Eye on Extremism: September 3, 2026
Top Stories
Reuters: Iran warns US against Israeli attack on south Lebanon ridge held by Hezbollah, sources say
Iran has warned the United States that it would respond forcefully to an Israeli offensive on a mountainous ridge in southern Lebanon where Iranian military personnel are holed up alongside Hezbollah fighters, three officials briefed on the message told Reuters. The message, delivered last month, highlights Iran's continued direct involvement in the ground fighting in southern Lebanon and its readiness to retaliate against Israeli attacks there as the regional war enters its seventh month.
For 40 Jewish graduate students gathered on Capitol Hill on Monday, the trip to Washington was not simply an exercise in advocacy. Many arrived carrying stories from campuses where they had felt increasingly isolated, targeted or ignored — and left with a desire to do something about it.
CEP Mentions
Vecernji List: Why Germany is the Russian target for attacks
Why would Russia target Leipzig? Experts believe that the strategic position of the airport can explain why it could be interesting for Russian operatives. "At the moment, it could really be in Russia's interest to attack Ukrainian logistics right here," said Hans-Jakob Schindler, director of the Counter Extremism Project.
Euronews: Tensions between Moscow and Berlin: We answer the most important questions
Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler of the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism explains that "here, too, it's about keeping the options open for an escalation on the German side."
FOCUS: Pressure on the Shadow Fleet is leverage against Putin's war chest
Following the attempted drone attack in Leipzig, Germany is increasing pressure on Russia's shadow fleet, among other measures. This move could also affect Putin's war chest, explains security expert Hans-Jakob Schindler.
Focus: Putin's hybrid attacks are "tests of the German response"
Putin wants to test reactions and general responsiveness with every hybrid operation in Germany, says security expert Hans-Jakob Schindler in an interview with FOCUS online. It can be assumed that Moscow is closely observing who reacts how quickly and what changes as a result of such an attack.
Focus: Germany is deliberately entering a spiral of escalation
Following the attempted drone attack in Leipzig, Berlin is reacting with new sanctions against Russia. Security expert Hans-Jakob Schindler sees this as a deliberate decision by Germany to enter a spiral of escalation.
Analysis
Psychology Today: What Does Childhood Trauma Have to Do With White Supremacy?
Juvenile offenders and extremists have experienced more childhood trauma than the general population. Right-wing extremists experienced higher rates of childhood adversity than left-wing extremists. Extremists may develop a lack of empathy as a response to maltreatment.
JNS: How the IDF clears Hezbollah’s explosive-rigged terrain in Southern Lebanon
The booby-trap blast that killed two Israeli reservists in a building in the Lebanese village of Majdal Zoun on Aug. 5 has thrown a spotlight on one of the most persistent threats facing Israeli troops operating in the security zone: explosive devices hidden in and around structures that Hezbollah has spent years preparing across its Southern Lebanon strongholds.
The struggle against terrorism has never been merely a contest of force. It is—at its core—a contest over information, meaning, and human motivation. Terrorist organizations do not simply plan attacks; they cultivate narratives, recruit adherents, and exploit vulnerabilities—both material and psychological. Their success depends not only on operational capability but also on their ability to imbue violence with symbolic significance. Counterterrorism, therefore, must be carried out on multiple levels simultaneously: disrupting networks, preventing acts of violence, countering ideology, and addressing the underlying needs that draw individuals toward extremist causes.
United States
Former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores asked a federal judge Wednesday to dismiss the drug trafficking charges against them, arguing, among other things, that the pair have sovereign immunity, according to court documents.
The U.S. military on Wednesday intercepted and sank a vessel in the Eastern Pacific that it said was supporting a "narco-terrorist" organization, according to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).
JNS: ‘Serious concern’ about Jew-hatred in largest US labor union, Senate panel finds
There is a “distinct and serious concern” about how the National Education Association, the largest U.S. labor union, treats its Jewish members, according to a report that the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions released on Wednesday.
Orlando Sentinel: Outrage spreads after Nazi salutes and swastika-waving at Orlando’s Kia Center
A fighter critics say is an open neo-Nazi took part in a kickboxing match at the Kia Center over the weekend, defeating a Jewish opponent before appearing to give a Nazi salute to the crowd. During the match, members of the crowd repeated the salute and held up a red-and-black swastika banner.
Associated Press: Arizona police confirm Tucson gay bar shooting was a hate crime
Police in Arizona have confirmed that a shooting at a Tucson gay bar that left three people dead, including the shooter, was a hate crime. The suspect, 44-year-old Ousman Ceesay, was new to the Tucson area and did not know the victims, the Tucson Police Department said in a news release Tuesday night.
