Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - September 18, 2026, 05 AM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - September 18, 2026, 05 AM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

• 0:06
  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch, I'm Rachel Adler. We begin
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  Speaker 1: today with a grave warning from Australia's top security official.
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  Speaker 1: ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess stated he would not rule out
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  Speaker 1: the possibility that Iran may target prominent Jewish Australians. According
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  Speaker 1: to reporting by ABC News, Burgess expressed grave concerns about
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  Speaker 1: foreign powers potentially killing Australians on shore, telling radio broadcaster
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  Speaker 1: Neil Mitchell that He has concerns that that will happen
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  Speaker 1: one day in our country. He identified Iran as one
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  Speaker 1: actor that has light the match and fan the flames
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  Speaker 1: on antisemitism, adding, I wouldn't rule out the possibility that
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  Speaker 1: Iran would want to kill prominent Jewish Australians. Burgess clarified
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  Speaker 1: that while his agency has alerted certain Jewish leaders to
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  Speaker 1: the possibility, there is no immediate threat currently being investigated,
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  Speaker 1: as stated in the ABC News report. This warning follows
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  Speaker 1: previous ASIO revelations. reported by ABC News in August of
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  Speaker 1: last year, that Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps directed two attacks
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  Speaker 1: against Australia's Jewish community. The national terrorism threat level in
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  Speaker 1: Australia remains at probable, meaning a greater than 50% chance
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  Speaker 1: of an attack in the next 12 months, though Burgess
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  Speaker 1: noted this level does not capture all risks, according to
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  Speaker 1: ABC News. In Berlin, attention is turning to the far-left
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  Speaker 1: Die Linke Party's mayoral candidate, Elif Aralp, as the September
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  Speaker 1: 20 election approaches. While Aralp has vowed to fight antisemitism,
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  Speaker 1: Jewish community members express wariness due to criticism regarding her
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  Speaker 1: party's handling of the issue, according to the Times of Israel.
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  Speaker 1: Reports from the Times of Israel highlight concerns that Aralp,
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  Speaker 1: aiming to mimic political strategies, faces scrutiny as her party's
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  Speaker 1: district branch has faced accusations of antisemitism. Stiegler, identified as
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  Speaker 1: a member of the party's district branch, told the Times
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  Speaker 1: of Israel that the accusation of antisemitism against the Nucron
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  Speaker 1: branch does not align with her own experience, but the
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  Speaker 1: broader community remains cautious. On the campus front, the Denver
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  Speaker 1: School Board has unanimously authorized an independent investigation into allegations
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  Speaker 1: of antisemitic language used by Vice President Monica Hunter. According
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  Speaker 1: to reporting by Chalkbeat Colorado, Board President Zachatel-Gaytan and Denver
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  Speaker 1: Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero allege that Hunter referred to
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  Speaker 1: board member Amy Klein-Malk as a Zionist bitch in separate
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  Speaker 1: conversations in December and January. Monica Hunter denies the allegations,
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  Speaker 1: as reported by Chalkbeat Colorado. The board's vote to hire
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  Speaker 1: an independent investigator was unanimous, though the proceedings were marked
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  Speaker 1: by confusion and deadlock on related motions concerning other allegations.
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  Speaker 1: Some community members speaking during public comment criticised the board
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  Speaker 1: for focusing on internal disputes, according to Chalkbeat Colorado. Internationally,
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  Speaker 1: a renowned Holocaust expert is questioning the effectiveness of Canada's
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  Speaker 1: recently enacted swastika hate propaganda offence. The expert's concerns, as
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  Speaker 1: reported by the Canadian press, come amid rising antisemitism in
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  Speaker 1: Canada and highlight the ongoing need to confront this surge.
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  Speaker 1: The discussion prompts a review of whether current legal measures
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  Speaker 1: adequately address the growing problem. I'm Rachel Adler, thank you
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  Speaker 1: for joining us on Antisemitism Watch. Follow Antisemitism Watch in
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  Speaker 1: your podcast app so you don't miss the next update.
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  Speaker 1: This report was generated with AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies.
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: Please verify important details with primary sources.