Eye on Extremism: June 9, 2026
Top Stories
Axios: Scoop: State Dept. accuses top U.S. foes of weaponized antisemitism
A new State Department report accuses Iran, Russia and China of incorporating antisemitic narratives, threats and attacks into operations in both the physical and cyber domains.
Wall Street Journal: Iran and Israel Halt Exchanges of Fire
Iran and Israel ended multiple exchanges of fire Monday but left open the possibility of resuming attacks that pressured President Trump’s fragile Middle East ceasefire. Trump had intervened in the violent, hourslong back-and-forth, saying Israel and Iran must immediately stop “shooting” and declaring that both countries wanted an immediate ceasefire.
CEP Mentions
TVP TV: Russia and the Taliban grow closer | Eastern Express
Join our host, Benjamin Lee, and his guest, Hans Jakob Schindler, Senior Director at the Counter Extremism Project, as they look at the new military-technical agreement signed in Moscow and the broader security concerns driving cooperation. The partnership reflects changing geopolitical realities across Central Asia as Russia seeks to limit Western influence and secure its southern flank. Could this unexpected rapprochement reshape the balance of power in the region?
NTV: Expert: Iranian regime shows signs of financial difficulties
Terrorism expert and Iran specialist Hans-Jakob Schindler sees several obstacles in the ongoing peace talks between the US and Iran. Besides the currently excessive demands, it is becoming clear that the Tehran regime is experiencing financial difficulties.
Analysis
Washington Institute for Near East Policy: How the Looming Houthi Threat Could Turn the Iran War
The Yemeni group has mostly stayed on the sidelines so far, but Washington should not mistake restraint for passivity.
The Houthis, Yemen’s Iran-backed terror group, said on Monday that they would ban ships linked to Israel from the Red Sea after fighting between Jerusalem and Tehran renewed, adding to concerns about global shipping and energy flows.
United States
Axios: SPLC report: Hate propaganda is outpacing hate groups
America had fewer active hate and anti-government groups in President Trump's first year back in power, even as "hate-flyering" incidents surged, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center's annual Hate & Extremism report released Tuesday.
WFIN: Chief of indicted SPLC faces House grilling over alleged secret payments to KKK members
The embattled leader of a left-wing nonprofit accused of secretly funneling money to members of extremist groups while publicly committing to “confronting hate” is headed for the hot seat on Capitol Hill. Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) interim CEO and President Bryan Fair will testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday as a congressional probe into the civil rights group’s now-defunct informant practices heats up.
Attorneys for the president of Wisconsin’s largest mosque say he is being denied basic medical care for diabetes and has lost 30 pounds (14 kilograms) in the two months since he was detained by immigration officers. Salah Sarsour, a Palestinian-born legal permanent resident of the United States, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in April. His attorneys say he is being detained on baseless claims that he is a foreign policy threat, but they believe he was actually targeted for speaking out against Israel and for a conviction as a minor by Israeli military courts.
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie took to the House floor Monday to call for an investigation into Israel’s 1967 attack on an American spy ship, giving new prominence to a decades-old conspiracy theory that has become a touchstone for critics of Israel.
JTA: Dave Matthews pushes back on claims criticism of Israel is antisemitic
Dave Matthews, the frontman of the American rock band Dave Matthews Band, pushed back on allegations Friday that his vocal criticism of Israel in recent years had crossed into antisemitism.
Atlanta News First: Athens Pride event interrupted by group displaying Nazi symbols and hate speech
A celebration for Athens’ LGBTQ community and allies was disrupted by a group of men promoting hate. In videos obtained by Atlanta News First, the group can be heard using homophobic, antisemitic and racist language. The men, dressed in black with red shirts, reportedly carried a large swastika flag and marched through downtown Athens. “It feels very targeted, it feels very purposeful,” said Angelica Rivera, a University of Georgia senior.
