Eye on Extremism: June 24, 2026
Top Stories
i24: The Houthis signal the possibility of war with military mobilization and escalating messages
The Houthis have resumed escalating their military rhetoric in Yemen, in a move that reflects the possibility of shifting from a state of "neither war nor peace" to a large-scale confrontation. This comes amid regional developments related to understandings between Iran and the United States.
Amid efforts to ramp up deportations, European officials hosted a delegation of Afghan Taliban officials in Brussels for the first time Tuesday with an eye toward deporting Afghans who’ve committed crimes or who pose a security threat, a policy already carried out by Germany.
CEP Mentions
Metro: New TRACE platform strengthens cross-border monitoring of hate speech
The project partners are: Institute for Social Safety (Poland), Counter Extremism Project (Germany), Ashoka Foundation (Poland), Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum (Poland), Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation (Poland), Center for Genocide Studies Terezín (Czech Republic), Political Capital (Hungary), Violence Prevention Network (Germany), Community Organization Center (Slovakia) and Seesame (Slovakia).
Analysis
Baptist News Global: Who is the domestic terrorist?
In the wake of the violence of January 6, 2021, some observers wondered why the insurrectionists at the U.S. Capitol weren’t charged with domestic terrorism. The reason is simple: There is no standalone federal crime on the books for domestic terrorism.
Foundation for Defense of Democracies: Hamas Haven Provided by Turkey Fuels Terror in the West Bank
Israel’s Shin Bet security agency announced that it had foiled dozens of planned terror attacks in the West Bank directed by Hamas operatives in Turkey over the past year. According to the agency, operatives at the headquarters of Hamas in the West Bank have been “directing and advancing extensive military activity into Judea and Samaria and Israel from Turkish soil, including recruiting operatives to carry out attacks and transferring weapons and funds into the area.”
United States
National security leaders are growing increasingly concerned about Iranians with ties to the Revolutionary Guard attempting to enter the United States illegally from Canada and harm Americans as the war overseas continues.
News Tribune: Shooter sentenced to 100 years in Texas ICE terrorism case; others get maximums
Eight defendants from North Texas received the maximum possible sentences Tuesday for their roles in a domestic terrorism case in which they were found guilty of charges including rioting and attempted murder of a police officer at the Prairieland ICE Detention Center in Alvarado.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., sparked fierce backlash after her apparent defense of accused antifa cell members sentenced to decades in prison for a violent attack on a Texas immigration facility that federal prosecutors called an act of terrorism.
A Jewish civil rights group is urging the Justice Department to investigate Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his administration for alleged “discriminatory failure to protect Jewish residents from antisemitic hate” crimes. The bombshell accusations from the National Jewish Advocacy Center come two days after the Poetica Coffee shop in Brooklyn told pro-Israel Jewish Rep. Dan Goldman never to enter the eatery again, claiming it doesn’t serve “genocdial enablers.”
New York City Councilmember Eric Dinowitz, the chair of the city council’s Jewish caucus and the council’s Bipartisan Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, says New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani made antisemitic statements about AIPAC last week.
A student at a Colorado high school allegedly wrapped a laptop charger around a Jewish student's neck and called him an antisemitic slur, according to a June 11 complaint filed by the Anti-Defamation League.
KUT News: Austin Police file terrorism charge for teen suspect in string of 13 shootings
The Austin Police Department has recommended that the 17-year-old suspect in the May string of shootings across Austin be charged with terrorism, a first-degree felony. An affidavit filed Monday in Travis County’s 331st Criminal District Court said police believe Cristian Fajardo Mondragon’s actions were intended to intimidate people and hinder government operations.
WFTV 9: Triple homicide suspect’s online searches led investigators to consider terrorism charge
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office says the internet searches of a triple homicide suspect prompted investigators to contact the FBI about possible terrorism related charges. Documents obtained by Channel 9 state the 29-year-old suspect accused of randomly killing three tourists outside a Kissimmee Airbnb searched Arabic language and Islamic religious content hours before investigators say he opened fire.
