Eye on Extremism: September 24, 2026
Top Stories
New York Times: At Trump’s Request, Nations Are Designating Crime Groups as Terrorists
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said leaders of countries across Latin America and the Caribbean had begun making the designations. The actions could help provide a public rationale for military strikes.
Hamas has announced that it is prepared to implement the Board of Peace's roadmap for Gaza's future on Thursday, claiming that the obstruction comes entirely from Israel.
CEP Mentions
Phönix Der Tag: Sanctions against Russia: Oil sales are Russia's Achilles' heel
Hans-Jakob Schindler (Senior Director, Counter Extremism Project, CEP) spoke, among other things, about the effectiveness of sanctions against Russia in the Ukraine war and the removal of two Russian oligarchs from EU sanctions lists.
NTV: "Conflict with the USA: At some point China will have to strike back"
Xi Jinping's visit to the US focuses on the relationship between the two rivals, but also on the influence of both superpowers in other regions of the world. However, security expert Hans-Jakob Schindler doubts that Beijing could exert decisive influence on the war in Iran.
T-Online: This demonstrates Russia's incompetence
What's particularly interesting is that, according to initial findings, the drone had apparently been lying in the vicinity of the military airfield for quite some time. The Süddeutsche Zeitung, NDR, and WDR are reporting up to two years. Security expert Hans-Jakob Schindler believes this fits the pattern.
Analysis
Deutsche Welle: Extremist parties are thriving ― and that scares people
Far-right and far-left parties are celebrating success after success, leaving moderate politicians in the dust. Many Germans worry about this. Political psychology helps us understand what's behind growing polarization.
The suicide bombing and gun attack that killed dozens in northwest Pakistan on Sept. 18, 2026, highlighted the fragile security situation in the South Asian country. But it also shone a light on the complex and evolving extremism landscape there and the strained relationship between Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan.
United States
Bulwark: The White Nationalist Buzzword on a State Department Door
The Trump administration’s policy of “third-country removals”—in which asylum seekers and unauthorized migrants who cannot be sent back to their home countries for fear of persecution or torture are instead deported to unrelated and unfamiliar countries where they often face wretched conditions and outright abuse—is bad enough. But a detail first disclosed by the Washington Post on Monday adds a sinister, if symbolic, touch: Such third-country deportations are being overseen by a new division within the State Department known as the Office of Remigration.
New York Jewish Week: Hundreds rally at UN to urge world leaders to address antisemitism
Hundreds of members of New York’s Jewish community competed against stand-still traffic, security details and dozens of black SUVs Wednesday night to reach Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza near the United Nations. Their plea? For world leaders at the global body’s annual General Assembly to take antisemitic violence seriously.
A widening gap has emerged between Israeli and American Jews over whether Israeli government policy contributes to the rise in global antisemitism, according to the September 2026 Jewish People Voice Index published by the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) on Thursday.
Jewish Insider: Cruz warns Christian leaders are ‘asleep’ on antisemitism among youth
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) warned on Wednesday that Christian leaders are “asleep” and failing to recognize the degree to which antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment have spread among Christian youth.
WOOD: 2 charged with terrorism after threatening elected officials
Two people from Michigan have recently been charged for making threats against elected officials. The Michigan Attorney General’s Office says 33-year-old Alicia Choucair faces two counts of false report or threat of terrorism, one count of using a computer to commit a crime and one count of making a threat involving a hate crime.
Controversial far-left streamer Hasan Piker blamed “hysterical” pro-Israel Jews for legitimizing the scourge of antisemitism — as he described himself as “Rush Limbaugh for Zoomers.” The New Jersey-born influencer, 35, who is due to attend a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York on Thursday, branded Jewish people “ridiculous” and “hysterical” for equating criticism of Israel with antisemitism — and blamed them for the rising hate.
JTA: Jewish Dems in Congress oppose plans to merge Holocaust and antisemitism envoys
Nearly two dozen Jewish Democrats in Congress signed a letter opposing plans to fold the State Department’s standalone Holocaust envoy office into the office of Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, the Trump administration’s special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism.
