Eye on Extremism: May 11, 2026
Top Stories
IranWire: Houthis: U.S. Should Expect Consequences for Rejecting Iran Response
Simultaneously with the publication of a threatening op-ed by Hossein Shariatmadari in the Kayhan newspaper, an official from Yemen’s Ansar Allah (Houthi) group warned the United States to face the “consequences” of rejecting the Islamic Republic’s response. Hossein Shariatmadari wrote in Kayhan: “The presence of French and British warships, or those of any other country, to accompany the U.S. in opposing our legal right to sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz is a blatant interference in our sovereign affairs. We reserve the right to take preemptive action against these warships.”
CNN: As attacks on Europe’s Jewish communities escalate, Iran may be recruiting operatives online
“At least 17 incidents have been claimed by a shadowy online group calling itself Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI), roughly translated from Arabic as ‘The Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right(eous)’—which only emerged online in March and says it’s targeting ‘Zionist’ interests. A CNN investigation has found apparent links between HAYI and an Iran-backed Shia paramilitary group. It has also found that what appear to be Iran-linked operatives are using social media to attempt to recruit individuals to carry out surveillance and potential violence against sites linked to the Jewish community in Europe.”
CEP Mentions
Cicero: "Europe will have to prepare for lasting problems."
The ceasefire talks between the US and Iran are on the brink. In an interview, security expert Hans-Jakob Schindler warns of a deadlocked process in which details concerning uranium enrichment could determine political stability.
Analysis
It's now official: Hezbollah blinked after the IDF assassinated its Radwan special forces chief, Ahmad Ghaleb Balout, on May 6. There was significant uncertainty about how the terror group would respond to the assassination of Balout, who could have been viewed in some ways as the third most important Hezbollah official who was still alive.
Iran International: The strange stability between Tehran and the Taliban
The relationship between the Taliban and Iran, once marked by military confrontation and nearly pushed to war, is now defined by caution and quiet engagement. The Taliban, who present themselves as representatives of a hardline Sunni Islamist movement, and the Iranian system, one of the main centers of Shiite political power, now maintain relations in which practical politics and mutual necessity have largely replaced deep-rooted sectarian hostility.
Iran International: Iran runs dry as Islamic Republic funds ideology and foreign proxies
Iran’s water crisis is not only about scarcity or drought. It is also about where the Islamic Republic chooses to spend the country’s money, and what it leaves unfunded at home. In a system where political and ideological objectives consistently outweigh environmental sustainability and public welfare, even severe and widely recognized crises fail to trigger meaningful correction.
United States
Associated Press: Trump rejects Iran’s response to latest US proposal to end the war
Iran sent its response to the latest U.S. proposal to end the Iran war via Pakistani mediators on Sunday, but U.S. President Donald Trump quickly rejected it in a social media post as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!” — the latest setback to efforts to resolve the standoff in the Persian Gulf that has throttled shipping and sent energy prices soaring.
The Guardian: Fifa World Cup matches face heightened terror risk in US amid Iran conflict
Fifa World Cup matches set to be held across the United States face heightened terrorism risks, with experts warning that vulnerabilities are being amplified by the US-Israel conflict with Iran and a depletion of counter-terrorism expertise within federal law enforcement. The biggest threat stems from homegrown violent extremists, often lone actors that may have become radicalized online by extreme political views or jihadists such as the Islamic State (Isis), said four counter-terror experts interviewed.
Homeland Security Today: FBI Says Austin Mass Shooter Was Not Linked to Foreign Terrorist Organization
The FBI San Antonio Division continues to investigate the mass shooting that occurred outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden located at 700 W 6th St., Austin, Texas during the early morning hours of March 1, 2026, that resulted in the tragic deaths of three victims and injuries to 15 others. The shooter, Ndiaga Diagne, a 53-year-old born in Senegal and living in Austin, Texas, died from wounds sustained during an exchange of gunfire with Austin Police Department officers who responded to the scene.
