Eye on Extremism: March 26, 2026
Top Stories
AFP: Group behind European antisemitic attacks may be only a facade, warn experts
An obscure group has claimed to have carried out a clutch of attacks that have rattled the Jewish community in several European cities. But experts question whether the group, which has called itself Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI) in online posts, really exists or is just a front for Iranian intelligence.
Khaama Press: Russia warns threats from Islamic State and al Qaeda are rising
Russia warned on Wednesday that threats from international militant and extremist groups, particularly Islamic State and al Qaeda, are increasing across the region. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the risk of weapons and ammunition spreading from conflict zones into the hands of militant groups was also growing, raising concerns for neighboring countries.
CEP Mentions
ZDFheute: Iran nuclear deal: What's the truth behind Steinmeier's criticism?
Security expert Hans-Jakob Schindler of the Counter Extremism Project emphasizes that Germany played a crucial role in the negotiations with Iran starting in 2003. Six different German foreign ministers held office until the official end of the JCPOA in 2025. "Certainly, Germany could have reacted differently at various points," says Schindler, "but then it would still have needed the approval of the other negotiating partners. Focusing this solely on Frank-Walter Steinmeier doesn't do justice to the complexity of the situation."
Analysis
Times of Israel: Iran’s regime was teetering. This war could be keeping it from collapse
Two months ago, the Iranian regime was at its most perilous state since it came to power in 1979. Already facing heavy international sanctions, the regime — itself born of a revolution sparked by popular discontent — confronted widespread unrest at home, as anger over dire economic conditions turned into nationwide anti-government demonstrations.
In recent days, top Israeli political officials have largely shifted the goalposts on Israeli policy with regard to southern Lebanon without making clear what the changes fully entail. In short, is Israel prepared to occupy southern Lebanon up to the Litani River on a long-term basis as it did between 1982-2000 to try to reduce the threat posed by Hezbollah, or is its new readiness to hold onto the area a temporary tactic to apply short-term pressure on the Lebanese terrorist group?
Jewish Insider: Hasan Piker becomes flashpoint in Democratic infighting
A nasty intraparty divide intensified this week as Democrats publicly debated whether to associate with Hasan Piker, the far-left streamer who has faced criticism for antisemitic commentary and pro-Hamas rhetoric, among other extreme remarks.
Iran International: Zolghadr, the IRGC insider at the heart of Iran’s power structure
A foundational figure of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr’s rise signals not a shift, but a moment of clarity — the same hardline system, now accelerating and more visible than ever.
United States
Reuters: Nearly 500 TSA agents quit as US airport security delays continue
Nearly 500 airport security officers have quit since the start of a partial government shutdown in February as long lines continued to snarl airport traffic around the country, the Homeland Security Department said Thursday. The dispute that has forced 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers to work without pay since mid-February is leading to major strains and the longest lines in the agency's history -- topping four hours in some locations.
U.S. forces carried out a deadly strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean on March 25, killing four alleged narco-terrorists, according to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). "On March 25, at the direction of SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by designated terrorist organizations," SOUTHCOM said in a post shared on X.
Bloomberg: Nicolás Maduro Back to Court as He Fights Narco-Terrorism Case
Nicolás Maduro is set to return to a Manhattan federal court Thursday as the US pushes forward with a broad drug-trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracy case against the ousted Venezuelan leader that’s loaded with regional and geopolitical implications.
The Guardian: Pro-Israel Democrats decry settler violence in West Bank amid attacks on Palestinians
As Israeli settlers ramp up violent attacks on Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, often as Israeli forces stand by, denunciations are mounting in the US, even from Democratic legislators and public figures who are typically staunch defenders of Israel.
JTA: Who is Hasan Piker, the left-wing streamer dividing Democrats over antisemitism allegations?
Rep. Brad Schneider, an Illinois Democrat, delivered a forceful condemnation of the popular streamer Hasan Piker on Tuesday, warning his fellow Democrats against embracing figures he says traffic in hate.
JTA: The Justice Department’s Oct. 7 task force is unraveling, report says
A Justice Department task force meant to investigate the perpetrators of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terror attacks has shed much of its staff and resources as the Trump administration has upended the federal judiciary, according to a new report in the Washington Post. The task force, convened by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi shortly after she took office, has struggled to deliver results despite the administration’s stated priority to fight antisemitism. Only one individual has been charged under its auspices so far, a man from Gaza living in Louisiana who allegedly had a hand in planning the attacks.
