Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - September 22, 2026, 01 PM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - September 22, 2026, 01 PM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

• 0:06
  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler. Counterterrorism police
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  Speaker 1: in the UK said they arrested two men in central
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  Speaker 1: Manchester as part of a proactive investigation into a suspected
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  Speaker 1: terrorist plot targeting the Jewish community in northern England. The
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  Speaker 1: arrests were made on Sunday, just ahead of the High
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  Speaker 1: Holy Day period, including Yom Kippur. Vicky Evans, Senior National
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  Speaker 1: Coordinator for Counterterrorism Policing, stated that while detectives do not
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  Speaker 1: believe there is an ongoing threat, police have stepped up
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  Speaker 1: security operations in the area. The Community Security Trust described
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  Speaker 1: the alleged plot as utterly chilling, particularly noting its timing
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  Speaker 1: close to the anniversary of a deadly synagogue attack in
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  Speaker 1: Manchester last year. Police are continuing their inquiries, with the
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  Speaker 1: men held in custody. At the University of Texas at Austin,
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  Speaker 1: a planned speech by Twitch streamer Hassan Piker is raising
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  Speaker 1: concerns that Jewish students will feel unsafe and unwelcome, particularly
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  Speaker 1: as it falls during the Sukkot holiday. According to the AJC,
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  Speaker 1: Piker has used his platform to amplify antisemitic tropes, deny
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  Speaker 1: Hamas atrocities, and victim-blame Jewish individuals targeted by antisemitism. The
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  Speaker 1: AJC notes that such events contribute to an environment where
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  Speaker 1: nearly 30% of Jewish college students report feeling unsafe on campus.
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  Speaker 1: and one-third avoid displaying symbols of their Jewish identity. In Denver,
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  Speaker 1: school board vice president Monica Hunter faces accusations of antisemitism.
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  Speaker 1: Reporting indicates she is alleged to have questioned a Jewish colleague,
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  Speaker 1: Amy Klein-Malk, about her support for Israel, asking how Jewish
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  Speaker 1: people could be OK with the killing of innocent babies.
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  Speaker 1: Klein-Malk reported that Hunter stated she could not support Israel
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  Speaker 1: or Jewish people who support its existence. Hunter denies the
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  Speaker 1: specific slur, but did not dispute the substance of the conversation,
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  Speaker 1: framing it as a private discussion. This exchange has drawn
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  Speaker 1: criticism for invoking classic anti-Semitic tropes. The school board has
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  Speaker 1: launched an independent investigation. In Germany, Israel's ambassador to Berlin
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  Speaker 1: has warned that the city's Jewish community faces an immediate
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  Speaker 1: existential threat following the victory of the far-left party Die
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  Speaker 1: Linke in the state election. This warning escalates concerns previously
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  Speaker 1: raised by German Chancellor Friedrich Mörs regarding the party's record
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  Speaker 1: on antisemitism. While Die Linke's lead candidate, Elif Eralp, has
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  Speaker 1: rejected allegations of antisemitism and presented a plan to protect
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  Speaker 1: Jewish life, the issue has become central to coalition discussions,
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  Speaker 1: Haaretz reported. A historian described the debate as overblown, but
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  Speaker 1: noted the significant focus on the party is linked to
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  Speaker 1: the Gaza war. In Connecticut, Democratic leaders, including House Speaker
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  Speaker 1: Matt Ritter, are calling for state's 8th district candidate William
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  Speaker 1: Gifford to withdraw from the race. Gifford, a journalism student
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  Speaker 1: and Turning Point USA leader, posted an Instagram interview with
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  Speaker 1: Christian nationalist Joshua Hames, who stated that Judaism is evil
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  Speaker 1: and leads people to hell. While Gifford initially nodded during
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  Speaker 1: Hames' statement, he later claimed he disagreed with the views
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  Speaker 1: and rejected antisemitism. adding a disclaimer that Hames's words were
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  Speaker 1: hateful and false. Governor Ned Lamont's office has also called
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  Speaker 1: for his withdrawal, stating hate and antisemitism have no place
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  Speaker 1: in public service. Gifford has refused to withdraw or apologize.
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  Speaker 1: In Providence, Rhode Island, the election of David Morales as mayor,
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  Speaker 1: a democratic socialist with pro-Palestine stances, has prompted fears within
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  Speaker 1: the local Jewish community amid rising anti-Semitic incidents regionally. Morales
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  Speaker 1: has focused his criticism on the Israeli government and US support.
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  Speaker 1: Community members, including Rabbi Sarah Mack, have noted feeling politically homeless.
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  Speaker 1: Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation reports that Russia-controlled TikTok networks
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  Speaker 1: circulated AI-generated fake videos during and after the recent Rosh
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  Speaker 1: Hashanah pilgrimage to Yumen, Ukraine. The fabricated videos falsely claim
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  Speaker 1: that Jewish pilgrims are being paid by the Ukrainian government
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  Speaker 1: for permanent settlement, receive special benefits, and plan to make
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  Speaker 1: human an independent entity. The CCD calls this campaign entirely disinformation,
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  Speaker 1: aimed at destabilizing Ukrainian society and artificially provoking antisemitic sentiments.
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  Speaker 1: I'm Rachel Adler. Thank you for listening to Antisemitism Watch.
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: Follow Antisemitism Watch in your podcast app so you don't
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: miss the next update. This report was generated with AI
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  Speaker 1: assistance and may contain inaccuracies. Please verify important details with
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  Speaker 1: primary sources.