Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - September 10, 2026, 09 PM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - September 10, 2026, 09 PM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

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  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler. Today, we're
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  Speaker 1: examining escalating concerns on campuses, new waves of online hate,
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  Speaker 1: and the ongoing challenge of identifying antisemitism in political discourse
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  Speaker 1: and public policy. In education, the Trump administration has launched
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  Speaker 1: federal civil rights investigations into two institutions, the American Musical
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  Speaker 1: Dramatic Academy in New York and California's Etiwanda School District.
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  Speaker 1: According to reporting on complaints filed by groups like the
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  Speaker 1: Brandeis Center and the ADL, these probes stem from allegations
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  Speaker 1: of antisemitic persecution and retaliation against Jewish students, involving flyers
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  Speaker 1: glorifying violence, Nazi salutes, and Holocaust taunts. Federal officials will
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  Speaker 1: determine if these schools violated Title VI of the Civil
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  Speaker 1: Rights Act by permitting discrimination against Jews. Meanwhile, the California
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  Speaker 1: Department of Education has overturned a local school district's finding
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  Speaker 1: that an AP U.S. history teacher did not discriminate by
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  Speaker 1: posting materials accusing Israel of genocide. The state ruled that
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  Speaker 1: the teacher's one-sided materials created an intimidating and discriminatory environment
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  Speaker 1: for students, violating state law, and has required the district
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  Speaker 1: to implement mandatory antisemitism training for its staff. Online, a
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  Speaker 1: disturbing resurgence of antisemitic conspiracy theories is being tracked ahead
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  Speaker 1: of the 25th anniversary of 9-11. A tech nonprofit, CyberWell,
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  Speaker 1: and the ADL report that these theories falsely blame Jewish
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  Speaker 1: people for the attacks and other global events. These narratives,
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  Speaker 1: which include tropes like the dancing Israelis and coded language,
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  Speaker 1: are amplified by new technologies like AI and social media platforms.
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  Speaker 1: The ADL notes these conspiracy theories have evolved into simplified
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  Speaker 1: claims about Jewish and Zionist power. serving as a gateway
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  Speaker 1: to broader antisemitism and increasingly bundled with other antisemitic canards.
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  Speaker 1: In politics, Republican Congressman Randy Fine is facing criticism for
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  Speaker 1: inflammatory rhetoric. Reports detail a July 2025 social media post
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  Speaker 1: where Fine suggested Gazans should starve away until Israeli hostages
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  Speaker 1: are released, a statement that drew bipartisan backlash. His 2026
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  Speaker 1: primary challenge also involved an opponent, social media personality Dan Bilzerian,
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  Speaker 1: who promoted anti-Jewish conspiracy theories and used anti-Semitic slurs. Separately,
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  Speaker 1: Joel Rubin, Bernie Sanders' former Jewish outreach coordinator, argues that
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  Speaker 1: Senator Sanders and his team are fueling anti-Semitism. Rubin cites
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  Speaker 1: concerns over downplaying a candidate with Nazi tattoos and promoting
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  Speaker 1: a progressive litmus test that requires distancing from Israel. Rubin
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  Speaker 1: stated that, in his view, the Squirrel Hill Jew in
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  Speaker 1: me said, that is a bridge too far. Also in
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  Speaker 1: political discourse, signs critical of New York City Mayor Zoran
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  Speaker 1: Mamdani have surfaced, with some GOP lawmakers and 9-11 survivors'
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  Speaker 1: families urging him to skip the Sept. 11 memorial, citing
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  Speaker 1: alleged links to terror sympathizers and opposition to his party's policies.
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  Speaker 1: The literary world is also grappling with anti-Semitism charges, sparking
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  Speaker 1: debates over whether statements like Israel is carrying out a
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  Speaker 1: genocide in Gaza constitute antisemitism, according to the IHRA working definition.
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  Speaker 1: In Ventura, California, police announced they are investigating a string
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  Speaker 1: of recent vandalism incidents targeting Jewish property as hate crimes.
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  Speaker 1: Law enforcement is also receiving specialized training. The Orange County
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  Speaker 1: Sheriff's Office, in partnership with the Combat Antisemitism Movement, hosted
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  Speaker 1: a training for officers from five counties on identifying and
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  Speaker 1: responding to antisemitic extremism, noting that anti-Jewish hate crimes have
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  Speaker 1: reached an all-time high, according to the FBI. Separately, a
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  Speaker 1: DOJ task force chaired by Leo Terrell is conducting a
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  Speaker 1: tour across the U.S. to address rising antisemitism. As the
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  Speaker 1: High Holy Days approach, rabbis report that congregations are deeply
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  Speaker 1: unsettled by rising antisemitic threats and internal divisions, with some
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  Speaker 1: describing it as the worst uptick in antisemitism in their lifetimes.
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  Speaker 1: leading to a palpable sense of vulnerability. The Secure Community
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  Speaker 1: Network is offering security webinars and training to address these concerns. Internationally,
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  Speaker 1: protesters in Thailand displayed antisemitic messages including, Jews out, and
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  Speaker 1: you Jewish folks don't understand Thai culture, so get out.
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  Speaker 1: In Montreal, a man has pleaded guilty to shooting at
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  Speaker 1: a Jewish school, an incident that had prompted a hate
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  Speaker 1: crime investigation. Turning now to community responses and positive developments.
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  Speaker 1: Robert Kraft has donated $ 10 million to Brandeis University to
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  Speaker 1: support Jewish students who feel unsafe on campuses due to
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  Speaker 1: rising antisemitism, funding public awareness and counter-messaging campaigns. In Spain,
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  Speaker 1: the Federation of Jewish Communities is using social media ahead
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  Speaker 1: of Rosh Hashanah to educate the public about Jewish culture
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  Speaker 1: and traditions, aiming to foster understanding amid a climate of
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  Speaker 1: increasing hostility. The Mobile Museum of Tolerance recently visited North
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  Speaker 1: Shore Hebrew Academy, offering interactive education on the Holocaust and antisemitism.
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  Speaker 1: And Jewish groups are organizing a protest outside the United
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  Speaker 1: Nations to address antisemitism. I'm Rachel Adler, thank you for
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  Speaker 1: listening to Antisemitism Watch. Follow Antisemitism Watch in your podcast
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  Speaker 1: app so you don't miss the next update. This report
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  Speaker 1: was generated with AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies. Please
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  Speaker 1: verify important details with primary sources.