Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - September 8, 2026, 05 PM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - September 8, 2026, 05 PM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

• 0:06
  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler. Manhattan prosecutors
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: have indicted Raoul Morales on hate crime charges for the
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  Speaker 1: alleged stabbing of two men near Upper West Side synagogues
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  Speaker 1: in July. The indictment, announced Tuesday, charges Morales with attempted
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: murder as a hate crime, assault as a hate crime,
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  Speaker 1: and attempted assault as a hate crime. According to prosecutors,
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  Speaker 1: Morales was motivated by antisemitism, allegedly believing the men to
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  Speaker 1: be Jewish, with evidence recovered from his phone indicating antisemitic sentiments.
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch stated Morales allegedly assaulted the
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  Speaker 1: victims for no other reason than his belief they were Jewish.
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  Speaker 1: And Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg called it a prime
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  Speaker 1: example of how hate crimes make all of us less safe.
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  Speaker 1: This specific incident follows broader national trends. FBI data released
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  Speaker 1: in August indicates a decline in antisemitic hate crimes. from
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  Speaker 1: 1938 incidents in 2024 to 1528 in 2025. However, Eil Feinberg,
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  Speaker 1: an associate professor of political science and antisemitism studies at
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  Speaker 1: Graz College, warns that a return to pre-October 7th levels
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  Speaker 1: is very unlikely, due to the increasing normalization of antisemitism.
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  Speaker 1: Feinberg notes that 2025 still represented the third-highest number of
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  Speaker 1: antisemitic hate crimes recorded by the Bureau. and was 36%
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  Speaker 1: higher than in 2022. He explains this trend follows a
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  Speaker 1: pattern of a spike, a decline, and then a plateau,
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  Speaker 1: stating that antisemitism is becoming more normalized. Feinberg also highlighted
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  Speaker 1: that in 2025, anti-Jewish incidents outnumbered hate crimes against every
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  Speaker 1: other religion combined, and Jews were disproportionately targeted, facing 7.5
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  Speaker 1: times more hate crimes than Muslim Americans, despite making up
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  Speaker 1: only 2% of the population. He suggested that vandalism against
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  Speaker 1: Jewish targets is often an attack on Jewish visibility, with
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  Speaker 1: institutions and symbols being easier targets than individuals. In international developments,
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  Speaker 1: UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced comprehensive sanctions against Israel,
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  Speaker 1: accusing the nation of ethnic cleansing and unlawful occupation. These
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  Speaker 1: measures include banning trade with illegal settlements, and sanctioning individuals
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  Speaker 1: and companies that facilitate them, such as those involved in
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  Speaker 1: the Eon settlement, Miliband's announcement was met with significant objections
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  Speaker 1: from the leadership of the British Jewish community. UK Chief
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  Speaker 1: Rabbi Ephraim Mervis and others warned that such actions could
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  Speaker 1: lead to increased vilification of Jews and harm British Jews,
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  Speaker 1: while not effectively influencing Israeli policy. Critics argue Miliband's rhetoric
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  Speaker 1: echoes that used by groups seeking legitimacy for anti-Semitic claims. Separately,
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  Speaker 1: in Massachusetts, the Hampshire Superior Court upheld Northampton's resolution to
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  Speaker 1: divest from companies enabling alleged apartheid in Israel and Palestine,
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  Speaker 1: dismissing a legal challenge. This marks one of the nation's
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  Speaker 1: first rulings on municipal divestment. Thirty residents, including 20 from
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  Speaker 1: the Jewish community, defended the resolution, citing reports from Amnesty
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  Speaker 1: International and the International Court of Justice, and asserting that
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  Speaker 1: cities should ensure investments align with values of peace and justice.
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  Speaker 1: Northampton had over $ 70, 000 invested in entities like the First
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  Speaker 1: International Bank of Israel and weapons manufacturer RTX. On campuses,
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  Speaker 1: the universities of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon have faced criticism
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  Speaker 1: early in the fall semester regarding their handling of anti-Zionist
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  Speaker 1: and anti-Semitic activity. Meanwhile in Toronto, two Jewish trustees, Shelley
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  Speaker 1: Laskin and Alexandra Lulke-Rotman, have decided not to seek re-election
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  Speaker 1: to the Toronto District School Board. Their departure comes amidst
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  Speaker 1: heated discussions about anti-Semitism and a provincial takeover of the board.
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  Speaker 1: Stacey Klein remains the only Jewish trustee seeking re-election. Laskin
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  Speaker 1: and Lulke-Rotman have collectively served decades, during which they supported
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  Speaker 1: equity projects and the Jewish community through initiatives like the
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  Speaker 1: Jewish Heritage Committee. In institutional responses, Leo Terrell, chair of
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  Speaker 1: the U.S. Justice Department's Task Force on Jew Hatred, is
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  Speaker 1: planning a 15-city tour. Terrell aims to spotlight antisemitism, framing
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  Speaker 1: it as an American fight against hate and emphasizing the
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  Speaker 1: inclusion of non-Jewish allies. He stated, Our goal is to
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  Speaker 1: show people that hate comes in all shapes and forms,
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  Speaker 1: and these people here are standing up against that. Terrell
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  Speaker 1: stressed that fighting Jew hatred is an American issue. It
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  Speaker 1: is a Western civilization issue. The tour will feature a
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  Speaker 1: daily podcast, social media engagement, and participation from federal officials
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  Speaker 1: across multiple departments, including the state, labor, and treasury. Terrell
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  Speaker 1: also called for increased political accountability, urging politicians to provide
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: more than symbolic support. Finally, in online extremism, Meta has
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  Speaker 1: removed an Iranian regime-linked network that disguised its origins and
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  Speaker 1: employed fake American personas to influence US political debate. The
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  Speaker 1: combat antisemitism movement welcomed the action. I'm Rachel Adler, thank
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  Speaker 1: you for listening to Antisemitism Watch. Follow Antisemitism Watch in
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: your podcast app so you don't miss the next update.
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: This report was generated with AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies.
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: Please verify important details with primary sources. Thank you.