New York Times: ‘Out in Public View’: Indian Americans Say Racism Is Front and Center
For months, many Indian Americans said that they had noticed what seemed to be a marked uptick in racist comments against South Asians in some corners of social media. But two recent incidents have left some in the community wondering whether the anti-South Asian hate that they thought was a fringe sentiment was perhaps not so fringe after all.
JNS: Maryland Republicans withdraw support from antisemitic conspiracy theorist
The Montgomery County Republican Party in Maryland withdrew its support on Wednesday for a county council candidate who claimed that the Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, controls elected officials in the county. The party, which endorsed Harold Maldonado in District 7 in June, decided at a meeting on Tuesday night to end its support for the candidate and not to include him in its 2026 voter guide.
A Jewish professor at Duquesne University, a private Catholic school in Pittsburgh, has been subjected to a hostile work environment and endured retaliation for reporting antisemitism on campus, according to a complaint that the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law filed to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Thursday.
JNS: Massachusetts man gets almost 10 years for threats to kill Jewish congressman, his children
Edwin Guerrero, of Massachusetts was sentenced to nine years and 11 months for threatening to kill Randy Fine (R-Fla.) and his family, the U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday. The 26-year-old made antisemitic social media posts and threats between Aug. 10 and 15, 2025. Fine is Jewish and is outspoken about antisemitism and wears a kippah. At the time, he was a member of the Florida state House.
News4SA: Terrorism charge against San Antonio mother accused in school attack plot dismissed
A terrorism-related charge against a San Antonio mother accused of helping her teenage son prepare for possible violence at his middle school has been dismissed. Court records show the charge of aiding in the commission of terrorism against Ashley Pardo was dismissed Wednesday for “insufficient evidence.” The case was closed the same day.
Post and Courier: Reference to Ku Klux Klan removed from SC State Museum exhibit honoring America's 250th
A 1950s-era pamphlet from the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan was removed from an exhibit at the S.C. State Museum commemorating America’s 250th anniversary in an effort to present what museum officials called “a clearer and more historically accurate” portrait of South Carolina during the Civil Rights era, museum staff said.
Canada
The man who died following a Sunday shootout with police outside a synagogue in Belleville, Ont., alluded to killing Jewish people using a slur and railed against immigrants in interactions with a friend in the weeks leading up to the fatal attack, CBC News visual investigation team has learned.
Global News: Man charged after Durham police say he posted ‘hunting permit’ targeting Muslims
Police east of Toronto say they have charged a suspect after he allegedly promoted anti-Muslim hatred online. Durham regional police say they arrested a 57-year-old man from Whitby, Ont., after the force’s hate crime unit concluded the investigation on Wednesday.
France
Courthouse News: Frenchwoman who joined ISIS in Syria faces long-awaited trial in Paris
On Wednesday at a Paris court for terrorism cases, Sarah Talib stood behind the glass barrier of a dock. The 31-year-old Frenchwoman wore her long hair down over a black shirt and flowy zebra-print skirt; she liked to dress fashionably, she told the court, while answering questions about how she became radicalized. In 2014, when she was 19 years old, she traveled to Syria to join ISIS — now, Talib is charged with participating in a terrorist criminal organization.
Germany
In the wake of the Alternative für Deutschland’s (AfD) electoral success in the Saxony-Anhalt state election, commentators both in Germany and internationally have expressed concern with the party’s extreme right-wing policies. Among these concerns are recent calls from party elites to adopt “remigration” policies.
Brussels Signal: AfD leads North Rhine-Westphalia on a federal ballot for the first time
A Forsa poll for the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger has put Alternative for Germany (AfD) first in Germany’s most populous state if a Bundestag election were held now. Among 1,030 eligible voters questioned in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) between September 7 and 18, AfD scored 24 per cent and the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) 22.
JTA: Merz warns that Jews are not safe in Germany, as voters choose parties linked to antisemitism
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s warning this week that Jewish life in his country “is no longer safe” reflects concerns voiced by some Jews in Berlin. They are alarmed by the success of the left-wing socialist Left Party in Sunday’s municipal election, which coincides with the rising power of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in several state elections this month.