WHDH 7 News Boston: Beverly school community responds to antisemitic grafitti at middle school
School leaders in Beverly are addressing an incident of antisemitism at that town’s middle school. Grafitti referencing Hitler was written in the eighth grade bathroom.
WTAE ABC 4: Franklin Regional reviews yearbook procedures after antisemitic senior quote published
A senior quote expressing antisemitism in a Franklin Regional School District's yearbook has sparked concern among community leaders. The quote referenced themes of Holocaust denial and included a specific number often used in claims intended to diminish the deaths of Jewish people during the Holocaust.
A Kansas City, Kansas, man who authorities allege is a member of a "violent extremist group" called "Red Legs" has been charged for illegally possessing explosive devices, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Kansas.
NorthJersey.com: NJ man charged with attempting to help ISIS carry out attacks in U.S.
A Passaic County man was charged with attempting to provide support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization, says the U.S. Attorney’s Office for New Jersey.
Canada
CBC: Reported hate incidents more than doubled last year in Waterloo region, community report finds
A new report suggests hate incidents reported in Waterloo region more than doubled over the past year, with racism, Islamophobia and online abuse among the most common issues. Released by the Centre for Mutual Wellbeing (CMW), the annual Snapshot of Hate Report documented 172 reports connected to Waterloo region in 2025, up from 79 the previous year. The total number of documented incidents is 289.
Colombia
Miami Herald: Colombia’s President Petro in hot water over ‘Heil Hitler’ tweet
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has found himself at the center of a fresh international scandal after tweeting “Heil Hitler” on Sunday.
Austria
In recent weeks, the Austrian Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism (BVT) implemented numerous concrete measures throughout Austria to combat Islamist extremism and terrorism, according to a press release.
Germany
Politico: Politically motivated crimes in Germany reach record high
Politically motivated crimes in Germany reached a new high last year, with the greatest number of cases attributed to actors with right-wing beliefs, according to statistics released Tuesday by the interior ministry.
JTA: Celebrated Berlin Jewish bakery closes, citing harassment since Oct. 7
A Jewish bakery owned by Polish and Israeli immigrants in this city has shut its doors, citing a combination of economic pressure and antisemitic harassment. Babka & Krantz opened in the Friedenau district in November 2022 and added a second location in December 2024, adjacent to the memorial at the site where the Nazis devised their “final solution” for the Jews during the Holocaust.
Spain
JNS: Spain reports 86% rise in antisemitic hate crimes
Spain’s Interior Ministry last week released a report according to which there was an 86% increase in antisemitic hate crimes in 2025 over 2024, amid an increase in attacks on Muslims and other minorities, as well.
United Kingdom
Reuters: UK says new law will crack down on hostile states' proxies from next month
Britain said on Tuesday that a law to crack down on proxies acting for states deemed to be hostile such as Iran was expected to come into force next month, as it steps up powers to counter what it says is a growing threat posed by such groups.
Reuters: Northern Ireland police appeal for calm after 'barbaric' knife attack sparks anger
Police in Northern Ireland appealed for calm after arresting a Sudanese man on Tuesday over a knife attack that left one person in a serious condition and prompted calls online for a protest. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the incident as "sickening" after video of the attack, which took place in north Belfast late on Monday evening, was shared widely on social media.
The Telegraph: Sudanese knife attack suspect arrived in UK from Ireland
A Sudanese man arrested after an apparent attempted beheading in Belfast arrived in the UK from Ireland. The suspect, a man in his 30s, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after the victim suffered “significant injuries” to his face, neck and back on Monday night.
CBS News: British teen charged over London arson attack on Jewish charity ambulances
A teenager has been charged in connection with an arson attack on a Jewish charity's ambulances in March, according to U.K. police, becoming the fifth person to be charged over the attack.
The Telegraph: Majority of anti-Semitic incidents on trains left unsolved
Only one in 18 anti-Semitic crimes on Britain’s rail network is solved, official figures show. Only 14 (5.5 per cent) of the 254 anti-Jewish crimes reported to British Transport Police (BTP) in the year to April 30 resulted in a charge or other punishment.