Jewish Insider: AOC blasts ‘proven bigot and antisemite’ MTG, earning some far-left criticism
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) expressed skepticism of allying with former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) on issues like Israel policy, calling Greene a “proven bigot and antisemite.” The comments have, notably, earned her the opprobrium of others on the far left, and also mark a break with some more mainstream Democrats who have urged their party to join forces with the disgruntled GOP ex-lawmaker.
New York Post: Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer calls out party’s ‘double standard’ on antisemitism
Rep. Josh Gottheimer issued a sharp rebuke to his fellow Democrats over the weekend for failing to denounce antisemitism and hateful rhetoric from the left while being eager to condemn the right for the same offenses. Gottheimer (D-NJ) recounted private conversations he’s had with colleagues who have lamented the rise of left-wing streamer Hasan Piker, but refused to publicly condemn his extremist language.
Despite being banned from campus, UCLA’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter is actively lobbying candidates to influence upcoming student government elections, Jewish Insider has learned. SJP contacted candidates and asked them to complete an attached questionnaire in order to secure the group’s endorsement, according to an email reviewed by JI. SJP is permitted to endorse in the race as an “external organization” since it is no longer officially recognized on campus, according to the election board’s guidelines.
AMNY: Queens rally denounces antisemitism after swastikas scrawled over Forest Hills and Rego Park
Members of the Queens Jewish community rallied on Sunday to denounce antisemitism after a group of hateful teenagers scrawled swastikas over synagogues and houses in the Forest Hills and Rego Park areas.
The U.S. military carried out a lethal strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific Friday, killing two alleged narco-terrorists, according to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). "On May 8, 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 on X.
The survivors of a school shooting are speaking out against the neo-Nazi leader whose writing inspired the killer — in the hopes he’ll get a heavy sentence for trying to plan a terror attack against minority and Jewish children in New York City. “This man manipulated a vulnerable and impressionable boy and turned him into a self-hating murderer,” wrote one teacher at Antioch High School in Nashville, Tenn., who watched a 16-year-old girl die at the hands of a teenage gunman on Jan. 22, 2025. The shooter took his cues in part from the writings of Michail Chkhikvishvili, the leader of a neo-Nazi group called the Maniac Murder Cult, according to federal prosecutors.
European Union
Times of Israel: EU foreign ministers approve sanctions on violent Israeli settlers, Hamas leaders
The 27 European Union foreign ministers have approved sanctions against violent Israeli settlers and organizations supporting them, says EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. The diplomats approved new sanctions on Hamas leaders as well.
Ynet: European Jews seek protected minority status amid antisemitism surge
The sharp rise in antisemitic incidents across many countries and the escalation in expressions of hatred on the ground are leading many Jews in Europe to question the future of Jewish communities on the continent.
Germany
A 17-year-old boy has been arrested in the German city of Hamburg on suspicion of planning an attack on a shopping mall, a bar or a police station, prosecutors said Monday. The Syrian national was arrested in Hamburg on Thursday, prosecutors in Germany’s second-biggest city said in a statement. They added that the Islamic State extremist group apparently was the inspiration for his alleged plans to kill an undetermined number of “infidels” using explosives, Molotov cocktails or a knife.
Deutsche Welle: Antisemitism in Germany, and the CDU's search for answers
Berlin is a city full of graffiti: Colorful and loud, imaginative, annoying, and often political. Spray paint seems to have long since conquered the city. Yet on April 11 this year, three large words sprayed across the side of a building in the district of Prenzlauer Berg, calling in English for the killing of all Jews, provoked outrage and shock. The words were quickly covered and then painted over — yet the message still shows through if you look closely (top photo). True to Berlin's character, civil society responded: Residents held a vigil. Blue‑and‑white ribbons now hang from lampposts and traffic signs, bearing the words "Against all antisemitism" beside a Star of David.
