Eye on Extremism: November 6, 2026
Top Stories
Reuters: Bomb threats warning ‘the clock is ticking’ disrupt TV channels across Europe
Bomb threats warning “the clock is ticking” were sent to TV stations across Europe on Friday, prompting evacuations and programming to be suspended. Warnings were sent to Irish broadcaster RTE, Britain’s Sky, Bulgarian private station Nova TV and others, the companies said. No bombs were found at any affected site. RTE programmes were replaced by music and a pre-recorded message, some for as long as three hours.
Diaspora Jews are at heightened risk of physical threats to synagogues and worshipers, the Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry reported Thursday. The report was released ahead of the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht on November 9-10.
CEP Mentions
CEP Senior Director Hans-Jakob Schindler speaks about the bomb threats against European airlines this week.
Analysis
Jihadist groups remain a persistent, if geographically bounded, source of violence in the Asia-Pacific in 2026, where violent activity is centered in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Philippines. While the threat of growing militancy outside these countries remains limited in the immediate term, the presence of such entrenched insurgencies provides a sustained, if largely latent, risk of attacks across the wider region.
United States
Boston Herald: Feds: Tewksbury race war advocate threatened to kill President Donald Trump
An 18-year-old Tewksbury man who law enforcement says has described mass shooters as his “heroes” and advocated a race war faces federal charges alleging that he threatened to kill President Trump. Prosecutors say that on June 21, Trenton Touch sent a direct message on Instagram to another user with him holding what appears to be a scoped rifle along with three messages: “it’s time,” “im gonna kill trump,” and “not yet unc i suck at shooting past 200 yards.”
The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) chose controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker to host its official election night livestream, drawing a blunt response from Anti-Defamation League (ADL) CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, who accused the group of elevating rhetoric supportive of terrorism and antisemitism.
LGBTQ Nation: Florida elects Republican with neo-Nazi ties who called for executing queer people
Florida voters elected Republican Marshall Rawson, a man with neo-Nazi ties who has called for executing queer people, to the Florida State House of Representatives on Tuesday. He defeated his Democratic opponent, Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson, by 36.4 percentage points.
JNS: Man who admitted to anti-Jewish death threats of Hawaii governor to be sentenced for hate crime
Federal prosecutors are seeking a hate-crime sentencing enhancement against Eric Lee Boltz, 52, who pleaded guilty this week to repeated antisemitic threats to kill Hawaii Gov. Josh Green and his family, the Justice Department told JNS.
JNS: NYPD probing September attack, in which man spat, made anti-Jewish comments, as hate crime
The New York City Police Department said on Thursday that it is investigating a Sept. 15 attack, in which an assailant spat at a 49-year-old man and made antisemitic comments, as a hate crime. The attack, which is being probed as an instance of aggravated harassment, took place at around 11:15 p.m. near Nostrand and Park Avenues in Brooklyn, a site that is within several blocks of at least half a dozen synagogues.
Times of Israel: Pennsylvania leaders condemn anti-Zionists targeting Jewish eateries
Pennsylvania leaders this week condemned an antisemitic and anti-Zionist bicycle “boycott ride” protest targeting Jewish eateries in Philadelphia. The activist groups announced the upcoming Sunday protest in Philadelphia’s central Rittenhouse Square, saying, “No business for Zionists.”
NBC 10 Philadelphia: Mayor, AG condemn boycott of Jewish-owned restaurants in Philly
Several officials, including Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, are condemning a planned boycott of Jewish-owned restaurants in the city. On Oct. 31, ‘Philly Bike On Your Left,’ a group that describes itself as an “anti-fascist, anti-Zionist social cycling collective," posted a flyer announcing a boycott of what they described as “Zionist establishments” in the city’s Rittenhouse Square neighborhood.
JNS: Southern California public school improperly handled Jew-hatred complaint, state says
The Orange County School of the Arts, a public charter school with about 2,300 students, improperly handled a complaint alleging that a teacher created a hostile environment for Jews and Israelis, the California Department of Education said.
News 6: These three groups are now considered terrorists in Florida. Here’s what happens next
Months after Gov. Ron DeSantis labeled three groups in Florida as “terrorist organizations,” those designations have now become officially effective. The designations stem in part from a state law that was approved earlier this year, which allows the state to designate terrorist organizations based on certain factors.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) stopped operating in Florida this week, citing fallout from a new state law that designated the group as a domestic terrorist organization.
