages still held by terrorist organizations in Gaza. The day of action, announced by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, started at 6:29 a.m. — the time that Hamas launched its attack on October 7, 2023 — with protesters unfurling Israeli flags outside the US Embassy in Tel Aviv.

 

Times of Israel: IDF chief reportedly says there is a hostage deal ‘on the table, we need to take it’

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said Sunday that the military has created the conditions in Gaza for a hostage deal with the Hamas terror group, reportedly adding behind closed doors that the government must accept the proposal that’s currently on offer. Senior Israeli officials, however, said the phased-release framework that Hamas said it accepted last week is no longer relevant.

 

Times of Israel: Citing October 7, Katz says Israeli troops inside Syria staying put to defend north

Israel said on Tuesday it would not retreat from positions on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon and in other areas across the border, amid reports of advanced talks between Jerusalem and Damascus on reaching security arrangements along the sensitive frontier. The comments from Defense Minister Israel Katz came a day after Syria condemned what it said was a “dangerous escalation” by dozens of Israeli troops who allegedly carried out an incursion east of the Mount Hermon foothills.

 

Jerusalem Post: Police arrest three suspects for pro-Hamas, pro-ISIS social media posts

Three suspects were arrested for alleged incitement and support of a terrorist organization over the past 24 hours, Israel Police confirmed on Monday. The arrests were carried out by the Ra'ah Unit in the Shai District, with the assistance of the Yehuda YASAM forces and IDF soldiers from the Etzion Brigade.

Lebanon

Associated Press: US envoy: Saudi Arabia, Qatar to invest in Lebanon economic zone for disarmed Hezbollah

Saudi Arabia and Qatar are ready to invest in an economic zone in south Lebanon near the border with Israel that would create jobs for members of the militant Hezbollah group and its supporters once they lay down their weapons, President Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East said Tuesday.

Niger

Morocco World News: Morocco Aids Niger to Hunt Down Boko Haram Chief ‘Bakura’

Niger’s military forces killed Ibrahim Mahamadou, known as “Bakura,” during what officials described as a “surgical operation” in the Diffa region of southeast Niger. Morocco’s intelligence services played a crucial role in the successful elimination of “Bakura” during a joint operation with Niger’s military forces in the Lake Chad basin region.

Somalia

All Africa: Somalia: ISIS Claims Three Attacks Killing 47 Puntland Security Force Soldiers

The Islamic State (ISIS) Somalia faction has claimed responsibility for three attacks against the Puntland Security Force (PSF) between July 16 and August 22, resulting in the deaths of 47 soldiers, according to statements released by the group.

Australia

Herald Sun: ‘Utterly unacceptable’: Fury over Iran’s anti-Semitic attacks

Anthony Albanese on Tuesday said the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation had established the Iranian government was behind an October 20 attack on Bondi’s Lewis’ Continental Kitchen, and the December 6 fire bombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne. The Australian government pulled its diplomats from Tehran and has moved to expel Iran’s ambassador to Australia.

 

Sydney Morning Herald: From tobacco kingpin to terror suspect: Police believe Australian crime boss did Iran’s firebomb bidding

Melbourne tobacco wars kingpin Kazem Hamad is suspected of conspiring with foreign spies to carry out the firebombing of a Melbourne synagogue in a development that has seen Iranian diplomats expelled from Canberra.

 

Independent: Australia police shooting latest: Gunman identified as ‘sovereign citizen’ while massive manhunt continues

Two police officers were killed and another was injured while serving a warrant at an address in rural Australia on Monday morning, with a manhunt underway for the gunman in “wet and cold conditions”. Police have identified 56-year-old Dezi Freeman as the alleged gunman behind the shooting. Freeman has described himself as a “sovereign citizen”, a movement known for promoting conspiracy theories and hostility toward law enforcement.

 

Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Queensland man sentenced to four years imprisonment after string of terror offences

A 43-year-old man has been handed a four-year prison sentence after being found guilty of a string of terror offences. The man, who urged support for Islamic State terrorists in a series of social media posts between March 2019 and February 2020, was found guilty of six counts of advocating terrorism following a jury trial last week.