Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - August 26, 2026, 05 PM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - August 26, 2026, 05 PM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

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  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler. We begin
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  Speaker 1: with a harrowing incident in Michigan where a naturalized U.S. citizen,
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  Speaker 1: Ayman Mohamed Ghazali, rammed an explosives-laden truck into Temple Israel
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  Speaker 1: in West Bloomfield Township on March 12. The FBI has
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  Speaker 1: called the assault a Hezbollah-inspired act of terrorism, according to
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  Speaker 1: the Associated Press. FBI Detroit special agent in charge Jennifer
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  Speaker 1: Runyon stated Ghazali's intent, was to kill as many of
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  Speaker 1: them as I possibly can. Investigators found the truck contained
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  Speaker 1: commercial-grade fireworks and gasoline. Reporting from the Western Journal indicates
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  Speaker 1: that Ghazali's planning intensified after two of his brothers, one
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  Speaker 1: identified as a Hezbollah commander, were killed in an Israeli airstrike.
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  Speaker 1: This attack, which targeted a synagogue with approximately 150 children
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  Speaker 1: and staff present, was ultimately thwarted by security personnel. Ghazali
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  Speaker 1: died in a gunfight with synagogue security after striking an officer.
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  Speaker 1: The FBI noted that Ghazali was not on a federal
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  Speaker 1: terrorist watchlist and had no prior FBI investigation, raising concerns
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  Speaker 1: about individuals acting on external events. Turning to rhetoric, far-left
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  Speaker 1: Twitch streamer Hassan Piker has drawn widespread condemnation from prominent
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  Speaker 1: Democrats for remarks suggesting American Jews could face violence if
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  Speaker 1: they are perceived as singularly invested in Israel. Piker stated, quote,
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  Speaker 1: If Jews in America keep putting this idea out there
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  Speaker 1: that they are singularly invested in Israel, eventually, someone is
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  Speaker 1: going to come around and take action, not against the
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  Speaker 1: state of Israel, mind you, but against American Jews. House
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  Speaker 1: Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called these claims that American Jews
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  Speaker 1: were inviting violence against themselves, dangerous and antisemitic. Adding that,
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  Speaker 1: those comments were dangerous, malicious and antisemitic, and should not
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  Speaker 1: be tolerated by anyone in the public square. Democratic National
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  Speaker 1: Committee Chair Ken Martin stated, quote, Criticizing the policies and
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  Speaker 1: actions of the Israeli government is one thing. Blaming American
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  Speaker 1: Jews for the hatred, threats and violence directed at them
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  Speaker 1: is something else entirely. It is dangerous, wrong and antisemitic.
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  Speaker 1: Other lawmakers, including Senators Cory Booker, Elissa Slotkin and Jackie Rosen,
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  Speaker 1: have also spoken out. Senator Rosen described Piker's remarks as
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  Speaker 1: a new low, noting he had been trafficking in antisemitic
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  Speaker 1: tropes for a while. Rep. Brad Schneider also condemned Piker,
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  Speaker 1: calling him an unapologetic antisemite, and asserting that his hateful
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  Speaker 1: ideas and antisemitic remarks have no place in America or
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  Speaker 1: our nation's politics. Piker has responded by blaming AIPAC for
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  Speaker 1: the backlash and suggesting a calculation of donations made by
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  Speaker 1: the group to Democrats. a claim dismissed by Democratic majority
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  Speaker 1: for Israel as a baseless conspiracy theory. Online, the Wikipedia
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  Speaker 1: page of the late country music icon Dolly Parton was
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  Speaker 1: vandalized with anti-Semitic content shortly after her death on August 25,
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  Speaker 1: according to reporting by the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent and others.
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  Speaker 1: Anonymous users added the phrase Jew lover and a swastika
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  Speaker 1: to her page, reportedly referencing her longtime friendship with her
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  Speaker 1: Jewish manager, Sandy Gallen. The campaign against antisemitism called these
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  Speaker 1: edits utterly despicable, stating, it takes a truly warped mind
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  Speaker 1: to turn a moment of mourning into an outlet for hatred.