Deutsche Welle: Berlin: Fighting the city's young far-right scene
Anne isn't afraid. But she is cautious. That's because she has chosen to take a stand against right-wing and racist violence in the German capital, Berlin, and as a result has found herself facing hostility from right-wing extremists — which is why DW is not using her real name. The 30-year-old keeps track of the far-right scene in the Berlin district of Marzahn-Hellersdorf, documenting right-wing violence, propaganda, and everyday racism. "You have neo-Nazis here who want to assert their dominance on the streets, who want to project symbols of their control of the streets, who use stickers or graffiti to show: 'We are here and this is our neighborhood,'" Anne told DW during a tour of the district.
Netherlands
NL Times: D66 office explosion suspect held for another 14 days on suspicion of terrorism
The suspect in an explosion at the D66 party office in The Hague, a 37-year-old man with no fixed address, was brought before the examining magistrate on Monday. He has been remanded into custody for 14 days pending arraignment at a district court.
United Kingdom
Reuters: UK sanctions Iran-linked network, cites attack plots and finance operations
Britain on Monday sanctioned 12 individuals and entities linked to Iran, accusing them of involvement in hostile activity including plotting attacks and providing financial services to groups seeking to destabilise the UK and other countries. Those targeted by the sanctions include alleged members and associates of what the British government described as the Zindashti criminal network, as well as several exchange houses and financial operators.
The Guardian: Stafford man who called for ‘killing migrants’ pleads guilty to terrorism offences
A rightwing extremist who called for “killing migrants when they arrive on their boats” has pleaded guilty to terrorism offences. Ivan Jennings, 46, from Stafford, admitted encouraging terrorism between 15 August and 14 November 2024 at Leicester crown court on Monday.
The Guardian: Seven people barred from coming to UK for far-right rally
Seven people hoping to attend a far-right rally in central London on Saturday have been blocked from entering the country by the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood. Keir Starmer, the prime minister, promised on Monday to block “far-right agitators” hoping to attend the Unite the Kingdom event on 16 May organised by Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.
Newsweek: ‘Far-Right’ Americans Face Travel Ban Over UK Nationalist Rally This Week
“Far-right” Americans will be blocked from entering the U.K. for a “Unite the Kingdom, Unite the West” march this weekend, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said. Starmer, who is facing a political crisis in the U.K. with calls for him to quit after his Labour Party saw major losses in local elections last week, has spoken out against a march set to take place in London on Saturday, backed by far-right activist Tommy Robinson. It is scheduled for the same day as the pro-Palestine Nakba Day rally.
BBC: Hung jury after man accused of encouraging terrorism
The trial of a social media activist accused of encouraging terrorism has ended with a hung jury. Majid Novsarka, otherwise known as Majid Freeman, had denied encouraging terrorism, inviting support for the proscribed organisation Hamas and expressing support for a proscribed organisation during a trial at Birmingham Crown Court.
Jerusalem Post: Palestine Action’s online map and manual publicly targets Israeli civilians
A public map of companies linked, directly or indirectly, to Israel’s defense industry has turned Palestine Action’s campaign into something more difficult to classify than a protest drive. The map lists companies, suppliers, facilities, and, in some cases, private addresses connected to individuals linked to targeted firms. A linked guide tells supporters how to organize.
University staff in the UK are fostering, legitimizing, and at times actively participating in antisemitism, StandWithUs UK revealed in its new 2026 Voice of Students report. The Jerusalem Post obtained early access to the document.
Jerusalem Post: London man whips Jewish women with belt
A man allegedly whipped London Jewish women with his belt on Sunday, according to the North and East London Shomrim and the Metropolitan Police, while reportedly hurling racial abuse against victims and first responders.
BBC: Two arrested over arson attack at former synagogue
A man and a woman have been arrested by counter-terrorism police over a suspected arson attack at a former synagogue in east London. Minor damage was caused to a set of gates and a lock at the front of the former East London Central Synagogue building in Whitechapel on Tuesday. No-one was injured.