Jewish News: IRGC could be banned in UK early next month as new laws introduced to Parliament
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) could be proscribed in the UK as early as next month, after new laws were introduced to parliament on Tuesday.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan International: Protester Killed, Dozens Injured In Herat Protest, Says Witness
An eyewitness to Tuesday’s protests in Herat told Afghanistan International that he personally witnessed one person being killed and at least 22 others injured during the protest. Other local sources also reported civilian casualties and said there may have been at least one fatality. However, the exact number of dead and injured has not yet been independently verified.
Reuters: Police crack down on anti-hijab protests in western Afghanistan
Afghan security officials dispersed a women's rights protest in the western province of Herat on Tuesday that started after Taliban morality police detained women accused of violating mandatory dress rules, residents said.
Afghanistan International: Herat Taliban Official Rejects Reports of Women’s Arrests
Azizur Rahman Muhajir, the Taliban’s head of the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Herat, has denied reports that women were detained for failing to comply with the group’s dress code.
Afghanistan International: Taliban Leader Bans Smartphones for Government Employees
A document obtained by Afghanistan International indicates that Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has issued a new verbal order banning the use of smartphones by the group members and government employees. The document describes violators as offenders and warns they could face military court proceedings.
Gaza Strip/West Bank
Jerusalem Post: Over 100 UNRWA staff referred to US State Department over Hamas ties, Oct. 7 attacks
USAID has referred 101 current or former UNRWA staff members to the US State Department for suspension or disbarment over their role in the October 7 massacre and/or affiliation with Hamas, USAID’s Office of Inspector General reported last week.
Australia, Canada, France, Norway, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom have imposed joint sanctions on West Bank individuals they accuse of "horrific abuses against Palestinian civilians."
Jerusalem Post: IDF strikes Hamas's naval police headquarters, kills several terrorists
The IDF struck Hamas's naval police headquarters in Khan Yunis on Sunday, the military confirmed on Tuesday. "The facility was used to advance and execute attacks against IDF troops and the State of Israel," and is "involved in planning, directing, and executing terrorist activities," the statement said.
Times of Israel: Empowered after Oct. 7, IDF settler units are terrorizing Palestinians, critics say
Since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank has surged to record levels. Now, concerns are growing that IDF units tasked with protecting civilians and thwarting attacks on Palestinians are manned by some of those allegedly behind the violence.
Iran
Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, a hard-line Iranian general believed to have seized a place near Tehran's centre power has been reportedly "eliminated", unconfirmed reports show.
Reuters: EU sanctions Iranians over restricting naval traffic in Hormuz
The European Union said on Monday it had imposed sanctions on two Iranian individuals and a unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for threatening the freedom of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of the world's oil flows. The move marked the first time the bloc has used new powers to sanction Iran for restricting freedom of navigation.
Israel
Jerusalem Post: IDF kills Hezbollah terrorist who infiltrated Israeli territory, fired at soldiers
Despite extensive IDF forces throughout southern Lebanon, a Hezbollah terrorist on Tuesday managed to penetrate the border fence with Lebanon before IDF troops killed him. IDF sources emphasized to The Jerusalem Post that the terrorist did fire on IDF troops from within Israeli territory, but only having just crossed through the border fence, and not any further in.
Times of Israel: IDF downs drone over Eilat launched by Yemen’s Houthis
A drone launched at Israel by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen was intercepted by air defenses over the southernmost city of Eilat early Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces said. Sirens sounded in Eilat during the incident, which took place shortly after midnight.
Lebanon
Naharnet: Report: Hezbollah agrees to 'point-for-point' withdrawal from South Litani
Hezbollah does not object to withdrawing its fighters from the area south of the Litani River according to a "point for point" principle, which means that Israel should also pull out its forces in tandem, sources said. "The Lebanese parliament speaker informed the U.S. ambassador of the Shiite Duo's readiness for a comprehensive ceasefire," the sources told Al-Arabiya.
