Eye on Extremism: July 2, 2026
Top Stories
Reuters: Syrian foreign minister says Syria open to meeting Hezbollah, Lebanese state media reports
Syria's foreign minister said during a visit to Beirut on Thursday that Damascus was open to meeting the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah "if interests require it", Lebanon's state news agency reported. Asaad al-Shibani met Lebanese leaders including President Joseph Aoun and parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, in his first visit to Lebanon since U.S. President Donald Trump raised the possibility of Syrian forces combating Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The human rights nonprofit sector has systematically ignored or suppressed employee complaints of antisemitism for years, according to a new report published on Wednesday by EiGHT, an organization based in Israel that was created after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks to provide oversight of humanitarian NGOs.
Analysis
Iran International: Is Tehran preparing to reinvent the IRGC?
Comments by an establishment pundit suggesting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) could be dismantled from within have raised an extraordinary question: is Tehran preparing to reinvent one of the pillars of the Islamic Republic?
United States
The Hill: Bipartisan members push for Syria removal from state sponsor of terrorism list
A bipartisan pair of lawmakers are asking the Trump administration to remove Syria from the list of state sponsors of terrorism (SST), arguing that the country has made massive strides since the ousting of dictator Bashar al-Assad at the end of 2024, according to a letter shared exclusively with The Hill.
CBS News: U.S. designates Ecuador's "Chone Killers" gang a terrorist organization
The United States on Wednesday designated Ecuadorian gang the "Chone Killers" as a foreign terrorist organization, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. The gang "has committed numerous attacks targeting civilians, law enforcement officers, and government officials, including high-profile assassinations of public officials," Rubio said in a statement, adding that the group was also branded "specially designated global terrorists."
As the U.S. celebrates its 250th anniversary this weekend, a new study by Combat Antisemitism Movement reveals a stark reality for American Jews: 57% reported experiencing antisemitism — frequently manifesting online — in the past year. Conducted by Ira Sheskin, director of the Jewish Demography Project at the University of Miami and administered by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, the survey — which polled 1,060 Jewish American adults over three weeks in May — found that antisemitism is causing them to actively alter everyday behavior.
A man armed with a knife and a baseball bat entered a Brooklyn Heights Chabad on Wednesday and was removed from the premises by people at the scene before police arrived.
Jewish Insider: DSA candidate for Wisconsin governor appears with streamer who called Jews ‘demonic’
Francesca Hong, a Democratic Socialists of America-affiliated candidate for governor of Wisconsin, appeared on Monday on the Twitch stream of Mike Beyer, known by his online handle “Mike From PA,” a fringe far-left influencer who has espoused open antisemitism.
A Jewish Israeli clinical intern has come forward to accuse Boston Medical Center of antisemitic discrimination in a damning complaint filed with the US Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (HHS OCR) on Tuesday, setting off the latest explosive controversy over anti-Jewish discrimination in healthcare.
Fox 5 KVVU: Woman accused of terrorism-related threats in Las Vegas gets half a million bail
Allison Howlett, accused of making threats related to an act of terrorism, appeared in court by video Wednesday, where a judge confirmed bail set at $500,000. Howlett, 36, is being held in custody. The Judge said Howlett will be under high-level electronic monitoring, along with orders for no weapons and no contact with any named victims.
Bloomberg Law News: Muslim Group Challenges Florida Terrorist Designation Law (1)
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is challenging Florida’s new law allowing the state to designate a group as a “domestic terrorist organization.” In a lawsuit filed Wednesday—the same day the law took effect—CAIR and its Florida affiliate allege the law violates federal speech, religious, and due process rights. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) designated CAIR, Antifa, and the Muslim Brotherhood as domestic terrorist groups the same day.
NBC 6 South Florida: DeSantis designates CAIR, other groups as terrorist organizations
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wasted little time declaring two Islamic groups, various foreign cartels, and an anti-fascism movement as terrorist organizations on the first day a new law allows the state to impose such designations. With the anti-terrorism law (HB 1471) from the 2026 regular session effective Wednesday, DeSantis stated his intention to put the label on the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Muslim Brotherhood and antifa.
The defendants have described the case as a peaceful immigration protest that spiraled out of control. Federal prosecutors called it an antifa-inspired terrorist attack that ended with an Alvarado police officer shot. On Wednesday, seven of the more than a dozen defendants in the federal terrorism case learned their punishment: As much as 50 years for the man who went to trial, and as little as a year and 10 months for one who pleaded guilty and cooperated. Last week, Benjamin Song, who opened fire on an Alvarado police officer and was described as the group’s leader, was sentenced to a century in federal prison.