Independent: Man charged after three Jewish people assaulted in antisemitic incident in north London
A man has been charged with religiously aggravated assault after three Jewish people were attacked in north London, the Metropolitan Police have said. Dylan Ossei, aged 34 and of Lyndhurst Drive in Hornchurch, is also charged with religiously aggravated harassment and threatening behaviour after he allegedly assaulted members of the Jewish community on Southbury Road, Enfield, in the early hours of Saturday.
Six in 10 British people believe antisemitism is a major or significant problem in British society, according to a new YouGov survey carried out in the aftermath of the Golders Green stabbings.
The Guardian: Thousands attend rally against antisemitism outside Downing Street
Thousands of people gathered outside Downing Street on Sunday to protest an increase in antisemitic hate crimes and violence, as senior politicians and interfaith leaders called for unity. The Standing Strong: Extinguish Antisemitism rally, backed by more than 30 Jewish groups, drew thousands of people to Whitehall, as Conservative and Liberal Democrat party leaders, alongside Labour and Reform representatives, addressed a crowd studded with Israeli and union jack flags and ‘Where is Keir?’ placards.
Afghanistan
Nai in Exile, an organisation supporting Afghan journalists and media outlets, has called on the United Nations and the European Union to intervene for the immediate release of journalists recently detained by the Taliban. In a statement, the organisation expressed concern over the arrests of Afghan journalists, Mansoor Niazi, Imran Danish and Javid Niazi.
Informed sources told Afghanistan International that Taliban intelligence forces besieged the offices of TOLOnews and its parent company, Moby Group, for more than six hours after the broadcaster reported the detention of two of its journalists on social media. According to the sources, around 50 armed Taliban intelligence personnel were deployed around the company’s headquarters in the Wazir Akbar Khan area of Kabul.
Sources with several fibre-optic internet companies in Kabul told Afghanistan International that the Taliban have ordered regulators to cut residential fibre internet services across the capital. Representatives of internet providers said the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority summoned them to a meeting on Monday regarding new internet restrictions.
Afghanistan International: Unidentified Aircraft, Gunfire Reported Across Kabul
Residents reported unidentified aircraft flying over Kabul on Saturday, along with Taliban gunfire. At least three independent sources told Afghanistan International that repeated shooting was heard across parts of the capital. Taliban authorities have not yet issued any explanation.
Iran
Iran International: Iran steps up crackdown on Baha’is with raids, arrests
Iran’s security and judicial authorities have stepped up a crackdown on the Baha’i religious minority with arrests, home raids, and property seizures across several cities in the country, people familiar with the matter told Iran International. Several Baha’i citizens have been arrested to date across Iran since nationwide protests began in late December, sources told Iran International.
Iran’s soccer federation said on Saturday the country “definitely” will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup and insisted that tournament hosts — the United States, Canada and Mexico — consider Tehran’s concerns around the team’s travel and how it will be treated.
Iraq
Wall Street Journal: The U.S. Tied His Bank to Iran Proxies. Now He’s Trump’s Choice to Run Iraq.
A little-known Iraqi tycoon named Ali Al Zaidi has emerged as the likely next prime minister of Iraq with the backing of President Trump, who has invited the businessman to Washington and said the U.S. “is with him all the way.” The White House endorsement has come with a demand that Zaidi exclude Iranian-backed militias from Iraq’s next government and curtail Tehran’s influence in Baghdad.
Israel
Lawmakers on Sunday feted the expected passage of a bipartisan bill establishing a special military tribunal for trying Palestinian terrorists accused of committing atrocities during the October 7, 2023, invasion, saying it would allow for a trial of historic significance, likening it to the “Eichmann trial.”
Times of Israel: IDF reservist killed in Hezbollah explosive drone attack in northern Israel
An IDF reservist was killed in a Hezbollah drone attack in northern Israel, the Israel Defense Forces said on Monday. The slain soldier was named as Warrant Officer (res.) Alexander Glovanyov, 47, a driver in the Transport Center’s 6924th Battalion, from Petah Tikva.