Canada
Yahoo Sports: Blue Jays Respond To Anthony Santander’s Anti-Muslim Social Media Posts
On Thursday, the Toronto Blue Jays reportedly responded to a social media controversy concerning the Instagram page of $92 million slugger Anthony Santander. Santander, who has been recovering from a significant shoulder injury, became the subject of criticism after sharing Instagram posts targeting Islam and the political developments surrounding the 2026 U.S. midterm elections.
JTA: Montreal Jewish-owned bakery devastated by suspected arson attack
A Montreal kosher bakery burnt down following an suspected arson attack on Wednesday morning. This incident was the second of two alleged arson attempts directed at the Jewish-owned bakery, Mimimelon, within 48 hours. In both cases, the bakery was empty and no injuries were reported.
The University of Toronto says its dean of dentistry will be stepping down immediately, following an investigation into his use of antisemitic imagery in February.
Europe
Reuters: New wave of bomb hoaxes hits dozens of flights across Europe
Hoax bomb threats disrupted dozens of passenger flights across Europe on Thursday, forcing unplanned landings by some planes and prompting fighter jets to escort or intercept others, in a dramatic escalation after an initial wave earlier this week.
BBC: Russian extremist group denies sending hoax bomb threats
The "Male State", an extremist misogynistic group named in this week's hoax bomb threats to Italian airports, has denied any link to the false warnings causing flight disruption across Europe.
Newsweek: Who Are Fighters of the Male State? Sexist Unit Claim Flight Bomb Threats
The text claimed bombs had been placed on a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome and an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin, also bound for the Italian capital. The Finnair flight landed in Rome's Fiumicino with an Italian fighter jet escort while the Aer Lingus flight was diverted to a French military base. “We, fighters of the Male State, will leave a mark on history with our actions today,” the email reportedly read, threatening to "turn the skies red" by detonating the explosives.
Austria
Rolling Stone: New Doc to Examine Terror Plot That Canceled Taylor Swift Concert
A new documentary will chronicle the three-night run of concerts Taylor Swift had to cancel in Vienna in 2024 when authorities foiled an ISIS-inspired terrorist plot. Variety reports that the film, whose working title is Taylor Swift Wien, will explore “two vastly different youth subcultures: the inclusive, empowered world of the Swifties and a realm of toxic masculinity, fueled by online radicalization and a desperate need for validation.”
Germany
Ahead of the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass), police leaders from Germany, Europe, and the United States gathered at a synagogue in Berlin on Thursday to address rising antisemitism and the protection of Jewish communities.
JTA: Kristallnacht survivor calls on German police to stand firm against hate
One of the last surviving Jewish witnesses of Kristallnacht told German police leaders they have an “enormous responsibility” to learn the lessons of the past. George Shefi, 94, this week returned to the city of his birth to share his story with senior law enforcement representatives from Germany, the United States, and other European countries at the city’s New Synagogue, a target of the Nazi-spurred mobs on Kristallnacht. The event held Thursday, titled “Not on Our Watch: Operationalizing Never Again,” marked the 88th anniversary of the pogrom.
Spain
Ara: The police launch an operation against the neo-Nazi group National Nucleus
The National Police arrested 12 members of the far-right organization Núcleo Nacional this Friday as part of an operation coordinated by a court in Gijón. The arrests took place in different parts of the State, following an investigation initiated due to the disturbances recorded in the Asturian city. The detainees are accused of illicit association and a hate crime, as reported by Eldiario.es. The National Police confirmed to ARA the arrest of 12 members of the far-right organization Núcleo Nacional, and sources from the Ministry of the Interior state that the operation remains open and that searches are being carried out in several provinces.
Sweden
Kurdistan24: Swedish Teenager Charged with Planning ISIS-Inspired Knife Attack on High School
A 19-year-old man in Sweden has been charged with planning a knife attack on a high school in the name of the Islamic State (ISIS) jihadist group, prosecutors said on Friday. The suspect allegedly planned to injure or kill people at a high school in the southern Swedish town of Halmstad between March 1 and April 13, according to a statement from the Swedish Prosecution Authority.
United Kingdom
Reuters: UK broadcaster Sky received security threat, as alerts sweep Europe
British broadcaster Sky said on Friday it has received a security threat, hours after Irish broadcaster RTE evacuated its building following a bomb threat, and as a wave of bomb threats have affected European flights this week. “Sky was one of a number of media organisations that received a security threat,” a spokesperson for Sky, owned by Comcast, said in a statement.
