Eye on Extremism: February 20, 2026
Top Stories
Reuters: At Board of Peace debut, Trump announces global commitments for Gaza reconstruction
U.S. President Donald Trump told the first meeting of his Board of Peace on Thursday that nations had contributed $7 billion to a Gaza reconstruction fund that aims to rebuild the enclave once Hamas disarms, an objective that is far from becoming a reality. The disarmament of Hamas militants and accompanying withdrawal of Israeli troops, the size of the reconstruction fund and the flow of humanitarian aid to the war-battered populace of Gaza are among the major questions likely to test the effectiveness of the board in the months ahead.
Iran International: IRGC moves to tighten internet controls after protest crackdown
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards intelligence chief has confirmed he is driving efforts to tighten restrictions on social media, linking the initiative directly to the country’s security apparatus and the expansion of the so-called “national internet.” Majid Khademi, head of intelligence for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said in an interview published on February 19 that a total ban on foreign social media platforms is intended to “prevent enemy plots and immunize Iranians against them.”
CEP Mentions
Deutsche Welle Auf den Punkt (Talkshow) on the situation concerning Iran (in German)
Counter Extremism Project's Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler discusses the ongoing and developing situation in Iran.
Merkur: Iranian expert offers a grim prognosis regarding military strikes
In fact, the regime has long been using the conflict with the US for propaganda purposes to strengthen its own position. "The Iranian regime wants to send two messages. Domestically: 'We are strong.' And internationally: 'We can also defend ourselves,'" Middle East expert Hans-Jakob Schindler, director of the Counter Extremism Project, recently explained in an interview with this newsroom.
Analysis
Iran International: Big promises, bigger problems: governance after the Islamic Republic
Iran stands at a pivotal moment. If political change brings institutional reform, the country could break decades of stagnation and return to sustained growth. But without credible governance, any transition risks replacing one failed equilibrium with another.
Jewish People Policy Institute: Divided by hate, not united by diversity | Analysis
A Europe that fails to protect its Jewish communities fails itself and its own history and it also fails its future; Only by confronting antisemitism with clarity, resolve and sustained action can Europe live up to the values it espouses.
United States
Reuters: Trump warns Iran of 'bad things' if no deal made, sets deadline of 10-15 days
President Donald Trump warned Iran on Thursday it must make a deal over its nuclear program or "really bad things" will happen, and set a deadline of 10 to 15 days, drawing a threat from Tehran to retaliate against U.S. bases in the region if attacked. Amid a massive U.S. military buildup in the Middle East that has fueled fears of a wider war, Trump said negotiations with Iran to end the tense standoff were going well but demanded that Tehran reach a "meaningful" agreement.
White supremacist Nick Fuentes asked Americans not to vote in the midterms so that Republicans get wiped out, Trump gets impeached, and indicted. While speaking in the podcast, Fuentes hoped to get a Nazi to run in '28 to burn the GOP down as a dark horse and win the presidency as a right wing radical.
Speaking from Washington, DC, on Thursday, the president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, Eric Fingerhut, laid out his assessment of the state of Jewish life in America. “The state of the Jewish union in America is strong, but it is being tested,” said Fingerhut. “We are united in our commitment to America and to Jewish life, even as we worry about the real threats of violence and the growing acceptance of antisemitic rhetoric.”
Exposure to radical online content, coupled with an educational system in which educators are wary to wade too deeply into politics, are impeding Jewish and non-Jewish teenagers across the United States as they’re pushed to forge political stances on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict before they have the knowledge or context to do so, claims a new report by the Or Initiative at California’s Chapman University.
New York Jewish Week: Staffers’ anti-Israel posts continue to haunt NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani
Mayor Zohran Mamdani continues to be haunted by past anti-Israel posts from his City Hall staff, and he has yet to find a consistent strategy for confronting them. Álvaro López, the Brooklyn borough director in Mamdani’s Office of Mass Engagement, responded to people tearing down posters of Israeli hostages in a now-deleted post that said, “All I see are heroes.”
Cincinnati Enquirer: Windows bashed, lease terminated at tattoo shop accused of neo-Nazi ties
Windows at a new tattoo shop in Over-the-Rhine were broken this week. Pricey equipment was left inside and the building owner had the windows covered with plywood by the end of the day.
Canada
CBC: 1 teen released, 1 still in custody in Saskatoon case of alleged online 'violent extremism'
One of the two Saskatoon teens charged after a national security investigation into alleged online violent extremism has been released from custody, while the second is still waiting for a bail decision. The teens, who are both 14 years old, were in court on Tuesday for separate bail hearings. One was released that day, but the second had their case adjourned until Thursday for the judge's decision.
Global News: 2nd New Brunswick teen under terrorism peace bond, accused of extremist activity
New Brunswick RCMP say a youth they allege was involved in terrorist activities as part of the online extremist group 764 Network has been placed under a terrorism peace bond. Police confirm this case is separate from another youth who is under a terrorism police bond that was reported earlier this month, which was described as a first for the province.
