Eye on Extremism: October 28, 2026
Top Stories
Reuters: Houthis strike Yemen’s Aden airport after evacuation warning
Yemen’s Houthis attacked Aden airport on Wednesday, government officials said, after the Iran-aligned group warned people to evacuate the facility as fighting escalated in the impoverished country caught in the wider Middle East conflict.
A new workplace study published on Tuesday has revealed that 75.5% of Jewish employees feel that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) approaches within their organizations fail to respond consistently to antisemitism.
CEP Mentions
Welt: “All parties that have made deals with Netanyahu have had bad experiences”
Middle East expert Hans-Jakob Schindler explains the role of Arab parties and the potential consequences of different coalitions for Gaza.
Analysis
In late August, a teenager was arrested in Montreal, Canada. He was suspected of planning a school attack, motivated by an extremist ideology. While details of this case are still concealed, one aspect seemed particularly noteworthy: the teenager “is alleged to have used artificial intelligence in the potential planning of an attack,” according to the police.
Antisemitism
CNN commentator Van Jones warned on Tuesday that antisemitism threatens the historic alliance between Black Americans and Jews, cautioning that young people are being targeted by online messaging aimed at turning them against Israel, as he was honored at the American Friends of Magen David Adom’s annual New York City gala.
Jerusalem Post: Fake AI ‘Rabbi’ network turns antisemitic money tropes into crypto cash grabs
CAM’s Antisemitism Research Center (ARC) has identified a new network of fake “rabbi” personas spreading antisemitic money tropes across Instagram, TikTok, X, and Telegram.
United States
Fox News: US military kills five in eastern Pacific strike on suspected drug-trafficking vessel
The U.S. military on Tuesday carried out a lethal strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific that it said was involved in drug trafficking, killing five people it identified as "narco-terrorists," according to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).
New York Times: U.S. Defends Military Campaign Against Cartels as Leaders Gather in Caribbean
The Trump administration pressed its case for using more military force to take on drug smugglers as defense officials from across Latin America and the Caribbean met on Tuesday to review a wide-ranging plan to dismantle transnational trafficking networks.
Courthouse News Service: Jury convicts American woman in IS training case
An emotional scene unfolded in a federal courtroom Tuesday after jurors convicted Halima Salman of receiving military training with the Islamic State group in 2018.
Reuters: US health chief RFK Jr faces widespread rebuke over his anti-Arab remarks
US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced widespread rebuke from civil rights groups, healthcare advocates and Democrats on Tuesday over his anti-Arab comments that the Council on American-Islamic Relations cast as “a textbook display of unvarnished racism and bigotry.”
Reuters: Ohio man convicted in US of lying about role in Rwandan genocide
A Rwandan-born Ohio man has been convicted of US charges that he lied during a 2019 criminal trial as part of a decades-long scheme to conceal his involvement in the African nation’s 1994 genocide.
ABC 13 News: FBI, Florida deputies arrest teen accused of seeking ISIS help to build explosives
A 15-year-old Gainesville boy is accused of seeking ISIS help to build drones and explosives, with investigators finding bomb-making files and chemicals at his home.
Fox 17: Michigan man facing terrorism-related charges following a tip
Muskegon County prosecutors say a Michigan man is now charged for planning an act of mass violence after investigators found explosive devices and guns at his home. State police say the investigation began after a third party reported threats linked back to Stewart Lee Simon.
Jewish parents in one of California’s wealthiest counties are furious over what they see as a yearslong failure to confront bigotry — amid a disturbing rash of antisemitic graffiti and hate speech by children at local public schools.
Shrewsbury Post: Jewish Federation cites rising antisemitism after Easthampton divestment vote
The Easthampton City Council unanimously approved a resolution on October 21 urging the city to divest municipal funds from companies linked to Israel’s military operations, prompting criticism from the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts. In a statement released October 22, the federation said it was “deeply disappointed” by the decision, warning that it sends a troubling message as Jewish communities in Western Massachusetts and around the world face rising antisemitism and increasing isolation.
Advocates are calling for El Paso residents to confront anti-Blackness in their community and learn the history of white supremacy after a racist incident went viral over the weekend – raising questions about racism and organized hate, accountability and the boundaries of free speech.
On Oct. 27, over 100 community members gathered in Squirrel Hill to remember the massacre of congregants at the Tree of Life synagogue eight years ago.
News10ABC: Second person arrested in connection to graffiti investigation in Geneva
Geneva Police say the arrest follows an investigation into the report of two people spray-painting “Deport Invaders, PatriotFront.US” on the exterior wall of the RTS Bus Station in the Exchange Place parking lot. The message linked to PatriotFront, a white nationalist group.
