Eye on Extremism: March 18, 2026
Top Stories
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards issued a warning calling for the evacuation of petrochemical facilities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, state media reported on Wednesday.
Scripps News: Authorities track a surge in antisemitic attacks worldwide
A wave of attacks on Jewish landmarks worldwide appear to have been triggered by both terrorist groups and lone wolf sympathizers. Europe saw a handful of troubling incidents over the weekend. A Jewish school in Amsterdam was damaged by an explosion. The city's mayor called it a deliberate antisemitic attack against the community.
CEP Mentions
NIN: "Disposable Agents": How Russia Recruits Ukrainians for Sabotage in Europe
"When the operation is over or someone is arrested, he is literally thrown away as a consumable," says terrorism and security expert Hans-Jakob Schindler, director of the international organization Counter Extremism Project.
ARD1: Dark Matters Podcast: The underground weapons depots and the terror plot
CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler appeared on the podcast to discuss al-Qaeda terror cells in Germany.
Welt TV: “There are three scenarios, none of which is particularly good for Europe”
Middle East expert [CEP Senior Director] Hans-Jakob Schindler analyzes the situation in the Middle East and explains how things might unfold in Iran: “There are three scenarios, none of which is particularly good for Europe.”
Analysis
Iran International: Experts challenge claim behind Kent's resignation: Was Iran threat imminent?
Joe Kent, director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, became the first senior Trump official to resign over the Iran war, saying on Tuesday Iran posed no imminent threat to the US, a view experts say contradicts longstanding security warnings.
Times of Israel: As schools and synagogues burn in the Netherlands, its leaders send mixed messages
When a television news program for kids on Dutch public broadcaster NOS suggested on social media that the firebombing of an Orthodox Jewish day school in Amsterdam on Friday night may be explained by “the wars Israel wages in the Middle East,” pro-Israel lawmakers and activists were quick to voice their criticisms.
United States
The National News Desk: FBI says US disrupted 640 terror plots last year as threats intensify
FBI director Kash Patel said the U.S. foiled 640 planned terror attacks last year as the country is facing a heightened threat environment at home and abroad with new threats emerging alongside the war in Iran.
Sen. Mitch McConnell said Joe Kent revealed his antisemitism when resigning from the National Counterterrorism Center in protest of the Iran war. In his Tuesday letter of resignation, Mr. Kent said Iran didn’t pose an “imminent threat” to the U.S. and asserted that President Trump “started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
Voice of America: US Designates Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood
The U.S. Department of State has designated the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist and intends to designate the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, effective March 16, 2026. The U.S. Department of State has designated the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist and intends to designate the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, effective March 16, 2026. The designation was announced on March 9.
Jerusalem Post: World Jewish Congress; ADL gather Jewish leaders in New York amid antisemitism surge
The World Jewish Congress convened leaders of major Jewish communities and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in New York on Tuesday evening for a high-level discussion on rising antisemitism and ways to strengthen international coordination against it.
Jake Lang has burned a copy of the Talmud, performed a Nazi salute outside AIPAC’s headquarters and repeatedly declared that “Christ is King.” But those antisemitic displays have not earned him an in with his fellow far-right personalities. Instead, after Lang’s anti-Muslim rally in New York City earlier this month was derailed by bomb-throwing counterprotesters, they ramped up a campaign against him.
A Maryland man who sent more than 40 threatening letters to Jewish institutions, including the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia, was sentenced to three years in prison Monday.
Los Angeles Times: Antisemitic slurs preceded beatdown in San José, police say; 3 men face charges
San José prosecutors have criminally charged three men in connection with a violent assault at Santana Row, alleging the attack involved antisemitic slurs. In the March 8 incident outside a restaurant at Santana Row, two people standing on the sidewalk exchanged words with three men who approached them before the confrontation turned physical, according to a San José Police Department report.
Europe
Europol: Europol coordinates largest referral action targeting terrorist audio propaganda
Europol has coordinated the largest Referral Action Day (RAD) to date targeting terrorist propaganda shared through audio content, resulting in the referral of 17 298 URLs across 40 online platforms. Combined, the audio content in these links represents more than 1 100 hours – the equivalent of 47 days of continuous listening. The operation focused on terrorist audio propaganda used by groups across the ideological spectrum, including jihadist and violent right-wing extremist networks.
Belgium
Belgium has deployed military personnel to support Jewish community security amid rising antisemitic threats, Belgium’s Defense Minister Theo Francken and Interior Minister Bernard Quintin announced on Monday. “The safety of every citizen must be guaranteed,” Francken said, adding that “antisemitism and hatred against Jews will never be tolerated.”
France
Le Monde: Macron denounces far right and hard left, saying they 'remain dangerous'
President Emmanuel Macron warned, on Wednesday, March 18, that politically extreme parties presented a danger to France, speaking in the lead-up to the second round of municipal elections, the government spokeswoman said.
France’s far right has made gains in the first round of municipal elections in the southeast, while control of most major cities, including Paris, remains undecided ahead of the upcoming runoff. The vote is widely seen as a test before next year’s presidential election.