The Telegraph: ‘Addicted’ to violence, Canada’s school shooter spiralled into nihilist extremism
Six months before committing a massacre in an isolated Canadian town, Jesse Van Rootselaar wrote online to no one in particular: “I’ve been pretty, um, aimless.” The 18-year-old was a school dropout, a recluse, a gun fanatic who experimented with illegal drugs at home, suffering from depression and struggling with his gender identity.
A UN-affiliated school in Manhattan failed to address an antisemitic harassment campaign against a Jewish teacher despite her reporting it, and instead launched a 15-month inquest into her, which led to her losing her job.
Jewish News Syndicate: Civil-rights panel probes campus Jew-hatred, free-speech limits
Witnesses before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on Thursday sharply disagreed over where First Amendment protections end and unlawful discrimination based on race, color or national origin begins, as the panel examined rising antisemitism on college campuses.
Belgium
Brussels Times: Far-right demonstration in Brussels for killed French student is cancelled
Thursday night's demonstration in Brussels to commemorate French student Quentin Deranque, 23, killed on the fringes of a far-right protest in Lyon, has been cancelled by its organisers.
Belgium’s only Jewish MP has been pushed into the center of a diplomatic and internal storm regarding Jewish circumcisions in Belgium. The storm began on Monday, when a public argument broke out between US Ambassador to Belgium Bill White and Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prévot.
Croatia
Balkan Insight: Far-Right Croatian MP Sparks Crisis by Singing About Fascist Leader
Far-right Homeland Movement MP Josip Dabro is back at the centre of attention in Croatian politics after appearing in controversial video footage again. Dabro was appointed a minister at the beginning of the current coalition government’s mandate in 2024 but was quickly dismissed after a video became public of him shooting a gun through a car window in a populated area.
France
Throughout his stay in India, Emmanuel Macron had refrained from commenting on the political situation in France, where the death of far-right activist Quentin Deranque had inflamed public debate. The president waited until Thursday, February 19, the day of his return flight, to urge the "extremist parties" to "clean house," specifying "the far left in this case," but also "the far right, which sometimes has activists in its ranks who justify violence."
Politico: French far right looks for Charlie Kirk moment after activist’s killing
France’s far right is framing the death of an activist associated with far-right groups as a moment akin to the murder of Charlie Kirk in the United States. The National Rally has in recent days started pointing to the killing of 23-year-old Quentin Deranque in Lyon as proof the poll-topping populist party is the victim of an increasingly radical political left, much as the MAGA movement in the United States did following Kirk’s assassination last year.
The Guardian: French prosecutor seeks murder charges over killing of far-right activist
A French prosecutor is seeking murder charges against seven suspects in the fatal beating of a far-right activist that has fuelled political anger beyond France’s borders, prompting Emmanuel Macron to tell Italy’s Giorgia Meloni to keep out of French affairs.
Georgia
Georgia Today: Parliament backs grant amendments, adds “extremism” offense
Georgia’s Parliament has approved in the second reading a comprehensive legislative package tightening regulations on grants, political activity, and activism, while also introducing a new criminal offense titled “Extremism against the Constitutional Order.” The package was supported by 83 lawmakers, with 9 voting against.
Germany
Deutsche Welle: Poll puts far-right AfD far ahead in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
A new poll shows the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) leading clearly in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, seven months before an election there. The Forsa survey for the Ostsee-Zeitung put the AfD at 37%, ahead of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) of state premier Manuela Schwesig on 23% and the center-right Christian Democrats (CDU) on 13%. The socialist Left Party, which currently governs in coalition with the SPD, was measured at 11%.
Sweden
Jerusalem Post: Terror-linked Samidoun actively promoting terror, armed resistance in Sweden
Terrorism-linked NGO Samidoun is active and expanding its presence in Sweden, NGO Monitor reported this week. Samidoun, which is designated as a terrorist entity by Israel, Germany, the US, and Canada, is closely linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and also promotes other EU-designated terrorist groups, including Hamas and Hezbollah.
United Kingdom
The Telegraph: Polanski refuses to define his Zionist mother as a racist
Zack Polanski has refused to say whether he thinks his Zionist mother is a racist. A motion tabled for the Green Party’s spring conference next month declares Zionism is a “racist ideology”. In a radio interview, Mr Polanski, the Green Party leader, repeatedly dodged the question of whether he considered his mother, who is a strong supporter of Israel, would be considered a Zionist and therefore, according to the motion, a racist.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan International: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Official Meets Taliban Interior Minister In Kabul
A senior member of Pakistan’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) party met the Taliban’s interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, during a visit to Kabul, according to reports. Salahuddin Ayubi, described as the party’s finance chief, discussed bilateral relations, border issues and the broader regional situation with Haqqani, the reports said.
Amu: Taliban say talks underway on detained Americans
The Taliban said they are engaged in discussions with the United States over detained American citizens and are seeking a resolution, responding to recent remarks by US officials that the Taliban are using prisoners as bargaining chips. “We are in talks with the Americans on this matter, and solutions are being explored,” Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s spokesman, said in an audio statement broadcast by state-run national TV.