Bergen Record: Garfield music concert tied to white supremacy is canceled amid outcry
A two-day heavy metal music festival that sparked outrage in Garfield because of its ties to white supremacist ideology has been canceled. Wisla Club, the venue hosting the festival this weekend announced the cancelation late Tuesday night, June 23, following an outcry from city residents.
Raw Story: GOP group panics after mailers go out with white supremacist messaging
The Tennessee Young Republicans – a Tennessee GOP-affiliated group of young conservatives – issued a statement Monday night distancing themselves from remarks and mailers issued by one of its chapter presidents that included openly white supremacist messages.
Muslim Network TV: San Diego Muslims report rising fear after mosque attack
A month after the May 18 attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego, Muslim residents report heightened fear, underscoring the lasting impact of violence targeting religious communities. A later incident involving a vehicle displaying a Nazi flag near the mosque intensified concerns. Law enforcement found no immediate threat, but community leaders say such events sustain a climate of intimidation. A survey by the UC San Diego U.S. Immigration Policy Center, based on responses from 312 Muslim residents in the area, found that 88 percent felt less safe after the attack — suggesting its effects extend well beyond the event itself.
Canada
A manifesto left by the armed suspect who opened fire at a hotel on Monday and killed a Montreal police officer doesn’t explicitly mention ‘incel,’ but experts say the content is consistent with the ideology that’s rooted in extreme hatred of women.
South America
A new analysis warns that a growing number of violent incidents across Latin America may be linked to online communities that glorify mass violence and previous attackers, raising concerns about copycat attacks and the spread of nihilistic violence throughout the region.
Europe
The Guardian: Nearly a quarter of voters in Europe now back far-right parties
Almost one in four voters in Europe now cast their ballot for far-right parties, research shows, a proportion that has grown nearly fivefold since the mid-1990s and climbed particularly steeply over the past three years. Analysis by more than 150 political scientists in 31 countries found the proportion of Europeans voting for a far-right party in their country’s most recent national elections had risen to more than 23%, from about 10% a decade ago and roughly 5% in 1995.
Nearly a quarter of voters in Europe now back far-right parties
Deutsche Welle: EU hosts Taliban for migrant return talks in Brussels
The EU is hosting Taliban officials after Belgium granted temporary visas for talks on returning failed Afghan asylum-seekers. The meeting is one of the bloc's highest-level contacts with the Taliban since 2021.
Germany
DPA: Counselling centres report surge in anti-Muslim hatred across Germany
Staff at counselling centres for Muslims affected by hate crimes are reporting a growing loss of inhibition and increasing brutality in anti-Muslim incidents, according to a new situation report by the Claim network released on Wednesday.
Ireland
The Journal: Far-right Irish Freedom Party loses registered party status
THE FAR-RIGHT IRISH Freedom Party is to lose its official status as a political party after the Registrar of Political Parties moved to cancel its registration today. In practical terms, if the decision stands, the party will no longer be recognised as an official registered political party in Ireland. That means it will lose the right to have its name appear alongside candidates on ballot papers, and will no longer be treated as a registered party for electoral purposes.
United Kingdom
The British Medical Association has passed a motion calling for an investigation into the use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism within the NHS, arguing that it may restrict free expression by healthcare workers.
The Telegraph: Southbank chief in anti-Semitism row to stand down a year early
The chairman of the Southbank Centre in London has announced that he will step down almost a year early. Misan Harriman, 48, has been embroiled in controversy over remarks he made online, reported by The Telegraph, including a claim that news outlets had omitted a Muslim victim from coverage of attacks in Golders Green, north London.
The Telegraph: Scandal-hit police force praised imams despite extremist posts
Officers from a police force at the centre of a row over appeasing Muslims presented awards to two imams despite criticism of their extremist behaviour. The Telegraph revealed last month that West Yorkshire Police sacked the chairman of a policing scrutiny panel after she complained that officers were avoiding the “elephant in the room” of Islamist extremism in a meeting about an anti-Semitic terrorist attack.
