Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - August 29, 2026, 01 PM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - August 29, 2026, 01 PM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

• 0:06
  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler. In London,
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  Speaker 1: four young men have pleaded guilty to charges related to
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  Speaker 1: a March 23 arson attack that destroyed four ambulances belonging
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  Speaker 1: to the Jewish volunteer emergency service Hatzalah. The incident, which
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  Speaker 1: occurred near a synagogue in Golders Green, a neighborhood with
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  Speaker 1: a significant Jewish population, caused an estimated one million pounds
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  Speaker 1: in damages. Prosecutors at London's Old Bailey Court stated that
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  Speaker 1: evidence found on one defendant's phone included searches for how
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  Speaker 1: much do ambulances cost and how long does it take
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  Speaker 1: for police to investigate arsons. Three of the men admitted
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  Speaker 1: to destroying or damaging property, being reckless as to whether
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  Speaker 1: life would be endangered, while a fourth pleaded guilty to
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  Speaker 1: criminal damage. A fifth defendant, Subhan Ahmed, has pleaded not
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  Speaker 1: guilty to assisting an offender and is expected to stand
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  Speaker 1: trial next year. British police were investigating possible Iranian links
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  Speaker 1: to this attack, with a pro-Iranian group claiming responsibility. This
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  Speaker 1: arson was the first in a spate of incidents targeting
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  Speaker 1: the UK's Jewish community earlier this year. In political commentary,
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  Speaker 1: streamer Hassan Piker has faced renewed condemnation for anti-Semitic remarks
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  Speaker 1: made on August 20. Piker told his Twitch audience that
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  Speaker 1: American Jews are inviting violence on themselves, and suggested that
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  Speaker 1: someone's going to come around and take action, not against
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  Speaker 1: the state of Israel, mind you, but against American Jews.
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  Speaker 1: He specifically named Jeremy Moss, a Jewish Democrat running for
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  Speaker 1: Congress in Michigan. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the
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  Speaker 1: remarks dangerous and antisemitic, while Representative Hillary Skelton stated, Hassan
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  Speaker 1: Piker's talk of violence against American Jews is unacceptable. Representative
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  Speaker 1: Brad Schneider had previously called Piker an unapologetic antisemite in March,
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  Speaker 1: noting that Democratic candidates had platformed him during primary campaigns.
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  Speaker 1: Reporting from the Associated Press in April highlighted Piker's past
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  Speaker 1: controversial statements, including claims that America deserved 9-11 and that
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  Speaker 1: Hamas is a thousand times better than Israel. Despite these concerns,
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  Speaker 1: some Democrats, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders, appeared alongside
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  Speaker 1: Piker during the spring and summer, with critics arguing that
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  Speaker 1: the party is now condemning him only after securing electoral wins.
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  Speaker 1: Representative Pramila Jayapal also faced criticism for her silence when
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  Speaker 1: Piker began making these specific remarks about American Jews, especially
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  Speaker 1: given that her constituents include Jewish students at a university
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  Speaker 1: facing federal investigation over its treatment of Jewish students, according
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  Speaker 1: to reporting by Jason Rance. Meanwhile, Yee, formerly known as
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  Speaker 1: Can I West, performed in New Orleans on August 28th,
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  Speaker 1: marking his first concert at the Caesars Superdome in 13 years.
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  Speaker 1: The performance occurred amidst protests, including individuals lighting Shabbat candles.
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  Speaker 1: This marks his return to performing in the US after
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  Speaker 1: a hiatus, following controversial antisemitic and racist remarks made last year,
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  Speaker 1: such as calling slavery a choice, and promoting a website
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  Speaker 1: with a swastika on a t-shirt. He had also released
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  Speaker 1: a song featuring a speech by Adolf Hitler. Earlier this year,
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  Speaker 1: Ye apologized for his remarks, stating they were the result
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  Speaker 1: of a brain injury and bipolar disorder, and took out
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  Speaker 1: a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal apologizing to
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  Speaker 1: black and Jewish people, and asserting, I am not a
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  Speaker 1: Nazi or an anti-Semite. I love Jewish people. Some fans
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  Speaker 1: attending the concert expressed a desire to focus on his
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  Speaker 1: older music and believe he should be forgiven, with one
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  Speaker 1: attendee stating, We gotta give people a second chance. However,
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  Speaker 1: the concert was reportedly not sold out, with thousands of
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  Speaker 1: tickets available days before the show. In New York, Governor
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  Speaker 1: Kathy Hochul has pledged to increase security for synagogues and
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  Speaker 1: Jewish communities across the state ahead of the upcoming high holidays.
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  Speaker 1: Speaking at Shabbat services at Manhattan Central Synagogue, Hochul stated,
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  Speaker 1: If you need more money, if you need more protection,
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  Speaker 1: I will send the New York State Police here. Her
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  Speaker 1: remarks follow a recent incident where a man broke into
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  Speaker 1: services at the central synagogue, attacking a worshipper and a
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  Speaker 1: security guard, and was later charged with hate crimes. Governor
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  Speaker 1: Hochul emphasized her special responsibility as leader of a state
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  Speaker 1: with the largest Jewish population outside Israel to stand against hate.
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  Speaker 1: She also referenced rising anti-Semitism since the October 7 massacre
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  Speaker 1: and her decision to travel to Israel immediately after the attacks.
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  Speaker 1: the governor highlighted her efforts to pass legislation establishing a
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  Speaker 1: 50-foot buffer zone around houses of worship to protect congregants
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  Speaker 1: from harassment. Hochul also addressed tensions with New York City
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  Speaker 1: Mayor Zoran Mamdani, urging him to focus less on Israel
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  Speaker 1: and more on running the city, while affirming her stance
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  Speaker 1: against anti-Semitism. Internationally, reports indicate a trend of Canadians, including
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  Speaker 1: Jewish Canadians, considering or making emigration to the United States.
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  Speaker 1: citing antisemitism and political factors as reasons for departure. Further
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  Speaker 1: details were not available in the provided reporting. In Geopolitical Analysis,
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  Speaker 1: an opinion piece in Foreign Policy by Joseph Pewter discusses
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  Speaker 1: the recently signed Mecca Joint Defense Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia,
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  Speaker 1: and Turkey, referred to as a Sunni Muslim NATO. Pewter
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  Speaker 1: argues this alliance is anti-Western and views Israel as a
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  Speaker 1: major nemesis, noting that Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has
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  Speaker 1: previously called for an Islamic alliance to halt what he
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  Speaker 1: termed the growing threat of expansionism from Israel and voiced
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  Speaker 1: a desire to eliminate the Jewish state. The article also
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  Speaker 1: quotes Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja as if describing Israel as
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  Speaker 1: evil and a curse for humanity. Pewter contends that the
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  Speaker 1: agreement's intent to replace U.S. presence in the region and
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  Speaker 1: its implications for Israel, India, and Greece are not being
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  Speaker 1: adequately considered by proponents like former US President Donald Trump
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  Speaker 1: who praised the deal. I'm Rachel Adler, thank you for
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  Speaker 1: joining us on Antisemitism Watch. This report was generated with
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  Speaker 1: AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies. Please verify important details
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  Speaker 1: with primary sources.