Times of Israel: Far-right provocateurs hurl homophobic abuse at gay secularist activist in Tel Aviv
A group of right-wing activists including Mordechai David, a prominent provocateur aligned with senior members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, who regularly harasses critics of the government, targeted a secularist activist and his partner with homophobic abuse on Saturday night.
Lebanon
At least 12 people were reported killed in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday, as the military said that three reservists were wounded by Hezbollah explosive drones. Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces carried out a series of strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon after issuing evacuation warnings to nine villages.
Naharnet: Netanyahu says wants to 'work together' with Lebanon to 'get rid of Hezbollah'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel has destroyed "more than 90%" of Hezbollah's rockets and ballistic missiles, but noted that that "still leaves them with thousands of rockets and some ballistic missiles." "And that's still a big issue. They still hold Lebanon hostage ... Hezbollah is basically a proxy of Iran. Iran holds Lebanon. We have no quarrel with Lebanon. We could make peace with Lebanon and want to make peace with them tomorrow, no, yesterday. But you have this foreign body, this-- this-- Ira-- Iranian-backed terrorist organization that hijacked the country," Netanyahu said in an interview with U.S. TV network CBS.
Naharnet: Hezbollah launches missiles, drones at north Israel in response to Dahieh strike
Hezbollah said it launched missiles and drones at military bases in Israel in retaliation for a recent attack on Beirut's southern suburbs and ongoing strikes in the south, where Lebanese authorities reported 11 people killed on Friday. Israel has kept up its attacks in Lebanon despite a truce agreed last month, and its strike on the capital's southern suburbs on Wednesday -- its first there in nearly a month -- killed a senior Hezbollah commander.
Pakistan
Reuters: Pakistan blames Afghanistan-based militants for deadly attack on police
Pakistan blames Afghanistan-based militants for the attack on a police post that killed 15 personnel over the weekend, Pakistan's foreign ministry said on Monday, signaling fresh tension between the neighbours whose militaries have clashed over the issue this year. The police personnel were killed in a car bombing at a police post in the northwestern part of Pakistan on Saturday, followed by an ambush on forces rushing to the scene, Pakistani police said.
Congo
AFP: Militia kill at least 69 in NE DR Congo: loca1, security sources
A militia attack killed at least 69 people in Ituri province in the troubled northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, local and security sources told AFP Saturday. Armed men affiliated with the Codeco militia carried out the attack at the end of April, said the sources.
Australia
Jerusalem Post: Sydney woman charged for abuse of Jewish girls' netball team
A Sydney woman was charged Sunday for allegedly hurling antisemitic abuse at a Jewish team during a Saturday girls’ netball game, according to the New South Wales Police and Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), Alex Ryvchin.
A Perth teenager was bullied on the online worldbuilding game Minecraft because he was Jewish, a royal commission on antisemitism has heard. The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion is in its second week of public hearings and has heard from people with a lived experience of abuse.
Kurdistan24: Australian Authorities File Crimes Against Humanity Charges in ISIS Case
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have filed historic crimes against humanity charges against two women recently repatriated from a displacement camp in Syria, marking a significant escalation in the nation's efforts to seek legal accountability for alleged conduct during the rule of the Islamic State (ISIS).
New York Times: Far-Right Populist Party in Australia Wins Race Seen as a Key Test
A far-right party in Australia on Saturday won a seat in the country’s lower house of Parliament for the first time, in a race that was closely watched as the first federal test of whether a surge in support for the populist group could translate into political change, according to a projection by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
New Zealand
New Zealand Herald: Auckland mosque arson: White supremacist jailed for five years
After his arrest for causing $1.5 million in fire damage to an Auckland mosque, a young autistic white supremacist appeared to make it an ongoing goal to disgust, injure and threaten Corrections officers while he was on remand awaiting trial.
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