Nine Entertainment is expected to sever ties with Karl Stefanovic, Channel Nine’s highest-paid presenter, after the Today show co-host interviewed and embraced UK far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
Middle East
Reuters: Israel insists on troops in southern Lebanon as Rubio defends Iran deal in Middle East
Israel's defence minister said on Wednesday Israeli troops will not withdraw from southern Lebanon, highlighting a hurdle to Iran-U.S. peace talks, as the top U.S. diplomat tours the Middle East to win over allies sceptical about a proposed deal. The United States and Iran signed an initial accord last week to end a war that has upended the Middle East and pressured global economies since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a transit point for a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.
Reuters: Israel, Lebanon discussing pilot scheme for handover of territory
Lebanon and Israel are discussing a U.S.-backed proposal for Israeli forces to pull out of some of the territory invaded in the war with Hezbollah and hand it to Lebanese army control during talks in Washington, officials on both sides said.
Kurdistan24: Will Southern Lebanon Make or Break the U.S.-Iran Peace Deal?
"If the occupying Israel does not withdraw from Southern Lebanon on its own feet, we will kick them out in humiliation and defeat." The stark ultimatum, broadcast across social media in Persian, Arabic, Hebrew, and English, was issued by Esmail Qaani, the commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force on Monday, according to Iran's state news agency IRNA.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan International: Taliban Justice Minister Releases Shia Detainees Held In Private Jail
Sources told Afghanistan International that Abdul Hakim Sharaei, the Taliban’s justice minister, released a number of detained Shia Muslims from his personal detention facility after receiving orders from the Taliban prime minister and interior minister.
Afghanistan International: Single SCO Member Is Preventing Taliban Inclusion, Says Russian Envoy
Russian President’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, told Izvestia that the main obstacle to Taliban participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is the explicit opposition of one member state.
Gaza Strip/West Bank
Representatives from the various bodies of the Board of Peace will gather at a resort in Cyprus next week, as the US-led international panel overseeing the postwar management of Gaza seeks to recalibrate after a rocky six months since its establishment.
The IDF on Wednesday struck four rocket-firing positions that Hamas had constructed in Gaza after the October 2025 ceasefire. In fact, according to the IDF, Hamas constructed these platforms relatively recently.
Iran
Iran stands with Hamas against Israel, and is raising the issue of Israeli aggression in Gaza with the US during talks, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told senior Hamas official Basem Naim on Tuesday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-affiliated Tasnim News Agency reported.
Kurdistan24: Iran Declares Three-Day Public Holiday for Khamenei Funeral Ceremonies
Iranian authorities have declared three days of public holidays in Tehran to mark the funeral ceremonies of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, state television reported on Tuesday. According to Hassan Hassanzadeh, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander overseeing the funeral arrangements, farewell ceremonies and prayers for Khamenei will be held at Tehran's Grand Mosalla on July 4 and 5, while the official funeral is scheduled for July 6.
Israel
Former Hamas hostage Ilana Gritzewsky testified before the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday about the sexual violence perpetrated against hostages taken captive during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, invasion and massacre.
Dozens of Israelis from the country’s security, political and cultural elite have threatened legal action against their government over support for Jewish terrorism and an “ideology of ethnic cleansing” in the occupied West Bank, according to a leaked letter.
Haaretz: Tunnel Intended for Terrorist Activity Discovered in East Jerusalem, Police Say
A tunnel intended for terrorist activity was uncovered near the al-Zaim checkpoint in East Jerusalem, Israel Police announced.
Lebanon
New York Times: Israel Says It Has Trapped Hezbollah Fighters in an Underground Complex
The Israeli military says thousands of its troops have surrounded an underground Hezbollah fortress beneath the hills of southern Lebanon, trapping dozens of militants inside. The standoff is at the heart of intense clashes that have erupted in the area in recent days between U.S.-allied Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Naharnet: Salam: I'm only asking Hezbollah to honor its commitments
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Wednesday that Lebanon went to the negotiations in Washington because it was "the least costly path for Lebanon." "Will we reach an agreement? No one knows the outcome of any negotiation beforehand. But we know very well what we want from them, which is a complete Israeli withdrawal," Salam said.