Belfast Telegraph: Officers working tirelessly to combat right-wing extremism threat, says Boutcher
Northern Ireland’s police chief has said his officers are working tirelessly to combat what he described as the increasing threat posed by right-wing extremism in the region. Jon Boutcher was commenting after 17 improvised explosive devices and two detonators were recovered last week in an investigation linked to what the PSNI said was “extreme right-wing terrorism.”
BBC: Mobile phones seized in investigation linked to right-wing extremism
Items including six mobile phones have been seized after a police search operation in the west Belfast area on Thursday. The items were seized from two properties by the Police Service of Northern Ireland's (PSNI) Terrorism Investigation Unit in connection with a wider investigation into right-wing extremism.
The Independent: ‘Delusional’ right-wing extremist detained indefinitely after arson campaign
Professional artist Milo Creese has been detained indefinitely under the Mental Health Act at the Old Bailey following a three-week campaign targeting 5G masts and an Indian restaurant in Surrey. The 40-year-old was cleared by reason of insanity of arson with intent to endanger life, weapons offences, and assaulting emergency workers after being diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. The court heard that Creese held extreme right-wing delusions that he was a soldier of God on a mission to save the world and believed 5G masts were linked to Islam.
Jerusalem Post: UK bans Palestinian-American activist flagged by antisemitism watchdog
Palestinian-American activist Moath Hamzeh, a trustee and vice-chair of the UK-registered charity Sun of Freedom, announced on Wednesday that he has been banned from entering the UK after the Home Office revoked his Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) allegedly on the grounds that his presence would not be “conducive to the public good.”
One of Israel’s leading experts on antisemitic extremism has described the debate over banning pro-Palestine protests in the UK as “very unhelpful,” insisting that attention should instead be directed at the “failure of many on these demos to understand the implications of the slogans they chant.”
Afghanistan
Yaël Braun-Pivet, President of France's National Assembly, said the Taliban's systematic policies and restrictions against women amount to gender apartheid. She described the situation as unacceptable and stressed the need to challenge the Taliban's treatment of women.
Le Monde: France confirms ‘technical discussions’ with Afghanistan's Taliban
It is now official. France, like other European countries such as Germany and Norway, has reestablished contact with Afghanistan’s Taliban regime, which remains under international sanctions and is ostracized for excluding girls and women from public life. On Monday, November 2, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed during a hearing before the Assemblée Nationale's Laws Committee that “technical discussions” were underway with Taliban authorities to facilitate the deportation of undocumented Afghans. “A certain number of them may pose a threat to public order. So, it is also my priority to ensure that we are able to send these individuals back,” he added, justifying the French government's decision.
Voice of America: UN says about half of Afghan children out of school
The United Nations says half of primary school-age children remain outside of formal general education programs in Afghanistan. Of the 11.5 million Afghan primary school-age children, only 6.6 million are enrolled in formal primary schools in 2025, UNESCO said in a statement on Wednesday.
Tajikistan
Khaama Press: Tajikistan Raises Alarm Over Extremism, Cybercrime and Afghanistan Border Security
Tajikistan has called for stronger measures against terrorism, extremism and cybercrime, warning that a decline in recorded offences does not mean security threats have disappeared. Authorities have also raised concerns about the involvement of young people and university students in extremist and terrorist organizations.
Middle East
The Saudi-led Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen announced that its air defense forces intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by Yemen’s Houthi movement toward the southern Saudi city of Najran.
Bahrain
Reuters: Iran war spurs crackdown on clerics in tiny Gulf state Bahrain
Shaken by the accuracy of Iran’s attacks on Bahrain and support for them among some Bahrainis, authorities in the Gulf island nation have launched a crackdown on Shi’ite Muslim clerics they accuse of fostering allegiance to Tehran at home. Bahraini officials have framed the move in existential terms, saying Iran seeks to undermine and ultimately topple the leadership of the only Gulf country that is ruled by a Sunni Muslim family but populated mostly by Shi'ites.