Washington Post: Bigotry among young conservatives has Republicans on edge
Many Republicans dismiss young people such as Beaton as fringe actors, unrepresentative of the GOP. But there’s a growing unease in the party at their presence among the rank and file. Leaks of offensive group chats and infighting over the bounds of acceptable political discourse are fanning anxiety in the party: Maybe the kids are not all right.
ABC 6 Action News: Suspect sought after antisemitic graffiti found on Delaware County bank
Police in Delaware County are searching for a suspect caught on surveillance graffitiing hate speech on the side of a bank. Springfield police say the antisemitic graffiti was found Tuesday morning on the exterior of a Wells Fargo Bank on Baltimore Pike and East Thomson Avenue.
Forward: Mamdani voices concerns about synagogue buffer zone bill poised to pass NYC Council
The New York City Council is poised to pass legislation aimed at curbing disruptive protests outside synagogues, as officials weigh Jewish security concerns against free speech protections for pro-Palestinian and progressive activists. Mayor Zohran Mamdani has not taken an official position on the legislation.
Tampa Bay 28: Clearwater woman arrested for making online threats against church, pastor
A Clearwater woman was arrested for allegedly threatening a church and their pastor on his Instagram account. According to the arrest affidavit, 70-year-old Cheryl Ann Bradley made multiple racist and white supremacist posts on Gregory Murray's Instagram account. Murray is the pastor of Mt. Zion Primitive Baptist Church.
Canada
The Suburban: Court drops charges against Nazi-saluting woman
The woman who waved the Nazi salute while shouting “The final solution is coming your way!” at Israel supporters in 2024 is free to go. So ruled Quebec Court Judge Nathalie Fafard on Wednesday during a hearing in which the woman’s defense lawyer testified that she has “completed a program.” After hearing the testimony of her defense lawyer, the prosecution withdrew the charges.
Canadian Affairs: Down the rabbit hole: Experts warn of youth radicalization online
A teenage girl in Nova Scotia and teenage boy in Manitoba were arrested last week for plotting simultaneous, murderous attacks on their high schools. Despite being separated by thousands of miles, the pair are believed to have collaborated closely online.
Albania
The Assembly voted with 79 votes in favor of the draft resolution proposed by the Socialist Party parliamentary group to declare Iran a state sponsor of terrorism, while the Democratic Party, as it had warned, boycotted the session.
Germany
Deutsche Welle: Germany's Left Party rocked by antisemitism allegations
Where does legitimate criticism of the State of Israel's policies end, and antisemitism begin? This question has come up because of a resolution adopted by a regional branch of Germany's Left Party addressing Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. "The Left Party in Lower Saxony rejects the Zionism that actually exists today," is the heading of the controversial text.
JNS: German court affirms Hamas terrorist status, jails operatives
A German court on Wednesday affirmed for the first time the government’s designation of Hamas as a terrorist group, and handed four of its members prison terms ranging from 4.5 years to six years.
Independent: Even Germany’s far right AfD is distancing itself from Donald Trump
Leaders of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AFD) are distancing themselves from Trump as the war in Iran drags on and its repercussions are felt around the world. The AfD, which has long been seen as a strong European ally of the Trump administration, appears to be shifting to a more detached public relationship ahead of key elections in Germany in September.
United Kingdom
The Telegraph: Former spy chiefs criticise Starmer over failure to proscribe IRGC
Former intelligence chiefs have attacked Sir Keir Starmer for failing to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation. In a rare breach of convention, retired directors from MI6, MI5 and GCHQ have come forward to express their alarm about the “Government’s continued reluctance” to ban the IRGC.
The Telegraph: Terror suspect held in Guantanamo sues UK
An alleged senior al-Qaeda operative held in Guantanamo Bay is in line for compensation from the UK Government over torture allegations. Abu Faraj al-Libi, who has been detained at Guantanamo Bay since 2006 as a suspected senior figure in al-Qaeda, is suing the Government over the alleged complicity of UK intelligence services in his torture by the CIA.
Times of Israel: 2 men released on bail after arson attack on London Jewish community ambulances
British police said Thursday that two men have been released on bail after they were arrested in connection with an arson attack that destroyed four ambulances owned by a Jewish charity and parked at a synagogue. The attack was being treated by police as an an antisemitic hate crime.