Germany
Deutsche Welle: Searching for Clues - Donations for Islamist Terrorism?
Islamist terrorism continues to claim numerous victims worldwide. Extremist networks are financed in part by donations from Germany. But investigations often prove to be difficult.
Jerusalem Post: German antisemitism commissioner quits far‑left party over anti-Israel resolution
The antisemitism commissioner for the German state of Brandenburg has resigned from his far-left party over a resolution passed Sunday condemning Israel. After 11 years in Die Linke (The Left), Andreas Büttner has quit its ranks over the position taken by members in Lower Saxony, in former West Germany. But it’s also personal: Büttner said he’s had enough of what he has described as harassment from within his party.
Netherlands
New York Times: Antisemitic Attacks Bring Deeper Unease to Dutch Jews
Dutch Jews have long been used to seeing security and armed police in front of their schools, synagogues and gatherings. But since the weekend, a renewed sense of unease has settled in. On Friday and Saturday, assailants struck Jewish buildings — a religious school in Amsterdam, where most Dutch Jews live, and a synagogue in Rotterdam — with explosive devices.
NL Times: Parliament approves PVV motion to ban Muslim Brotherhood, despite controversy
The Dutch parliament has approved a PVV motion seeking to ban the Muslim Brotherhood and related organizations. The PVV had repeatedly attempted to secure a majority for the motion, but earlier efforts fell short. In January, the ChristenUnie and 50PLUS opposed it, but after reversing their stance, the motion finally passed.
Switzerland
Swissinfo: Swiss man committed to secure clinic for therapy over antisemitic attacks
A Zurich district court has ordered that a 27-year-old Swiss man be placed in a secure clinic to undergo psychiatric treatment after he assaulted Orthodox Jews and prepared an antisemitic knife attack that was thwarted in December 2024. The court found that he suffers from paranoid schizophrenia.
United Kingdom
A British parliamentary group on Wednesday morning published an updated version of what has been praised as the most comprehensive English-language report on the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023. The 340-page report includes new material not included in the first edition released last March, including testimonies from former hostage Emily Damari and Anat Ron-Kendall, the only known British survivor of the attack.
The Telegraph: Anti-Semitism ‘running riot’ in Britain, says Oct 7 survivor
Anti-Semitism is “running riot” in Britain, a British-Israeli dual national who survived the October 7 attacks has said. Anat Ron-Kendall was with Jordan, her son, visiting her parents in the kibbutz of Nahal Oz when Hamas militants attacked. Her father, Shlomo Ron, was killed.
Nigel Farage has sold videos in which he endorsed a neo-Nazi event, repeated extremist slogans and supported a man convicted over his involvement in a far-right riot. The videos are among several highly questionable clips identified by the Guardian in an investigation into the Reform UK leader’s use of the personalised video platform Cameo.
National Observer: Canadian white supremacists paid Nigel Farage for video trolling Hamilton mayor
A Canadian neo-Nazi group paid Nigel Farage to make a short video promoting one of their events in Hamilton, Ont., and trolling the city mayor after she criticized their presence there. The right-wing British politician and Reform Party leader called the event "the best thing that ever happened."
Afghanistan
Russia’s special envoy for Afghanistan said Moscow is concerned about escalating tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban and warned they could lead to a full-scale war.
Iran International: NRF Announces 2,000 Attacks Against Taliban Carried Out Over A Five-Year Period
Asenior official of Afghanistan’s National Resistance Front said the group has carried out more than 2,000 attacks against the Taliban over the past five years. Abdullah Khenjani, head of the group’s political office, made the remarks Tuesday at a meeting in the Belgian Senate.
Gaza Strip/West Bank
Times of Israel: IDF says it has demolished 5km of Hamas tunnels in Gaza over past two weeks
Amid the war in Iran, the IDF says that in the past two weeks, it has demolished five kilometers (three miles) of Hamas tunnels in the Gaza Strip. One of the tunnels was located in the eastern Rafah area, where dozens of Hamas gunmen had been holed up amid the ceasefire. Another tunnel was located in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, the military says.
Reuters: Israel steps up attacks on Gaza police as Hamas tightens grip
Israel has killed nearly a dozen Gaza police officers this week as it steps up attacks on a Hamas-run force that the militants have used to re-establish governance in areas under their control, Gaza authorities say. Hamas' nearly 10,000 police officers have emerged as a sticking point in talks to advance U.S. President Donald Trump's plan for Gaza. Hamas wants them included in a new police force envisioned under the plan. Israel rejects involvement of any officers with Hamas affiliations.
Iran
Jerusalem Post: Israel assassinates Iranian intelligence minister Esmaeil Khatib, IDF, Katz confirm
The IDF has assassinated Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and the military both confirmed on Wednesday. Before the assassination was confirmed, two sources gave The Jerusalem Post different indications on the likelihood of the success of the operation, which took place Tuesday night.