JNS: Detroit area neighborhood again hit with antisemitic fliers
The Berkley Police Department, in the Detroit area, plans to increase patrols after residents reported that antisemitic fliers were left on lawns and sidewalks.
Canada
CBC: P.E.I. man pleads not guilty to terrorism charges that police say are a 1st for Atlantic Canada
A man from Prince Edward Island has pleaded not guilty to what police have called the first terrorism charges ever laid in Atlantic Canada. Daniel Desmond Crowder of North Rustico is facing two charges in connection with 3D-printed firearms and issuing online threats.
Times Colonist: Incoming premier denounces white supremacists at legislature
B.C.’s incoming premier has denounced the more than a dozen masked men who displayed a white nationalist sign on the steps of the legislature on Sunday, the day after the provincial election.
CBC: Whitehorse man arrested after incidents targeting mosque faces new hate-related charge
A Whitehorse man charged after a series of Islamophobic acts targeting the city’s lone mosque is now accused of another hate-motivated incident. James Joseph Thomas faces a new charge of committing an offence motivated by hatred based on religion — namely, mischief — after an Islamophobic message was spray-painted onto a building downtown on Sept. 21.
Germany
JNS: Germany’s new antisemitism commissioner takes office
Katharina von Schnurbein took office on Wednesday as Germany’s federal commissioner for Jewish life and the fight against antisemitism, succeeding Felix Klein. The German Interior Ministry announced her appointment on Oct. 14.
JNS: German Jews fear antisemitism at France-inspired rallies
Germany’s main Jewish umbrella group warned on Monday of a possible escalation during protests planned in the country for Oct. 31, inspired by demonstrations in France. In a statement, the Council described a “heightened threat level” over the weekend. The Council said it had indications that the planned mobilizations could turn violent, possibly against Jews.
Serbia
An assailant with knives attacked a police officer from an elite unit guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade just after midnight on Wednesday, police said. The officer responded by fatally shooting the attacker.
Kurdistan24: Serbia Raises Terror Alert After Attacker Killed Outside Israeli Embassy
Serbian police killed a knife-wielding attacker outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade early Wednesday after he assaulted a police officer guarding the mission, prompting authorities to raise the country's terrorism threat level to its highest setting.
United Kingdom
The Telegraph: BBC managers ‘gaslit’ Jewish staff over anti-Semitism
Jewish staff at the BBC have said managers “gaslit” them when they complained about anti-Semitism at the broadcaster. Instead of taking the complaints seriously, managers had asked the alleged victims whether they would like therapy, it was claimed. Others were told they were being “oversensitive” when they had reported anti-Semitic language.
UnHerd: Why Farage is changing his tune on Tommy Robinson
Back in 2018 — the mists of time, as far as Britain’s political Right is concerned — Nigel Farage quit Ukip because of the party’s “fixation” with Tommy Robinson. He labeled Robinson, who had been appointed as an adviser by then-Ukip leader Gerard Batten, as “thuggish” and criticized the activist’s allies as “violent criminals”. Association with Robinson has remained a red line of sorts for Farage throughout his career. But now the tribune of Britain’s populist Right appears to be undergoing a shift on the anti-Islam activist.
Two former senior BBC employees have called for an independent inquiry into the broadcaster after Oscar-winning producer Lucie Kon’s allegations of ‘antisemitism’ inside the organisation.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan International: Army Destroyed Several Taliban Posts Along Border, Says Pakistan
Pakistani officials said the army destroyed several Taliban border posts after a shell struck a house in Angoor Adda, South Waziristan, killing one civilian. Five other members of the family were wounded, according to the officials.
Afghan Taliban forces fired mortars into a former Pakistani Taliban stronghold in restive northwestern Pakistan, killing a civilian and wounding five others, a Pakistani government official said early Wednesday.
8AM Media: Afghanistan United Front: We Killed a Taliban Member in Kapisa
The Afghanistan United Front has announced that one Taliban member was killed in an operation in Tagab district of Kapisa province. In a statement on Wednesday, October 28, the front said the Taliban member, named Mullah Samar Gul, was targeted in the Maligar area of Dara Nama, in Tagab district.
Gaza Strip/West Bank
The IDF struck targets in the Gaza Strip in the past week, killing multiple terrorists from the military wing of the Hamas terrorist organization, according to the military.
Iran
Iran International: Inside the alleged IRGC Intelligence takeover of Iran’s sanctioned oil trade
Documents reviewed and information obtained by Iran International indicate that the IRGC Intelligence Organization orchestrated a quasi-coup to revive its corruption network and take control of Iran's sanctioned oil trade.
Iran International: Mojtaba Khamenei urges students to strengthen country’s power
A message attributed to Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei urged university students to strengthen the country's power through scientific knowledge, faith and innovation, state media reported Wednesday.