BBC: Pair arrested on suspicion of financing terrorism
A man and a woman have been arrested in connection with an investigation into terrorist financing. Counter Terrorism Policing South East said it had arrested a 50-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman from Oxford.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan International: Taliban Start New Academic Year With Girls Still Barred From Classrooms
The Taliban’s Ministry of Education on Thursday marked the start of the new Persian school year in a ceremony in which Taliban officials rang the school bell. Girls’ schools above sixth grade remained closed for a fifth consecutive year under Taliban orders, and the group made no mention of girls’ exclusion from education at the start of the new academic year.
Afghanistan International: International Organisations Call On Taliban To Reopen Schools For Girls
International officials and organisations have renewed calls for equal access to education in Afghanistan as the new school year begins, with a focus on girls’ rights. UNICEF’s regional director for South Asia, Sanjay Wijesekera, said on Thursday that the time has come to reopen schools to girls in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan International: Taliban Denies Starting Conflict with Pakistan, Urges Ceasefire Extension
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said calls to extend the ceasefire are primarily directed at Pakistan, insisting the group did not initiate the conflict. In an audio message broadcast on Wednesday by Radio Television Afghanistan, which is under Taliban control, Mujahid said the Taliban is acting in self-defence and does not enter Pakistani territory. He added that protecting the population is a duty.
Gaza Strip/West Bank
JNS: IDF strikes Hamas Nukhba Force terrorists in central Gaza
The Israel Defense Forces eliminated several armed operatives of Hamas’s Nukhba Force in an overnight strike in central Gaza, the Israeli military said on Wednesday. “The terrorists had recently conducted several military training sessions in the area and posed a threat to IDF soldiers and to the State of Israel,” according to the IDF.
Iran
Israel said Thursday that the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, Adm. Alireza Tangsiri, had been killed in an airstrike, the latest senior Iranian official targeted in a relentless hunt-and-kill campaign. The Israel Defense Forces later said all of the IRGC Navy’s key commanders had been killed in the strike.
Iran International: IRGC rhetoric frames US island assault as chance to capture troops
Some Tehran commentators say any US attempt to seize Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf could play directly into the IRGC’s long-standing strategy of capturing American troops for leverage. Much of the commentary in Iranian media and political circles frames such a scenario as an opportunity rather than a risk for Tehran, arguing that deploying US forces on Iranian territory would expose them to capture by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and potentially inflict a political humiliation on Washington.
Iran International: IRGC pressured Pezeshkian to appoint Zolghadr as security chief
Masoud Pezeshkian appointed Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council under direct pressure from senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including newly installed IRGC chief Ahmad Vahidi, according to informed sources.
Iraq
The United States military reportedly launched airstrikes targeting the headquarters of Iraq's Iran-backed Shiite militia (PMF) and a residence belonging to its leader on Tuesday, in an escalation of strikes against Tehran's prized militias.
Shafaq News: Iraq sentences ISIS member to death for killing officer Harith Al-Sudani
An Iraqi court has sentenced an ISIS member to death for his role in the killing of intelligence officer Capt. Harith Al-Sudani, Iraq’s National Security Service announced on Thursday. Al-Sudani, widely known as the “ISIS hunter,” infiltrated the group for 16 months, helping foil dozens of suicide attacks before contact was lost in January 2017, with ISIS later releasing footage of his execution in August that year.
Israel
Iran pummeled Israel with seven salvos of missiles within hours on Thursday morning, injuring nine people in Israel and the West Bank and causing damage as cluster warheads spread submunitions across wide areas.
Jerusalem Post: Hezbollah unleashes over 600 attacks on Israel in past 24 hours, doubling prior peak
Hezbollah has fired over 600 times on Israel and IDF troops in the last 24 hours, around double its prior high of around 300 aerial threats during the 2023-2024 conflict between the sides, IDF sources have confirmed. The vast majority of the rockets, mortars, and drones were launched at IDF forces holding positions in or seeking to advance within southern Lebanon.
An IDF soldier was killed during a firefight with Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon overnight, the military said Thursday, as the terror group continued to barrage northern cities and towns with rocket fire and drones.