Netherlands
Vox: Dutch intelligence service AIVD labels GNSV as right-wing extremist
The Groot-Nederlandse Studentenvereniging (Greater Netherlands Student Association, GNSV) is a right-wing extremist offline group that supports 'remigration'. That is the conclusion of a report by the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCTV), published this Tuesday. In recent years, the GNSV has repeatedly had a presence at the Radboud University orientation week market.
NL Times: Politicians to blame for wider acceptance of far-right extremism: Experts
Experts have warned politicians that they must take more responsibility for the rise in right-wing extremism and the acceptance of it. Willem Wagenaar a researcher specializing in far-right extremism at the Anne Frank House, and Research platform Justice for Prosperity (JfP) have urged politicians to do more in addressing the issue.
JNS: Dutch Parliament to host son of convicted Palestinian terror leader amid criticism
Arab Barghouti will address the Dutch House of Representatives on Thursday at the invitation of Progressive Netherlands (PRO) lawmaker Kati Piri, prompting condemnation from Jewish community leaders. Marwan Barghouti, Arab’s father, is serving five life sentences for his involvement in deadly terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians during the Second Intifada.
United Kingdom
Ferret: Revealed: Scotland and Northern Ireland's rapidly expanding anti-immigration network
Experts have warned politicians that they must take more responsibility for the rise in right-wing extremism and the acceptance of it. Willem Wagenaar a researcher specializing in far-right extremism at the Anne Frank House, and Research platform Justice for Prosperity (JfP) have urged politicians to do more in addressing the issue.
Times of London: Labour MPs to share stage with head of Muslim group that opposed al-Qaeda ban
The leader of a Muslim group that opposed the proscription of al-Qaeda is to speak alongside Labour MPs at the party’s conference this week. Dr Wajid Akhter, the secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), is listed in Labour’s official conference programme as a speaker at a fringe event in Liverpool titled “Challenging the Rise of the Far Right and Racism”.
Afghanistan
Reuters: Pakistan air strikes kill 4 civilians in Afghanistan, Kabul says
Pakistan said its air force struck 10 locations in Afghanistan on Thursday, which were being used to launch and store drones, some of which had been used against Pakistan a day earlier, the latest sign of escalation between the allies-turned-foes. Kabul said the strikes killed four civilians.
Amu TV: Advocates warn of entrenched Taliban rule, normalization
Afghan women’s rights advocates warned at a gathering in New York that Taliban rule and restrictions on women and girls have become increasingly entrenched, while raising concerns that growing international engagement with the Taliban risks normalizing their policies. The remarks came during a Sept. 22 public discussion accompanying the “Where Justice Lives” exhibition at Atelier Jolie in New York. The exhibition brings together testimony, images, documents and research from the People’s Tribunal for the Women of Afghanistan, an Afghan civil society-led initiative documenting the persecution of women and girls under Taliban rule.’
Gaza Strip/West Bank
The US-controlled Board of Peace on Wednesday unveiled its six-month plan for the commencement of reconstruction in the war-decimated Gaza Strip, with its envoys telling representatives from dozens of countries present that they will need $2.45 billion to implement their first 66 projects.
Iran
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday vowed Tehran would continue its “resistance” against pressure and threats by the United States, while also saying Gaza would remain firm against what he called “occupation and aggression and injustice,” in a defiant address to the UN General Assembly.
Iran International: IRGC chief praises Pezeshkian's ‘steadfast’ UN address
IRGC Commander Ahmad Vahidi on Thursday praised President Masoud Pezeshkian’s UN speech, saying his declaration that “we are not afraid of war was the loud and steadfast voice of the Iranian nation” delivered to the world from the UN podium.
Gulf News: Senior IRGC commander killed in clashes in southeast Iran
A senior commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was killed during an operation against armed men in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Wednesday.
