Eye on Extremism: May 20, 2026
Top Stories
Deutsche Welle: Middle East: Iran says any new attack will widen war
Iran's army has threatened to "open new fronts" in Tehran's war with the US and Israel in the event of new attacks.
The teenage San Diego mosque gunmen appear to have left behind a shocking, hate-filled manifesto, which praised Adolf Hitler and a slew of mass murderers, before the attack, The California Post has learned.
CEP Mentions
Bayerischer Rundfunk: IS trial: Mother with firearm, children with hand grenade
For terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler of the Counter Extremism Project, this behavior fits the profile of many IS women. He says they were "not solely responsible for raising children at home," but were "effectively integrated into the IS power and terror apparatus."
United States
New York Times: The San Diego Mosque Shootings Were a Crime Made for and by the Internet
The teenagers met online and bonded over shared hatreds. When they realized they both lived in the San Diego area, they met in person. And when they decided to kill, they apparently livestreamed themselves. A video that they appear to have recorded shows them dressed in camouflage tactical gear, affixed with a white supremacist symbol, as they approached a mosque on Monday and opened fire, killing three people.
New York Times: San Diego Victims Saved Students and ‘Did Not Die in Vain,’ Police Say
Every morning, before he headed to work across town as a security guard at the Islamic Center of San Diego, Amin Abdullah would arrive at a tiny, worn-down mosque. Just as he would at his job, he swept the perimeter, using a flashlight to check every corner. And then he would go inside and pray, said his friend Khalid Alexander. Mr. Abdullah, who was a Muslim convert, felt he had a calling as a security guard at the Islamic Center of San Diego after he was pained by the terrorist attacks against the Muslim community in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Independent: Security guard slain at San Diego Islamic Center saved 140 kids from shooters, cops say
A security guard killed in a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego saved as many as 140 kids with his “heroic actions,” police said. The guard, identified as Amin Abdullah, was one of three people killed Monday after two teenage gunmen attacked the mosque, which is the largest in the city. Abdullah “immediately observed the threat to everybody at the mosque” and exchanged fire with the attackers, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl told reporters Tuesday.
After the Justice Department announced charges against an Iraqi militia leader for directing terror attacks inside the U.S., a national security expert warned of a "risky source" contributing to "jihad"-type terrorist activity inside America’s borders.
The Trump administration on Tuesday accused Hamas of using activist and Muslim Brotherhood-linked networks to support a Gaza-bound flotilla and sanctioned several organizers tied to the effort.
A group of Senate Republicans is urging President Donald Trump to take additional steps to cut off funding tied to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), accusing the agency of employing individuals linked to Hamas and enabling terrorist activity in Gaza.
FBI Director Kash Patel said Monday that the FBI is "manhunting" terror suspects anywhere they hide after the bureau captured two high-value targets, including an alleged Iran-linked terrorist and a senior member of Tren de Aragua (TdA).
NBC News: House Democratic leaders condemn Texas candidate for antisemitic comments
Top House Democrats are condemning a Texas Democratic candidate days after she took to social media to say she’d turn an immigration detention center into a “prison for American Zionists” if she won.
The Justice Department announced on Tuesday that Leo Terrell, senior counsel to the assistant attorney general for civil rights and chair of the Department of Justice’s antisemitism task force, will oversee the creation of the DOJ’s Antisemitism Advisory Committee. As part of the role, Terrell will embark on a 15-city nationwide tour to connect with local faith leaders and law enforcement officials about combating antisemitism.
JTA: Jewish groups rally behind bipartisan Senate antisemitism bill with $1B security allocation
Major U.S. Jewish organizations are calling for the quick passage of new bipartisan Senate legislation aimed at protecting Jews and Jewish institutions from antisemitism. The Jewish American Security Act is sponsored by James Lankford, a Republican from Oregon, and Jacky Rosen, a Jewish Democrat from Nevada. It would require the federal education department to adopt a civil rights strategy to fight antisemitism and would force social media platforms to share more details about how they handle antisemitism online.