Times of Israel: Hezbollah fires missiles at central Israel; 2 soldiers seriously hurt in Lebanon
Hezbollah fired a salvo of several missiles at central Israel overnight, hours after two soldiers were seriously hurt in Lebanon in separate incidents. The Lebanese terror group claimed that the salvo targeted the Israel Defense Forces’ Kirya headquarters in Tel Aviv, but the IDF said all of the missiles were successfully intercepted. Hezbollah also fired additional rockets at northern border communities overnight, in addition to Safed and the Golan, with no injuries reported.
Kuwait
Naharnet: Kuwait says arrested six people planning 'assassinations' linked to Hezbollah
Kuwait arrested six people linked to Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group who were planning "assassinations" in the Gulf state, the interior ministry said on Wednesday. Those arrested were planning "assassinations targeting symbols and leaders of the state and recruited people to carry out these missions," the ministry said in a statement.
Lebanon
AFP: Hezbollah boycotts cabinet session over Iran ambassador expulsion
Ministers from Hezbollah and its ally Amal boycotted a cabinet session on Thursday in protest over the government declaring the Iranian ambassador persona non grata. The two Shia parties have a combined four ministers, with one independent Shia also represented in the cabinet present at the meeting, as the spat over the Iranian diplomat's expulsion escalated.
Yemen
Reuters: Yemen's Houthis ready to join Iran war if needed, raising new shipping risk
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement, whose attacks on the Red Sea caused international shipping and trade chaos during the Gaza war, stands ready to strike the key waterway again in solidarity with Tehran, one Houthi leader told Reuters, a move that would deepen a global oil and economic crisis brought on by the Middle East war.
India
https://www.ndtv.com/india-
The Andhra Pradesh police has arrested 12 people with suspected terror links following a coordinated multi-state operation. Special teams were deployed in Bihar, Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Telangana and Rajasthan to arrest the suspects, police said on Wednesday.
Pakistan
Reuters: Pakistan continuing military operations against Afghanistan, Pakistan foreign ministry says
Pakistan is continuing military operations against Afghanistan after the end of a temporary pause announced for the Islamic festival of Eid-al-Fitr, the spokesperson of Pakistan's foreign ministry said on Thursday. Fighting between the allies-turned-foes started last month, with Kabul saying more than 400 people were killed in a Pakistani air strike on a drug rehabilitation centre in the Afghan capital last week before the neighbours suspended fighting.
Dawn: Sindh govt mulls comprehensive plan to counter violent extremism in Sindh, moot told
Senior government functionaries, top law enforcement officials and members of civil society on Wednesday discussed ways and means to eliminate violent extremism in Sindh. Their discussion was part of a two-day workshop organised by the Sindh Centre for Excellence on Countering Violent Extremism that began at a local hotel in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and other stakeholders.
Nigeria
Reuters: Gunmen kill nine Nigerian troops in Kebbi attack
Gunmen killed nine Nigerian troops and injured several others in the northwestern state of Kebbi, security sources and local officials said on Wednesday. Kebbi state, which shares a border with Benin and Niger, is among northwestern states where armed kidnapping gangs roam largely freely, overlapping with Islamist militants who are expanding their presence in the region.
Australia
Neo-Nazi figure Thomas Sewell has been committed to stand trial after allegedly leading an attack on an Indigenous protest site in Melbourne last year. Sewell, 33, appeared into Melbourne magistrates court via video link on Thursday morning after being charged over the Camp Sovereignty incident.
Technology
A first-of-its kind leaderboard evaluating how major video game companies address antisemitism and extremism in online games was released on Wednesday by the Anti-Defamation League, Jewish Insider has learned. The leaderboard assessed 10 of the most popular games and their respective companies on their policies and in-game safety features. “Fortnite” was rated the best at implementing safeguards to combat antisemitism, with “Grand Theft Auto Online,” “Call of Duty” and “Minecraft” following closely behind. Other major games evaluated included “Roblox,” “Valorant,” “Clash Royale,” “Counter-Strike 2” and “PUBG: Battlegrounds.”
The Antisemitism Research Center (ARC) by CAM has released alarming new findings showing that Instagram is actively pushing out antisemitic content to users through its own recommendation engine. In a focused 96-hour monitoring period, ARC researchers documented 100 antisemitic posts pushed directly to Instagram accounts. Those posts collectively generated over 5.3 million likes and 3.8 million shares, with an estimated potential reach of up to 280 million users.
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