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said on Thursday that the city had experienced its safest summer, when it came to murders and to shooting incidents and victims, in recorded history, but Jews continued to be disproportionately targeted in the city.
A Missouri law mandating public schools and universities to define antisemitic behavior in their codes of conduct and report those cases to state officials has sparked concerns that it may infringe on First Amendment rights.
The FBI is warning parents to closely monitor their children's online activity after a Maine teenager became the first juvenile in the country to be federally charged and adjudicated for crimes connected to a violent online network known as "764."
WKYT: Inmate at Kentucky federal prison sentenced for stabbing cellmate
A New York man being held at a Kentucky federal prison was sentenced for attempted murder on Wednesday. Mufid Elfgeeh, 42, will spend an additional 19 years in prison after he stabbed his cellmate at United States Penitentiary McCreary after being denied a request for a private cell by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Canada
Global News: Surrey Islamic centre targeted with hateful, threatening vandalism
Police are investigating after a Surrey mosque was vandalized with hateful and threatening graffiti over the weekend, prompting condemnation from political leaders and renewed concerns about rising Islamophobia in Canada.
Afghanistan International: Canada Warns Citizens Against Travel To Afghanistan
The Canadian government has issued a strong warning urging its citizens not to travel to Afghanistan, saying the security situation remains highly volatile and dangerous. In its latest travel advisory, Canada said people already in Afghanistan should exercise caution if they need to move to a safer location and should review their personal security plans.
Canadian Jewish professors reported a “sharp erosion of both physical and emotional safety across campuses,” according to an article published this month in the Canadian Journal of Higher Education.
Germany
Reuters: Germany's far-right AfD aims for breakthrough in state election
Voters in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt go to the polls on Sunday in an election where the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is hoping to win power for the first time and mark a historic shift in German politics.
Reuters: What would an AfD-led state government in Germany look like?
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) under lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund is vying to win power for the first time in closely watched elections in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday.
JTA: What would a far-right win in Germany’s east mean for Jews?
Germany’s far right is heading to a historic win in the eastern federal state of Saxony-Anhalt, with plans of overhauling society to foster national pride and reject the country’s “guilt complex” over the Holocaust.
Spain
Spain was filled with flags of Ceuta this Wednesday. There were some on Ceuta's Gran Vía, among families walking towards Plaza de África; in an overflowing Plaza de Cibeles; in front of the city halls of Valencia, Malaga, Zaragoza, Valladolid or Bilbao; and also in cities where such a mobilization had not been seen for years. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to support a city that has been demanding help for more than a month.
Times of Israel: Antisemitic incidents up 14.5% in Spain in 2025, Jewish group says
Antisemitic incidents in Spain rose 14.5% in 2025, according to a new report, as Jewish community leaders warned that anti-Jewish hatred is becoming increasingly normalized in daily life. The report by the Federation of Jewish Communities in Spain and the Movement Against Intolerance documented 221 antisemitic incidents last year, up from 193 in 2024.
Sweden
The New Arab: Swedish far-right party’s rhetoric on Muslims taken to UN
A Swedish political party has submitted evidence to three UN Special Procedures, urging them to take action over what it describes as Islamophobic rhetoric from the Sweden Democrats (SD), the country’s nationalist, right-wing populist party. The submission warns that such rhetoric could undermine Muslim religious rights as Sweden heads towards a general election.
United Kingdom
BBC: Fear and anxiety amid rise in religious hate crime
Religious communities are facing "fear and anxiety" amid a surge in reports of anti-Muslim and antisemitic hate crimes. Reports of crimes across the Avon and Somerset Police area targeting Muslim people have risen by 240% between 2022 and 2025, while those targeting Jewish people have increased by 163% over the same period.
Two worshippers were mistakenly struck by a ‘stray’ bullet fired from a police Glock pistol as firearms officers responded to the deadly Heaton Park Synagogue terror attack, a court was told today.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan International: Taliban Holds Security Meeting To Assess Situation Across Afghanistan
The Taliban’s Security and Clearance Affairs Commission says it held a meeting chaired by Defence Minister Mullah Yaqoob Mujahid to assess Afghanistan’s security situation, which the group described as reassuring.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says it recorded at least 30 incidents of Taliban interference with humanitarian activities in the past month, including the detention of two aid workers in Herat. In a report issued on Thursday, 3 September, OCHA said it recorded 16 incidents involving restrictions on humanitarian access in July, 12 cases of violence against staff or interference with aid organisations’ assets and facilities, and two restrictions on aid workers’ movement.
Afghanistan International: US Rejects Taliban Call For Investment In Afghanistan’s Critical Minerals
The US State Department has rejected the Taliban’s call for American investment in Afghanistan, telling Voice of America that Washington has no plans to engage with the group on critical mineral development.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman says Islamabad welcomes China’s role in Afghanistan and its efforts to ease tensions but says Beijing’s mediation will not succeed unless the Taliban changes its relationship with Pakistani insurgent groups.