Jewish Insider: Secretive GOP-linked super PAC Lead Left boosting antisemitic Dem candidate in Texas
A newly launched super PAC with ties to Republicans has spent nearly half a million dollars to help boost a Democrat running for a competitive open House seat in Texas who is facing growing bipartisan furor over a series of virulently antisemitic social media remarks.
Fox 2 Detroit: Anti-Semitism increasingly targeting Southeast Michigan communities
Another series of anti-Semitic acts in Metro Detroit is raising alarm after Sterling Heights became the latest victim of hateful language being scrawled in the community.
Canada
CBC: Canadian website stops monetizing white supremacist content after fifth estate investigation
A livestreaming website started in Calgary that helped influencers monetize hateful content says it is shutting down — removing a revenue stream for dozens of neo-Nazis and white supremacists — following an investigation by CBC’s the fifth estate.
An independent investigation has found that Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim misused the influence of his office, breached the city’s code of conduct and harassed Councillor Sean Orr by publicly portraying him as antisemitic or supportive of terrorism.
Germany
Reuters: As Merz struggles, Germany's far-right AfD goes local to woo voters
As German Chancellor Friedrich Merz struggles to halt a relentless slide in approval ratings, Ulrich Siegmund, from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), is on a roll. Buoyed by polls putting his party up to 7 points ahead of Merz's conservatives nationwide, the 35-year-old expects to become Germany's first AfD state premier when the eastern region of Saxony-Anhalt votes in an election in September.
United Kingdom
BBC: Axe attack sparks review of counter-terror process
Counter-terrorism police have changed their processes after admitting the case of a neo-Nazi who attacked a Kurdish barber with an axe should have been dealt with differently. Alina Burns, 19, was jailed on Friday for the terrorism-motivated attack in Bedminster, Bristol, on 2 August 2025.
"It's a dark time in Europe, like in the Holocaust," Jewish Israeli Shalev Ben Yakar told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday after he was gang-attacked in Golders Green, London.
Iran International: How an IRGC-linked money laundering network operates from London
A family-run financial network accused of laundering money for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards has been operating from London and moving funds through shell companies China and the UAE, according to sanctions records and leaked documents reviewed by Iran International.
Sky News: Online antisemitism needs addressing beyond policing, says Met
Met Police deputy commissioner: "A much wider whole of society response to antisemitism is required".
Afghanistan
Afghanistan International: Taliban Do Not Meet Conditions For UN Seat, Says Afghan Envoy
Naseer Ahmad Faiq, Representative of Afghanistan to UN, says that representation at the UN is the legitimate right of those governments that have come to power through lawful means and based on the people's will.
Afghanistan International: Young Man Reportedly Dies In Taliban Detention In Herat, Say Sources
Sources have told Afghanistan International that Safiullah Rasouli, a 25-year-old man, has died under torture in a Taliban prison after 21 days in detention in Herat. His family say that, after he was accused of smuggling drugs into the prison, the Taliban tortured him to extract a confession.
Amu: Former Taliban communications minister appointed their mayor in Herat
Taliban leader has appointed Hamdullah Nomani, their former minister of communications, as their mayor in Herat, two weeks after he was removed from the ministry post. Nomani was removed from his post as Taliban minister of communications about two weeks ago and replaced by Abdul Ahad Fazli, the Taliban governor of Faryab province.
Gaza Strip/West Bank
Middle East Monitor: Hamas rejects Peace Council report on Gaza ceasefire implementation
Hamas rejected a report submitted to the United Nations Security Council by the so-called “Peace Council” concerning implementation of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, accusing the report of distorting facts and adopting Israeli conditions.
JNS: IDF responds to suspected terrorist attack in Samaria
Israel Defense Forces soldiers on Wednesday responded to reports of a suspected terrorist car-ramming near Ofra in the Binyamin region of Samaria, the military confirmed.
Times of Israel: Board of Peace urges countries that promised funds for Gaza to pay up
The Board of Peace is warning that efforts to rebuild the war-ravaged Gaza Strip are in jeopardy if countries do not follow through on their financial pledges to the US-led body tasked with overseeing the postwar management of the enclave.