Jordan
Arab News: Jordan, Syria agree to form joint security committee after deadly airstrikes on Daesh
Jordan and the Syrian Arab Republic agreed on Wednesday to establish a joint security committee to investigate the details and repercussions of the Jordanian airstrikes against Daesh that killed seven civilians in southern Syria, the two countries’ foreign ministers said in a joint statement.
Lebanon
Naharnet: Report: Hezbollah hasn't given state guarantees on staying out of war
President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have not received any “official guarantees” from Hezbollah regarding not engaging in a new war in support of Iran, an official source said.
Naharnet: Jumblat defends views as Hezbollah MP slams blatant US ‘interference’
Former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat told L'Orient-Le Jour that neither the Lebanese Parliament nor the Cabinet was consulted before the signing of a tripartite framework deal with Israel. “I have the right to express my opinion,” he said, in an interview on Tuesday.
Yemen
Yemen Online: Yemeni Forces Repel Houthi Infiltration Attempts Along Bab al-Mandab Fronts
Yemeni government forces announced on Wednesday that they had successfully repelled multiple Houthi infiltration attempts along the strategic frontlines of Bab al-Mandab, Dhubab, and Al-Mudharabah in western Yemen, amid intensified military operations across several combat zones.
Pakistan
Arab News: Pakistan says low social media compliance hampers fight against online extremism
Pakistan’s efforts to counter online extremism face low compliance from social media companies, shortages of trained analysts and weak coordination, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said in a written parliamentary response released on Wednesday.
Afghanistan International: Army Destroyed Several Taliban Posts Along Border, Says Pakistan
Pakistani officials said the army destroyed several Taliban border posts after a shell struck a house in Angoor Adda, South Waziristan, killing one civilian. Five other members of the family were wounded, according to the officials.
Express Tribune: Nine terrorists killed in two intelligence-based operations in Balochistan: ISPR
Security forces killed nine terrorists belonging to Indian backed Fitna al-Hindustan during two Intelligence-Based Operations (IBOs) in Balochistan’s Kachhi and Wadh districts, the military's media wing said on Wednesday.
Congo
Reuters: Gold smuggling funds Islamic State-linked insurgency in eastern Congo, report says
An Islamic State-aligned insurgency in eastern Congo generates most of its revenue from gold production and smuggling, allowing it to finance its own operations, a report said on Tuesday.
Ghana
Africa Defense Forum: Ghana Buttresses Northern Security
In mid-October, leaders in Ghana’s northern Bawku community celebrated a milestone: 150 days without gun violence in a region beset by a long-running ethnic conflict. Experts say that Bawku’s five months of calm between the Kusasi and Mamprusi ethnic groups are the result of intensive mediations by the National Peace Council, an increased security presence and the promise of investments by the national government.
Somalia
Associated Press: Islamic militants kill at least 20 Somali soldiers in ambush, officer says
Islamic extremist militants killed at least 20 Somali soldiers in an ambush, a military officer who survived the attack said, as the government acknowledged damage to military vehicles but disclosed no troop casualties.
Philippines
Inquirer: 11 former extremists yield to Army, turn in rifles in Maguindanao Sur
Eleven former members of extremist groups have surrendered to the military and were presented to the commander of the Army’s 601st Infantry Brigade during a ceremony at the headquarters of the 38th Infantry Battalion (38IB) in Datu Piang, Maguindanao del Sur, on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
Australia
Guardian: Criminal case against alleged Bondi terrorist delayed amid ‘unprecedented’ investigation
The criminal case against Naveed Akram for his alleged role in the Bondi terror attack faces more delays after an “unprecedented” investigation by the joint counter-terrorism team.
A convicted Islamic State terrorist with links to the alleged Bondi Beach massacre gunman is set to walk free from prison on Sunday, despite authorities having the power to seek an extension of his detention. Self-proclaimed Australian ISIS commander Isaac El Matari is approaching the end of his five-year prison sentence, with the Australian Federal Police now reportedly seeking court-imposed restrictions on his movements and activities.
Neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell has admitted his part in an alleged attack at an Indigenous protest site, but has told a court he disputed the version of events outlined by prosecutors.
A boy charged with planning a violent school attack has been described in a Queensland court as a victim of “big tech” and online extremists. The 13-year-old was arrested in May after extremist material was allegedly found on electronic devices at his home in Maryborough, about three hours north of Brisbane.
New Zealand
J-Wire: New Zealand Jewish leaders targeted with violent threats as antisemitic harassment escalates
The New Zealand Jewish Council has raised concerns about escalating antisemitic harassment and threats of violence directed at Jewish New Zealanders, including calls for a Jewish community leader to be run over by a car and messages celebrating the Holocaust.
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