Argentina
Jerusalem Post: Argentina records rise in antisemitism, with 62% of incidents online
A total of 713 incidents of antisemitism were recorded in Argentina in 2025, the Delegation of Argentine Jewish Associations (DAIA) revealed in its new annual report. This figure represents an increase of 3.78% compared to the 687 cases recorded in 2024, indicating that antisemitism persists at a high level. It also means about two antisemitic incidents took place each day in 2025.
Ecuador
Newsweek: Who Are Chone Killers? Ecuadorian Gang Designated As Terrorist Group
The Trump administration on Wednesday designated Ecuador's Chone Killers gang a foreign terrorist organization, the latest step in a sweeping effort to treat some of Latin America's most violent criminal networks as national security threats.
France
Reuters: French far right ponders life beyond Le Pen as appeal ruling looms
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen faces a make-or-break court ruling on July 7 on her bid to overturn an election ban, a verdict that could knock her out of the 2027 presidential race or clear the way for her to seek the top job for a fourth time.
The Guardian: Far-right French mayor causes outrage after cancelling play about migrant
In the Anglo-French playwright Alexis Michalik’s play Passeport, a young man has been beaten and left for dead in the notorious Calais refugee camp known as “the Jungle”. When he wakes up, he has no idea who he is – and his only possession is a blue Eritrean passport containing the name Issa. With two others from the camp he decides to leave, not to take the perilous Channel crossing to the UK but instead to try to integrate into France and obtain the necessary papers to remain.
Germany
Afghanistan International: Germany Gave In To Taliban Pressure, Says European Lawmaker
Hannah Neumann, a member of the European Parliament, has criticised Germany’s policy of deporting Afghan nationals to Afghanistan, describing it as a idea that leaves Europe vulnerable to Taliban pressure. She argued that convicted offenders should remain in prison rather than be returned to Afghanistan.
New York Times: As Far Right Rises, German Leaders Look to Jump-Start the Economy
German leaders said on Thursday that they had reached a long-sought agreement meant to reinvigorate their country’s faltering economy, betting on the power of compromise to lift the national mood and stop the surge of the far right.
Romania
A Moroccan citizen has been declared an undesirable person in Romania for 10 years following a request by the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), which said he posed a national security risk due to alleged extremist activities. The ruling was issued on July 1 by the Bucharest Court of Appeal.
United Kingdom
Reuters: Racism and intolerance have worsened in Britain, Starmer says
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday that racism and intolerance had worsened in Britain over the past decade, warning it was damaging social cohesion and deterring people from public life. He spoke a day after a Reuters report found some Britons of colour fear a resurgence of racism linked to anti-migrant rhetoric and a political focus on crime, following recent unrest including protests in Southampton after the murder of Henry Nowak and rioting in Belfast after a stabbing attack.
The Telegraph: Terrorists could target Harry at Invictus Games, finds report
Terrorists could create a “mass casualty event” if they target the Duke of Sussex at the Invictus Games, his private security company has warned the Government. A 40-page risk assessment found that the Duke faced an “elevated risk” in the UK, where five of the six known terror plots against him originated.
Jewish News: Expats fear UK medical association’s antisemitism move
When the British Medical Association (BMA) voted to review and potentially reject the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, it deepened the fears that South African-born Jewish healthcare workers in the United Kingdom (UK) have felt since 7 October. Some say they now question whether Jewish patients will continue to receive impartial care in Britain’s National Health Service (NHS). But others believe the review offers an opportunity to improve how antisemitism policies are applied in increasingly polarised workplaces.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan International: Russia & Taliban Hold Talks On Bilateral Cooperation
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said inter-ministerial consultations were held with the Taliban in Kabul. The talks covered bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, cultural and humanitarian fields.
Gaza Strip/West Bank
The police say forces are searching for a Palestinian suspect driving a car with Israeli license plates, after he allegedly attacked an Israeli settler in the West Bank a short while ago.
Iran
New York Times: U.S. Says Iran May Swap Ideology For Investment. History Shows Otherwise
Senior U.S. officials have said Iran would be richly rewarded for changing its stance on the United States. Iran’s leaders have rejected such a bargain in the past.
Times of Israel: Iran warns US, Israel against attacks ahead of long-delayed Khamenei funeral
An Iranian military commander warned the United States and Israel on Thursday against any attack as the country prepares for the state funeral of supreme leader ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in Israeli airstrikes on February 28, in the opening attack of the war.
Reuters: Iran prepares to bury slain supreme leader with week of mass mourning
Iran's ruling clerics are preparing days of mass funeral rites for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a show of public devotion to the Islamic Republic and proof that its revolutionary fervor still burns strong. Iran's supreme leader was killed by U.S. and Israeli strikes in their first attack of the war and the funeral events will begin over the weekend in Tehran, with mass processions planned next week in Qom and Mashhad and ceremonies in Iraq.