IranWire: IRGC Torture Leaves Iranian Civil Activist and Teacher Unconscious
The physical condition of Rashid Hesami, a detained teacher and civil activist in Qorveh, has reached a critical state, leading to his secret transfer to a hospital in Sanandaj. According to information obtained from sources via the Telegram channel of the Co-ordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, Hesami lost consciousness in the Qorveh IRGC Intelligence detention center as a result of torture and extreme physical strain. After his vital signs dropped, he was transferred to a secure ward of a hospital in Sanandaj.
Lebanon
Naharnet: Fadlallah says Lebanon can't be separated from region, Iran not replacing Lebanese state
MP Hassan Fadlallah, a member of Hezbollah’s Loyalty to the Resistance bloc, stated Thursday that “the strength, steadfastness and sacrifices of the Resistance -- combined with the resilience of its people and the powerful regional equation shaped by the Islamic Republic of Iran -- are what will ultimately compel the Israeli enemy to withdraw from our land, enable our people to return, and facilitate the reconstruction of destroyed villages and towns.”
Naharnet: Report: Lebanon arrests IS commander who was tasked with assassinating pope
The army intelligence directorate has arrested one of the most senior leaders of the Islamic State group in north Lebanon after he was tasked with carrying out a terrorist operation targeted against Pope Leo’s visit to Lebanon in late 2025, MTV has reported.
Saudi Arabia
Reuters: Saudi Arabia thwarts Houthi ballistic missiles, Yemen’s Saudi-led coalition says
Saudi Arabia intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis on Thursday, thwarting attacks on the southern province of Taif and Yanbu area on the Red Sea, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said.
Syria
TRT World: Syria was ‘born again’ after sanctions were lifted, President al Sharaa says
Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa stated on Tuesday that Syria was “born again” after sanctions against the country were lifted, saying their removal opened the way for economic recovery, foreign investment and a stronger regional role.
Turkey
News.AZ: Turkish police detain 11 IS, al-Qaeda suspects in Istanbul
Turkish police have detained 11 foreign nationals in Istanbul over suspected links to the Islamic State (IS) group and al-Qaeda, local media reported on Thursday. Counter-terrorism officers carried out simultaneous raids at several addresses across the city after investigators identified alleged contacts between the suspects and members of the two groups in conflict zones, according to Türkiye’s state-run Anadolu news agency.
Yemen
Reuters: UN rights chief says civilians are bearing the brunt of fighting in Yemen
Civilians are being hardest hit by surging violence in Yemen between Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces and Iran-backed Houthis, the UN human rights chief said on Thursday.
The latest fighting marks a sharp escalation in Yemen's civil war, which had largely been frozen since a 2022 truce.
Bloomberg: The Houthis Sustain Their War Machine With Chinese Goods
An examination of Chinese cargo seized en-route to a Houthi-controlled city reveals an array of commercial goods that can also be used to assemble ballistic missiles and drones.
Yemen Online: Sources Report Unprecedented Cyberattack on Houthi Command Center in Sana'a
A major cyberattack reportedly targeted a Houthi command-and-control center in the Al-Nahdain area south of Yemen's capital, Sana'a, compromising the group's security systems and exposing the locations and movements of several senior leaders, according to sources cited by local media.
Yemen’s Houthi movement announced the funeral of 17 of its members in several governorates under its control, including 12 fighters holding military ranks, in the latest publicly disclosed casualty figures released by the group since mid-July.
Pakistan
The suicide bombing and gun attack that killed dozens in northwest Pakistan on Sept. 18, 2026, highlighted the fragile security situation in the South Asian country. But it also shone a light on the complex and evolving extremism landscape there and the strained relationship between Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan.
Sudan
Reuters: Sudan’s RSF steps up deadly drone attacks on frontline cities
Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have intensified deadly drone attacks in government-held towns in the frontline state of North Kordofan, disrupting normal life and causing a deep sense of insecurity, residents say.
Australia
Herald Sun: Melbourne man charged with spreading ISIS propaganda and attack guides
A Carlton man has been charged with being a member of a terrorist organisation and sharing thousands of extremist media files and ISIS propaganda.
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