Jordan
Petra News: Legal Experts Call for Tougher Anti-Terrorism Laws, Proactive Measures
Amid growing security challenges and continued attempts by extremist groups to undermine national security and citizens' safety, calls are mounting for a qualitative shift in Jordan's criminal justice policy to confront terrorism. The calls are gaining momentum amid growing recognition that protecting lives and preserving civil peace require tackling extremist ideology at its roots and closing all loopholes that could be exploited by promoters of extremist and takfiri ideas who seek to undermine the rule of law and state institutions.
Iraq
Rudaw: Iraq reinforces military deployment along western defensive line
Iraq’s Ministry of Defense said Thursday that army units have begun reinforcing their deployment along the Rawa-Hatra defensive line to enforce security in areas north of the Euphrates River.
Lebanon
Times of Israel: UNIFIL confirms it will start leaving south Lebanon when mandate ends on Dec. 31
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) confirmed Thursday that it would start leaving the country at the end of the year, despite Beirut’s calls for the UN to extend the force’s mandate.
Naharnet: Hezbollah delegation visits Justice Palace to press over explosives case
A Hezbollah delegation has visited the Justice Palace in Beirut to discuss the case of the Dahr al-Baidar explosives with State Prosecutor Judge Ahmad Rami al-Hajj, MTV reported.
Naharnet: Berri reaffirms commitment to Resolution 1701 as legal shield for Lebanese sovereignty
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri reaffirmed Friday that United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 remains the sole legal framework guaranteeing Lebanon’s sovereignty and full territorial restoration up to its internationally recognized borders.
Naharnet: Hezbollah MP slams statement issued by US and allies
MP Ali Ammar of Hezbollah on Friday said a statement issued by the embassies of the U.S., the UK, Australia, Canada and Japan represented the “peak of lowness and insolence.”
Naharnet: Report: Berri mounts efforts to reopen dialogue between Aoun and Hezbollah
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri is mounting efforts to re-open lines of communication between President Joseph Aoun and Hezbollah, in a bid to avert a looming “explosion,” al-Akhbar newspaper reported Friday. The pro-Hezbollah daily said Berri has been pressuring Aoun and Hezbollah to reconnect — so far without progress, amid Hezbollah's demands for the government to back down from its decision to ban the group’s military activities.
Yemen
Associated Press: Airstrikes on a market in southwestern Yemen kill at least 20, Houthis say
Airstrikes hit a market in southwestern Yemen on Friday, killing at least 20 people, according to an official with Iran-backed Houthi rebels. It would be one of the deadliest attacks since fighting resumed between the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces.
New York Times: Saudi-Led Forces Bombed Yemeni Home, Killing Nine Family Members, Relatives Say
Yousef al-Qahm had just left lunch with his relatives last month when a fighter jet bombed their home in northern Yemen, flattening it on top of at least 28 people, he said.
Pakistan
Kabul Tribune: Pakistan Says Army Foils TTP Infiltration Attempt Along Afghan Border
Pakistani security forces foiled an attempted infiltration by the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the Shaluzan sector of Kurram district on Thursday, while exchanging fire with Afghan Taliban forces, Pakistani state media reported.
Pakistani security forces captured armed Afghan national alive during a major border security operation in Upper Kurram on Thursday, November 5, as fresh clashes erupted between Pakistani troops and Afghan Taliban forces near the volatile Shalozan sector. The suspect, identified as Qari Waqas alias Qudoos, was allegedly apprehended after Pakistani troops intercepted a group of suspected militants attempting to infiltrate Pakistani territory from Afghanistan.
Burkina Faso
Modern Ghana: Burkina Faso’s jihadist battle less deadly but unrelenting
While Burkina Faso has not seen a large-scale jihadist attack since late June, analysts and data suggest the calm is deceptive: attacks are less deadly but their frequency remains high.
Nigeria
The Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP) has begun spreading propaganda audio in a bid to recruit other terrorists in the northwestern region of Nigeria. This is according to a report containing exclusive audio recordings. Yusuf Anka, a journalist and researcher with expertise in conflict and security in the north, published a report and shared the recordings via X. He also spoke with FIJ about his findings.
Australia
Telegraph: Holocaust survivor, 90, dies from injuries a year on from Bondi attack
A Holocaust survivor wounded in last year’s Bondi Beach terror attack has died from complications linked to her injuries, a Jewish community group said. Eva Geller, 90, died in hospital 11 months after she was shot while attending a Hanukkah event on the Sydney beach.
Stay up to date on our latest news.
Get the latest news on extremism and counter-extremism delivered to your inbox.