Jerusalem Post: Hamas planned to spark wider war against Israel with October 7 massacre - study
A new study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem claimed that Hamas's October 7 massacre was part of a careful plan to destabilize Israel and spark a wider regional war against it. The study, titled "The Strategic Origins of Hamas’s October 7 Attack" was authored by Dr. Daniel Sobelman, and is based on top-secret Hamas documents seized by Israeli forces during the war.
Kurdistan24: UN Security Council Urged to Press Hamas on Disarmament Under Gaza Ceasefire Plan
A body overseeing the U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza is expected to urge the United Nations Security Council to press Hamas to disarm, according to a report seen by The Associated Press. The contents of the report were made public on Wednesday, as tensions persist over the stalled implementation of the fragile truce between Hamas and Israel.
Iran
Iran International: IRGC navy says 26 vessels transited Hormuz with Iran coordination
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy on Wednesday said 26 vessels, including oil tankers, container ships and other commercial vessels, transited the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours in coordination with Iran.
Lebanon
Times of Israel: IDF reservist killed in exchange of fire with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon
An IDF officer was killed in combat with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon on Tuesday morning, the military announced, as limited fighting continued with the Iran-backed terror group despite a newly extended ceasefire.
Jerusalem Post: Exposing Hezbollah’s tunnels triggers debate in the Arab world – interview
When Yehia Kassem, chief correspondent for the Arabic-language Al-Hurra channel, entered Southern Lebanon to cover the recent escalation, he witnessed firsthand what many Lebanese have already encountered; widespread destruction, Hezbollah's terror infrastructure embedded beneath civilian areas, and mass displacement of residents.
Naharnet: Hezbollah says fierce resistance in Haddatha forced Israeli troops to retreat
Hezbollah said Wednesday its fighters were engaged in clashes with a force of Israeli soldiers that repeatedly tried to advance from the southern border town of Rshaf towards Haddatha. The group said in a statement that the Israeli force had tried to enter Haddatha three times in one week amid fierce resistance.
Fox News: Hezbollah grooms children for martyrdom through its scout movement, report claims
The U.S.-designated Lebanon-based terrorist movement Hezbollah exploits children from its version of the scout movement to carry out jihadi missions that result in their deaths, according to a recent report on Lebanon’s MTV television network. The Lebanese network’s report — translated by the Washington, D.C.-based Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) — comes amid U.S.-brokered peace talks between Israel and Beirut.
Defense News: UN peacekeeping forces prepare to leave Lebanon, but what comes next?
The mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is set to expire at the end of 2026, despite renewed violence in the country that has already claimed the lives of six peacekeepers.
Turkey
Turkish counter-terrorism police have arrested 110 people suspected of links to the Islamic State group (ISIS) in a coordinated operation largely centered in Istanbul, according to state-run Anadolu Agency.
Australia
The Australian: Jewish leaders condemn ABC and SBS for rejecting antisemitism definition
Australian Jewish leaders have condemned as “inexcusable” a decision by the ABC and SBS to reject a benchmark definition of antisemitism, accusing the broadcasters of fuelling “the antisemitic fire”. Both public broadcasters on Tuesday declined to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, citing editorial independence and “robust” standards, despite antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal recommending it be adopted across “all levels of government, public institutions and regulatory bodies”.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation: More ISIS-linked women and children set to return to Australia
Six Australian women, along with their children and grandchildren, look likely to leave a squalid camp for the families of former Islamic State fighters in north-eastern Syria within days. The exact timing of their departure is not yet set, with wrangling underway between Kurdish and Syrian officials over the logistics of their travel, including the journey from the Al Roj camp to Damascus, over 10 hours drive away, and their onward flights to Australia.
A neo-Nazi group has been told it cannot become a political party if it continues to redact the names of its potential members, as it launches a legal challenge to being designated as a banned hate group.Neo-Nazi group told by AEC it can’t become a political party while it hides identities of members.
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