Naharnet: Israel claims attacking two Hezbollah gunmen in Ali al-Taher
The Israeli army said an Israeli drone and troops attacked Wednesday morning "two Hezbollah gunmen" on the Ali al-Taher ridge, near the security zone in south Lebanon, after they "posed a threat" to its forces. Earlier, the Israeli army fired gunshots at two cars in the southern town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, causing no casualties, the state-run National News Agency said.
Syria
Reuters: US forces killed Islamic State leader in Syria airstrike, Central Command says
The U.S. military conducted an airstrike in northwestern Syria last week that killed a senior Islamic State leader, U.S. Central Command said on Wednesday. The strike, carried out on Friday, was part "of ongoing U.S. efforts to disrupt and eliminate terrorists seeking to attack Americans abroad or the U.S. homeland" and killed Ali Husayn al-Ulaywi, it said in a statement on X.
Yemen
Yemen Online: 5 Children Killed in Yemen Blast as Houthis Declare Military Mobilization
The Yemeni government announced Tuesday that 5 children were killed in an explosion caused by a war remnant projectile, blaming the Houthi movement for the incident. The tragedy underscores the mounting toll of lingering munitions on civilians, particularly children.
Somali Guardian: Houthis threaten strikes on Somaliland over Israeli military foothold
Yemen’s Houthi movement has issued a strong warning against any Israeli military presence in Somaliland, days after reports emerged alleging that Tel Aviv deployed 50 special unit troops to the breakaway region in northern Somalia.
Jerusalem Post: Complex crypto networks are used to facilitate financial flow, funding Houthis' war
The UN Panel of Experts’ latest report on Yemen, submitted to the Security Council in October 2025, said financial sanctions had only limited effectiveness. This was largely due to the Houthis’ growing reliance on alternative channels and sophisticated smuggling networks, coupled with their complete control over Yemen’s telecommunications sector, which generates substantial revenues that are directed straight into financing the war.
Australia
AFP: Australia spy chief warns of Iran terror threat
Giving an annual threat assessment, Mike Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), said he was also concerned that an Iranian group active in Europe could conduct further attacks or an assassination in Australia.
SBS: ASIO boss reveals Australian resident's link to synagogue plot, fears killing on home soil
A former Australian-resident living in Iraq co-ordinated the Adass Israel synagogue firebombing backed by Iran's revolutionary Guard, Australia's top spy has revealed. Delivering his annual threat assessment, ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess said the man was now languishing in an Iraqi Prison, after Australia publicly named Iran as the driving force behind the "summer of antisemitism" during 2024 and 2025.
Australian Jewish News: Campus antisemitism to be examined at Melbourne hearings
The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion will turn its attention to Australian universities when it holds its fourth hearing block in Melbourne from July 13 to 17. The block will focus on the lived experiences of antisemitism among Jewish students and academics, the responses of universities to combat it, and the reports, surveys and studies addressing its nature and prevalence on campuses.
New Zealand
RNZ: 'I've had students deny the Holocaust in class': far-right extremism on the rise in classrooms
A rise in reports of far-right extremism in the classroom has prompted a teachers' union to seek expert advice for its members. The Post Primary Teachers' Association (PPTA) is hiring someone to develop guidelines for teachers due to reports of a growing prevalence of extremist views being expressed by some students.
RNZ: White supremacist Philip Arps fails in bid to be elected to school board
A convicted white supremacist has failed in a bid to be elected to a Christchurch school's board. Philip Arps put his name forward as a candidate for one of the five parent representatives at Te Aratai College in Linwood.
Technology
JNS: Report: X removed none of reported posts using anti-Jewish Arabic slur
A new CyberWell report found that the Arabic phrase “son of a Jew” is being widely used across social-media platforms, often to associate its targets with “negative stereotypes historically attributed to Jews,” and that X has recorded a 0% removal rate of the flagged posts examined in the study.
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