Gaza Strip/West Bank
The United States on Wednesday went slightly further in condemning surging West Bank settler violence than it has in the past, urging legal action, though it did not use the word “settler” and avoided criticizing Israel for not cracking down on the phenomenon.
Iran
AFP: Iran Guards chief vows to avenge victims killed in wedding strike
Iran's Revolutionary Guards chief Ahmad Vahidi vowed on Thursday to avenge the four people killed at a wedding ceremony in the south, which Iran has blamed on the U.S. "The pure blood of these oppressed martyrs... will not go unanswered and will definitely be avenged," Vahidi said in a statement carried by state television.
Iran International: US military ‘never targets civilians, unlike the IRGC,’ CENTCOM says
US Central Command said Wednesday it was looking into Iranian state media reports that a US strike hit a wedding in southern Iran, while rejecting allegations that American forces target civilians.
Iran International: Iran rights group seeks German probe into crimes against humanity
A rights group has asked German prosecutors to investigate crimes against humanity by Iranian authorities, presenting evidence of thousands of killings and mass detentions during nationwide protests that began in late 2025 and early 2026.
Israel
Times of Israel: Israel makes first arrest of settler involved in recent Qusra attack, police say
An Israeli settler has been arrested on suspicion of participating in a violent attack on the West Bank Palestinian village of Qusra over the weekend, police announced Thursday. He was the first to be arrested over Saturday’s attack, which saw dozens of Israeli settlers raid the village, take over a home with a family inside, and attack residents, including throwing stones at Palestinians and others.
An exclusive 'Post' review looks at senior military analyst Yonah Jeremy Bob and WSJ's Elliot Kaufman's account of the decisions, clashes, and secret deliberations that shaped Israel's war.
Reuters: Israel to release five Lebanese detainees amid talks with Lebanon
Israel will release five Lebanese citizens detained in southern Lebanon after finding they had no links to militant groups, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Thursday. It said the decision came amid negotiations with Lebanon to recover the remains of Jewish community leaders kidnapped and killed there in the mid-1980s.
Lebanon
Naharnet: Report: Hezbollah gathering intel, preparing for renewed fighting
Hezbollah is continuing to gather intelligence in preparation for a scenario in which fighting resumes, Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper has reported.
Syria
More than 11 months after Syrian authorities detained Adel al-Natour, a 71-year-old co-founder and former member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), he remains held without trial or access to legal counsel, his family told Middle East Eye.
Yemen
Yemen Online: 16 Houthis Killed in Fierce Clashes with Yemeni Forces on Taiz-Mokha Front
Military sources reported Thursday that 16 Houthi fighters were killed during heavy clashes with government forces along the Taiz-Mokha axis in southern Yemen. The fighting erupted after Houthi units launched a ground assault on several positions west of Taiz province. Earlier in the day, sources had confirmed that the Houthis made temporary advances, seizing a number of sites with the support of drones and ballistic missiles.
Yemen Online: Yemeni Forces Destroy Explosive-Laden Boat Targeting Mokha Port
Government forces announced Thursday that they had destroyed a booby-trapped boat attempting to strike Mokha Port on the Red Sea coast of western Taiz province.
Nigeria
AfricaNews: Nigeria confirms planned withdrawal of US troops sent to help tackle insecurity crisis
Nigeria on Tuesday confirmed the planned withdrawal of around 200 U.S. troops sent to help the West African country tackle its complex security crisis. The deployment was made in February following an escalation in tensions between Nigeria and the U.S. following accusations of Christian genocide.
Pakistan
Washington Post: Pakistan security forces kill 15 militants attempting to cross from Afghanistan
Pakistan’s security forces killed 15 militants attempting to cross into the country from neighboring Afghanistan, the military said Thursday, a sign of continuing tensions along the border.
Dawn: No thaw until Kabul acts against terrorists: FOl
Despite recent diplomatic developments suggesting a renewed push to ease tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Foreign Office on Wednesday remained firm that meaningful progress in relations would depend on the Taliban taking concrete and verifiable action against the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory.
Australia
A Canberra man who performed a Nazi salute in public and spread white supremacist stickers around a university campus has not renounced his ideology since the offences, a court has heard.
SBS: Antisemitism royal commission to report later than planned
The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has had its deadline extended by four days so that it does not clash with the anniversary of the Bondi Massacre.
A young Jewish family has been left distraught after they were labelled “Zionist Nazis” and “baby killers” in a sickening antisemitic attack at Melbourne Airport. The Melbourne-based family were in the international departures terminal when they were approached by a woman who started hurling abuse at the family, including a baby and two young girls.
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