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Antisemitism Watch - September 7, 2026, 09 PM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

• 0:06
  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler. We begin
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: today with significant developments in Germany, where the far-right alternative
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: for Germany party, the AfD, achieved a plurality of 43.8%
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: in the state election in Saxony-Anhalt. This victory has Jewish
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: leaders expressing alarm. Marian Offman, Munich's Commissioner for Interfaith Dialogue
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: and son of Holocaust survivors, told JTA it's a pure
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: Nazi party and fears immense damage. warning of a potential
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: resurgence of fascism. Joseph Schuster, president of the Central Council
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: of Jews in Germany, also expressed shock, cautioning that if
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: the AfD forms a government, particularly in education, it could
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  Speaker 1: do considerable harm, while some, like Hella Shapiro, advise against
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: panic and suggest letting the party demonstrate its practical impact. Others,
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: like author Myrna Funk, worry about the changing atmosphere in Germany.
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: Closer to home, political rhetoric continues to draw concern. In Windsor, Canada,
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  Speaker 1: Rasha Zaid, a candidate for city council, has been captured
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  Speaker 1: in video footage stating that Zionists must be locked up
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  Speaker 1: and are terrorists and leading chants labeling them as such.
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  Speaker 1: Screenshots attributed to Zaid's social media also allegedly claim that
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  Speaker 1: antisemitism is staged and major attacks are used to gain sympathy.
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  Speaker 1: Zaid defended her remarks. stating that her opposition is directed
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  Speaker 1: at accountability for actions and crimes, not at Jewish identity itself,
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  Speaker 1: and that context is lost when her statements are presented
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  Speaker 1: in fragments. She clarified that her words target those responsible
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  Speaker 1: for killing of thousands of children and civilians and violations
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  Speaker 1: of international law. Michael Tepper, president of several Canadian Jewish organizations,
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  Speaker 1: views this as part of an emerging pattern of candidates
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: using elected office platforms to advance anti-Israel ideology. This follows
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: reporting that frames antisemitic political candidates in Michigan and elsewhere
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: in the United States as part of a barrage of
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: existential challenges facing Jews. According to one analysis reviewed for
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: this episode, turning to incidents impacting political figures, an armed
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  Speaker 1: man forced his way through a crowd toward Ohio Democratic
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  Speaker 1: gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton at the Canfield Fair on Sunday.
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  Speaker 1: Authorities apprehended the man, identified as Patrick Havas, who was
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  Speaker 1: carrying weapons. He faces charges including assault and disorderly conduct.
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: Authorities are continuing to investigate what precipitated the incident, and
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  Speaker 1: there is no evidence at this time that Havas attacked
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: Acton because she is Jewish, nor have authorities publicly identified
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: an antisemitic motive. However, Acton's Jewish identity has raised concerns
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  Speaker 1: at a moment when Jewish candidates and elected officials around
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  Speaker 1: the country report. confronting an increasingly hostile political environment. The
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: Anti-Defamation League reported in August that several prominent Jewish candidates
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  Speaker 1: during the 2026 election cycle have faced threats of violence
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  Speaker 1: and targeted harassment connected to their Jewish identity. The source
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  Speaker 1: notes this broader rise in antisemitism occurs alongside an increase
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  Speaker 1: in political violence and threats against American public officials more generally.
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: In New York City, Street activists and politicians are merging
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  Speaker 1: local real estate challenges with Israeli policies, blaming Zionists for
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  Speaker 1: housing woes. A historian cited in a Times of Israel
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: report describes this as a new phenomenon that connects two
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  Speaker 1: of New York's top concerns, according to reporting reviewed for
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: this episode. Finally, institutional scrutiny is underway regarding the Northside
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: Islamic Center of San Antonio, or NICSA. U.S. Representative Chip
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  Speaker 1: Roy has requested federal investigations into NICSA's planned expansion near
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  Speaker 1: camp bullies, citing concerns about its funding, leadership, alleged ties
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  Speaker 1: to nefarious groups, and rhetoric from its faith leaders. Roy
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  Speaker 1: specifically referenced past statements from NICSA's resident scholar and imam,
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  Speaker 1: Abdul Rahman Khattab, who described the October 7 Hamas attacks
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  Speaker 1: as a day of remembrance, and alleged ties between NICSA
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  Speaker 1: and the Muslim Brotherhood, which Texas has designated as a
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  Speaker 1: terrorist organization. NICSA responded by condemning terrorism, extremism, antisemitism, Islamophobia,
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  Speaker 1: hatred and violence in all forms, and arguing that judgments
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: should be based on facts, not assumptions. However, the organization
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  Speaker 1: did not directly address the specific accusations outlined in Roy's letter.
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: Roy reiterated his concerns, stating the expansion appears to be
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: a Sharia-compliant and Muslim-only community, and called for transparency into
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  Speaker 1: its finances and affiliations. I'm Rachel Adler, thank you for
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: listening to Antisemitism Watch. Follow Antisemitism Watch in your podcast
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: app so you don't miss the next update. This report
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: was generated with AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies. Please
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: verify important details with primary sources.