Reuters: Iran's Revolutionary Guards say they killed Kurdish militants in northwest Iran
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had killed five members of the banned Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) in the country’s northwest, state media reported on Thursday, amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Kurdish militant groups. The Guards said the group was ambushed after entering Iranian territory in mountainous border areas near Piranshahr in West Azerbaijan province, without specifying when the operation took place.
Iran International: Iran, Taliban foreign ministers meet - state media
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met his Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi on Thursday, state media reported.
Iran International: Talk of dissolving IRGC revives debate over Iran's dual military
A state-TV commentator’s claim that factions want to dissolve the IRGC has revived debate over Iran’s dual military structure, the Guards’ expanding political and economic role, and whether the army-IRGC system remains an asset after a war that exposed its reach and costs.
Afghanistan International: Senior Taliban Officials Arrive In Tehran For Khamenei Funeral
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs, and Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi travelled to Tehran on Thursday to attend the funeral of Ali Khamenei, the former supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Israel
Times of Israel: Families mark 1,000 days since Oct. 7 with memorials, protests, moment of silence
Israel was marking 1,000 days since the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre on Thursday, with somber memorials, marches and protests planned across the country. The October Council, a group of bereaved families, October 7 survivors and some former hostages, was organizing a full day of events to mark the occasion throughout the day.
Three Israeli citizens were indicted at the Lod District Court on Thursday after a joint investigation by the Sharon police investigative unit and the Shin Bet found that they allegedly assisted or failed to prevent the June 7 deadly shooting attack in Kochav Yair, Tzur Yitzhak, and Sal’it, Israel Police and the Shin Bet confirmed on Thursday.
Lebanon
The Telegraph: Hezbollah’s ‘death machine’ striking fear into Lebanon’s leaders
There is a nervousness in Lebanon’s corridors of power. But the whispers are not about the US or Israel. They are about Unit 121 – a threat from within. Known as “Hezbollah’s death machine” and the most secretive and brutal arm of the terror group, the unit has been linked to some of the country’s most notorious political assassinations, including that of Rafik al-Hariri, the former prime minister, in 2005.
Naharnet: Geagea: Framework agreement has shattered Hezbollah's narrative
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea stressed Thursday that the framework agreement signed between Lebanon and Israel "opens the door to restoring a functioning state and ending the chronic conflict that has drained Lebanon for decades."
Naharnet: Salam says framework agreement should lead to Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Wednesday defended the framework agreement that Lebanon has signed with Israel, saying that if it gets implemented, it should lead to an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. It would also "allow our displaced people to return to their villages and homes in a safe and dignified manner," Salam told LBCI television.
Syria
Reuters: Damascus cafe blast kills 5, wounds 16, Syrian state news agency says
A bomb blast at a crowded cafe in central Damascus killed at least five people and wounded 16 others on Thursday, Syrian state media reported. Syrian state TV said a bomb had been planted at the cafe, which is near the Palace of Justice in the centre of Syria's capital. There were no other immediate details on the apparent attack and no immediate claim of responsibility.
Pakistan
Afghanistan International: Airstrikes Were Self-Defence Against Terrorists, Says Pakistan
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said its recent airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan were carried out under its right of self-defence against what it called the heinous actions of terrorists. It warned it would act again if attacks on Pakistan continued.
Indonesia
Reuters: Rebels in Indonesia's Papua kill American pilot, burn plane, spokesperson says
Rebels in Indonesia's restive easternmost region of Papua on Thursday shot dead an American pilot and set a civilian plane on fire in what a spokesperson for a local separatist group described as a "message" to the U.S. and Indonesian governments.
Australia
A Melbourne teenager accused of downloading a cache of violent terrorist material told another youth detention inmate he knew how to make bombs to “blow up the whole of Melbourne” days after his arrest, a court has heard. The 17-year-old allegedly amassed a cache of bomb-making manuals and accessed Islamic State and al-Qaeda propaganda while researching nearby synagogues and Melbourne’s busiest intersection, the court heard on Thursday.
Technology
Mainstream platforms are fighting to distribute and monetise “gore” and “fringe” content, the eSafety watchdog has told the antisemitism royal commission. Australia’s eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, on Thursday singled out X, telling the inquiry her office has to fight its billionaire owner, Elon Musk, to try to keep footage – including some posted of the Bondi terror attack – restricted or off the platform.
Extremists are using coded language and memes to evade detection when posting antisemitic content on social media, a royal commission has heard. Far-right individuals have also adopted memes as a way to push "more palatable" antisemitism, which is less likely to be picked up by moderators.
The Age: Elon Musk’s X fought to keep Bondi massacre content online: eSafety commissioner
Elon Musk’s X platform fought to keep gruesome content relating to the Bondi massacre online, arguing it was no more graphic than a “gore movie”, Australia’s eSafety commissioner told the royal commission on antisemitism. Julie Inman Grant gave evidence at the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion on Thursday about the limits on her office’s powers to curtail antisemitism and online hate.
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