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  Speaker 1: Wikipedia's volunteer editors and automated filters quickly corrected the vandalism.
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  Speaker 1: In Australia, the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion
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  Speaker 1: has concluded its public hearings after months of evidence. The
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  Speaker 1: commission examined the extent and causes of antisemitism, extremism, and
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  Speaker 1: the Bondi Beach Terror attack. Extensive evidence presented revealed what
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  Speaker 1: reporting from the ABC describes as raw pain, fear and
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  Speaker 1: anger of Jewish Australians. Alongside deep societal divides, witnesses detailed
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  Speaker 1: experiences of antisemitism in institutions, schools and workplaces, leading to
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  Speaker 1: increased security costs for Jewish communities, with Biolik College in
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  Speaker 1: Melbourne reporting a 230% increase since 2022, according to the
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  Speaker 1: Australian Jewish News. The commission, which utilises the IHRA working
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  Speaker 1: definition of antisemitism, heard how the conflation of Jewish identity
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  Speaker 1: with Israeli government policies is a significant factor in discrimination.
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  Speaker 1: The Commission has requested its final report deadline be moved
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  Speaker 1: from December 14 to December 18, 2026, to avoid interfering
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  Speaker 1: with memorial events for the Bondi attack anniversary, as noted
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  Speaker 1: by ABC News Australia. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced
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  Speaker 1: new funding of £ 875, 000 for programmes aimed at tackling antisemitism
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  Speaker 1: and anti-Muslim hatred. This investment follows a significant rise in
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  Speaker 1: hate incidents, with the Community Security Trust reporting a 24%
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  Speaker 1: increase in antisemitic hate crimes in Greater London during the
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  Speaker 1: first half of 2026, compared to the same period in 2025.
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  Speaker 1: The funding will support 17 grassroots organizations focused on educational workshops,
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  Speaker 1: training and prevention of radicalization, particularly among young people, as
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  Speaker 1: detailed in a City Hall press statement. New survey data
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  Speaker 1: from Canada indicates a strong connection between Jewish identity and
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  Speaker 1: support for Israel. A 2026 survey of 625 Canadian Jewish
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  Speaker 1: adults found 92% support Israel's existence as a Jewish state.
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  Speaker 1: and 86% consider supporting Israel important to their Jewish identity,
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  Speaker 1: according to the National Post. This contrasts with arguments from
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  Speaker 1: some groups, like the Jewish Faculty Network, who claim anti-Zionism
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  Speaker 1: is not antisemitism. The research presented argues that denying the
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  Speaker 1: need for a Jewish state is antisemitic, and notes that
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  Speaker 1: the proportion of Canadian Jews identifying as anti-Zionist remains very small,
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  Speaker 1: ranging from 1% in 2025 to 5% in 2026, according
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  Speaker 1: to Post Media Network Inc. While specific incidents were not
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  Speaker 1: detailed in the provided excerpts, ongoing concerns about campus antisemitism
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  Speaker 1: are highlighted by references to the 2026 Campus Antisemitism Report
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  Speaker 1: Card and the Antisemitic Incidents in America 2025 Key Findings
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  Speaker 1: ADL Audit Report, as noted by ADL. In Germany, two
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  Speaker 1: courts have ruled that an individual named Blum can be
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  Speaker 1: termed antisemitic due to additional antisemitic outbreaks, as reported by
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  Speaker 1: Just the News. Finally, in Maryland, Jewish community volunteers participated
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  Speaker 1: in the One Mitzvah a Day initiative, delivering thank-you petitions
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  Speaker 1: with 2789 signatures and 200 jars of honey to elected officials.
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  Speaker 1: This action, described by the Jewish Federation of Annapolis and
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  Speaker 1: the Chesapeake, expressed gratitude for the officials' support of state
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  Speaker 1: security grants for faith-based and non-profit organizations, crucial for protecting
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  Speaker 1: Jewish communal life. I'm Rachel Adler, thank you for listening
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  Speaker 1: to Antisemitism Watch. This report was generated with AI assistance
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  Speaker 1: and may contain inaccuracies. Please verify important details with primary sources.