Amu: Youth Orchestra: Taliban’s burning of musical instrument is attack on cultural identity
The Afghanistan National Institute of Music and the Afghanistan Youth Orchestra, both now operating in exile, condemned the Taliban’s burning of hundreds of musical instruments in Parwan and Laghman Provinces, calling it a direct assault on the country’s cultural identity. In a statement, the institutions said that at least 600 instruments were set alight in Parwan alone. Images circulated in what was described as an official press release showed a pile of instruments burning in an open field.
Gaza Strip/West Bank
BBC: Hamas holds vote to choose new interim leader, source tells BBC
Hamas is holding an election for a new interim leader, a senior Palestinian official familiar with the armed group's affairs has told the BBC. Voting is taking place across Gaza, the occupied West Bank and among Hamas's members elsewhere.
A 19-year-old Palestinian-American citizen shot by an Israeli settler in the West Bank has died from his wounds, the Palestinian Health Ministry said late on Wednesday.
A group of settler activists, among them far-right MK Limor Son Har-Melech, illegally breached into the Gaza Strip this evening, prompting the IDF to dispatch troops to the scene. “We were privileged, with thanks to the blessed God, to enter the Gaza Strip, together with the Nachala movement and dozens of families, women, men, and children,” the Otzma Yehudit lawmaker writes on social media.
Times of Israel: US approves formal communication channel between PA and Board of Peace — officials
The US has approved the establishment of a coordination committee between the Palestinian Authority and the US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, a US official and a Palestinian official told The Times of Israel on Wednesday.
Jerusalem Post: WATCH: IDF foils terror plots in West Bank, destroys Hamas tunnels in Gaza
The IDF destroyed several Hamas tunnels east of the Yellow Line in the Beit Hanoun area of the Northern Gaza Strip, according to a Thursday statement.
Jerusalem Post: Hamas condemns PA forces for killing two children in West Bank op.
Hamas condemned the Palestinian Authority after security forces conducted an arrest operation in the West Bank that led to the accidental death of two children, aged 16 and four, this week.
Extremist settlers have published a tally of attacks they say they carried out against Palestinians over the past month in the West Bank, describing the violence as their “struggle against the Arab enemy.” The settlers post a list on their Telegram channel, detailing incidents they claimed responsibility for.
Iran
Fox News: Iran rebuilding nuclear program despite Trump talks, opposition figure claims
Iran is rebuilding nuclear sites damaged in previous U.S. strikes and "preparing for war," despite engaging in talks with the Trump administration, according to a prominent Iranian opposition figure. Alireza Jafarzadeh, deputy director of the Washington office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said newly released satellite images also prove the regime has accelerated its efforts to restore its "$2 trillion" uranium enrichment capabilities.
Israel
Times of Israel: State comptroller: Public given only ‘partial picture’ of Oct. 7 responsibility
State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman said Thursday that office holders, including political and military officials, have “exposed to the public” only partial details about his review of the failures surrounding the Hamas-led invasion and atrocities in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Hamas had allegedly unsuccessfully attempted to influence Ra’am head Mansour Abbas to join a government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2021, Israeli journalist Amit Segal reported on Thursday.
Lebanon
Naharnet: Aoun and Haykal tell Quintet north Litani plan has begun
Contrary to the reports about the dissatisfaction of some countries with the army’s report on the second phase of the arms monopolization plan, all foreign countries are satisfied and have agreed to the report but they are hoping for quick implementation, official sources told al-Liwaa newspaper. The daily added that President Joseph Aoun and Army chief Rodolphe Haykal have told the five-nation group for Lebanon, known as the Quintet, that the implementation of the army’s plan north of the Litani has started.
Syria
Asharq al-Awsat: Few People Left at Syria Camp that Held ISIS Families, Former Director Says
Fewer than 1,000 families remain at a camp where relatives of suspected ISIS militants had been held in Syria's northeast, the camp's former director said on Wednesday, with thousands having fled last month as government forces seized control of the area from Kurdish-led fighters.
Al Arabiya English: One security officer killed, another wounded, in ISIS attack in eastern Syria
ISIS on Thursday claimed responsibility for an attack that killed one Syrian government security officer and wounded another in eastern Syria, marking an escalation in the group’s attacks against the country’s new leadership. The group said through its Amaq news agency that it carried out the attack on Wednesday in Raghib town in Deir Ezzor province. A Syrian security source confirmed the two targeted officers were brothers.
Sudan
Yemen Online: UAE Calls for Sudanese Political Path Excluding Extremists and Muslim Brotherhood
The United Arab Emirates has urged an immediate end to violence in Sudan and called for a political process leading to a civilian government independent of warring factions and extremist groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliates. Speaking before the UN Security Council, UAE Ambassador Mohamed Abushahab condemned violations by all parties, including deliberate targeting of civilians, the use of starvation and sexual violence as weapons of war, and attacks on humanitarian workers notably the recent assault on a World Food Programme convoy in North Kordofan.
Australia
The ABC can reveal the names of the 11 women connected to former Islamic State fighters in Syria who attempted to journey home to Australia this week. The group of 34 Australians, including 23 children, has been living in camps in Syria since the fall of the so-called caliphate, and some of those children were actually born behind the razor wire.
Stay up to date on our latest news.
Get the latest news on extremism and counter-extremism delivered to your inbox.