Iran Wire: IRGC and Border Forces Threaten to Open Fire on Citizens in Western Border Regions
A report published by the “Kurdistan Human Rights Network” states that border regiment forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in western Iran have abandoned their headquarters and border posts, relocating instead to mosques and high-altitude areas near border villages. According to the report, these forces have warned citizens not to approach the border strip under any circumstances, stating that anyone seen in these areas will be fired upon without prior warning.
Caspian Post: Iran’s IRGC Claims New Strikes on Israeli and US Bases
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced the completion of its 59th wave of strikes. The operation, which began at dawn, reportedly targeted locations in Israel, including Beit Shemesh, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the IRGC said, The Caspian Post reports, citing Al Jazeera.
Israel
Despite Iran's deadly overnight ballistic missile attack on Israel, killing two Israelis and wounding many others, the IDF said on Wednesday that it had succeeded in reducing Hezbollah's ability to stage its planned larger scale rocket assault overnight.
Hezbollah launched a barrage of dozens of rockets at northern Israel and the northern West Bank Tuesday evening, one of which hit a home in the city of Karmiel, though nobody was hurt. The attack came hours after the Israel Defense Forces warned of a planned major barrage, with the military carrying out multiple waves of airstrikes before, during and after the launches to minimize the scale and further degrade the Lebanese terror group.
Times of Israel: IDF pushes deeper into south Lebanon as Hezbollah keeps up fire at northern Israel
The Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday that it has pushed even more forces deeper into southern Lebanon to create an expanded buffer zone, as Hezbollah attacked towns in northern Israel with rockets and drones. The buffer zone was established after the Iran-backed Lebanese terror group began attacking Israel earlier this month, shortly after the US and Israel launched strikes on the Iranian regime.
Iranian cluster munitions targeted central Israel on Wednesday afternoon. Israeli media reported that the IDF intercepted the Iranian missile barrage. There were reports of fires and shrapnel impacts in central Israel.
Lebanon
Washington Post: Hezbollah ignites blowback from its base as over 1 million flee war with Israel
Shiite Muslims in Lebanon who form Hezbollah’s base of political and popular support are increasingly furious with the Iranian-backed militant group for dragging them into another war, as Israel carries out waves of airstrikes and plans to intensify ground operations.
Naharnet: Le Drian says Hezbollah 'bears full responsibility', Israel's response 'disproportionate'
France’s special envoy for Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, speaking to the France Info radio station Wednesday, said the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah "bears full responsibility for the resumption of fighting in Lebanon" but "Israel’s response has been disproportionate and counterproductive, as it unites various actors against Israel." He criticized Israel for mass evacuation orders that have driven the displacement of more 1 million people in Lebanon and for spurning offers by the Lebanese government to enter into negotiations.
Naharnet: Qassem: Resistance to continue no matter the sacrifices
Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem said Tuesday that Hezbollah is in a position of "legitimate defense" in the battle against Israel, "defending the land, rejecting surrender, and protecting the nation's existence and independence." "The high level of preparation for the battle was characterized by the ambiguity surrounding our capabilities, their limits, and their deployment, the lack of need for fixed positions, and the flexibility for resistance fighters to move from anywhere in Lebanon to the front lines to engage the enemy," Qassem said in a letter to Hezbollah's fighters.
Nigeria
Reuters: Suicide bombings show resilience of Nigerian jihadists despite years of war
Nigeria's president described attacks in the northeast's most heavily defended city as "the final desperate" acts of militants trying to spread fear. Many experts say the opposite is true, that the blasts were a sign of strength not weakness. An assault on Maiduguri by coordinated suicide bombers points to state intelligence failures and the capacity of Islamist militants to hit urban areas despite waves of government operations against them, they said.
Reuters: At least 18 killed in vigilante clash with bandits in Nigeria's Katsina
At least 18 people were killed on Tuesday in Nigeria's northwestern Katsina state, authorities and police said on Wednesday, exposing the fragility of peace pacts with gunmen with the second most deadly attack in a month. Katsina and neighbouring states have pursued amnesty deals and community security pacts to persuade armed gangs known locally as bandits to surrender weapons, but rural villages still face sporadic raids, reprisals and tit-for-tat violence.
Deutsche Welle: Nigeria tightens security in Maiduguri after suicide attacks
On Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu expressed grief over the multiple suicide blasts that occurred on Monday, offering condolences to the families of the victims. The blasts happened less than 24 hours after the Nigerian military repelled a separate militant attack on the outskirts of Maiduguri, capital of Borno state in northeastern Nigeria.
Nigeria suicide bombings killed at least 23 people and wounded more than 100 others in Maiduguri, officials said Tuesday, as a Christian nonprofit leader warned the violence highlights ongoing religious persecution. The Associated Press reported that one of the deadliest attacks on Maiduguri in recent history involved explosions in crowded areas on Monday night, including a major market in the capital of Borno state and the entrance to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
Australia
The ABC has been urged to immediately stop repeating an "abstract" definition of intifada as the broadcaster is accused of pushing a "gross distortion" of the word. The public broadcaster has used the same line in several stories relating to the phrase "globalise the intifada" in which it uses a contested literal translation of the word.
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