Naharnet: Aoun: Israel's pullout enables Lebanon to extend its authority
The Israeli army's withdrawal from south Lebanon would enable the Lebanese state to "extend its authority, end armed appearances and eliminate any justification for the persistence of weapons other than those of legitimate authorities and their armed forces," President Joseph Aoun said on Tuesday.
Naharnet: Aoun blasts Iran intervention, says Berri trying to convince Hezbollah to disarm
On Tuesday, President Joseph Aoun shared a segment of his recent CNN interview on social media, issuing a sharp warning to Iran against interfering in Lebanon's internal affairs. Aoun said in the clip that Lebanon seeks good relations with Iran "based on mutual respect not interference."
Naharnet: Hezbollah urges Lebanon authorities to mend ties with Iran
Hezbollah on Tuesday urged Lebanese authorities to mend their relationship with the group's backer Iran and benefit from Tehran's support, days after Iran struck Israel in response to bombardment on south Beirut. Last week Lebanon's president and prime minister issued pointed calls for Tehran to stop interfering in their country's affairs, after Hezbollah rejected a conditional ceasefire with Israel.
Naharnet: Berri rejects pilot zones, demands unconditional, complete, and comprehensive ceasefire
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri only supports a complete and comprehensive ceasefire by land, sea, and air without any conditions, he told the WHYZ media platform. After a ceasefire is reached, Hezbollah and Israel can withdraw in parallel from the area south of the Litani river, he said.
Yemen
Yemen Online: Security Forces Arrest Suspects in Assassination of Resistance Commander Yahya Wahish
Security authorities in Yemen’s western coast announced Monday the arrest of the two main suspects in the assassination of Brigadier General Yahya Wahish, commander of the First National Resistance Brigade, less than 24 hours after his killing in a roadside bomb attack.
Reuters: Will Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis choke the energy market?
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Monday (June 8) that they would ban ships linked to Israel from the Red Sea after Israel renewed its military attacks on Iran, adding to concerns about global shipping and energy flows. Diane To takes a look at what it means for the Iran war and the global energy crisis.
Africa
The Nation: League of Imams, Alfas disowns groups promoting extremism
The League of Imams and Alfas in Yorubaland has dissociated itself from any individual or organisation promoting division, hatred, extremism, intolerance or ideologies contrary to the Qur’an and Sunnah. The league said such groups or individuals neither represent nor speak on its behalf.
Morocco
Middle East Online: Morocco disrupts ‘lone-wolf jihad’ attack plan in latest security operation
Moroccan authorities have arrested a 31-year-old suspected supporter of Islamic State (ISIS) in the northern city of M’diq, thwarting what investigators say was an advanced terrorist plot involving plans to manufacture explosives and carry out attacks inside the kingdom.
Nigeria
Reuters: Dozens kidnapped in northwest Nigeria after bandits invite them to talks
Armed bandits in northwest Nigeria abducted dozens of villagers whom they invited to a meeting about potential peace negotiations, authorities and residents said on Monday, highlighting the region's worsening security.
Australia
Children as young as 13 are being investigated over terrorism-related offences as a growing number of teenagers are accused of possessing extremist material, sharing violent content and planning acts of violence.
News.com.au: ‘Extremists infiltrating’: Wilson turns Hanson’s own words against One Nation
Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson claims One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson’s warnings about extremists infiltrating her party should concern voters as the battle for conservative support intensifies. “I saw last week that Pauline Hanson was out there talking about extremists infiltrating her party; they’re not my words, they’re her votes,” Mr Wilson told Sky News host Caleb Bond. “We need to be mindful to make sure that when we’re fighting for the future of the country, we’re giving people a sense of confidence and hope of what we’re going to build.”
Australia’s best-known neo-Nazi was training at a boxing gym a short drive from the multimillion-dollar mansion he is renting — free of charge — in Melbourne’s northern green wedge.
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