Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - September 10, 2026, 05 PM Eastern

Transcript

Antisemitism Watch - September 10, 2026, 05 PM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

• 0:06
  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler. Today we're
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: tracking acts of vandalism and hate rhetoric, the launch of
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: a new bipartisan effort on college campuses, and significant policy
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: developments both here and abroad. We begin with a disturbing
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: act of vandalism in Ventura, California, where police are investigating
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: multiple incidents as hate crimes. Swastikas and other hateful imagery,
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: including messages like death to Jews and they want to
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: replace you, were discovered on September 4 and 6 at
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: religious sites and a public park. According to the Ventura
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: Police Department, officials noted the timing is particularly concerning with
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur approaching. The Council on American
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: Islamic Relations, CAIRLA, has condemned the vandalism. In politics, the
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: recent Democratic mayoral primary in Providence, Rhode Island, became a
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: flashpoint over Israel policy and local antisemitic incidents. Campaign signs
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: for incumbent Mayor Brett Smiley, who converted to Judaism, were
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: defaced with anti-Semitic drawings, including devil horns and a Hitler mustache.
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: Mayor Smiley stated the vandalism sent a message that Jews
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: were unwelcome. His challenger, State Rep. David Morales, condemned the attacks.
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: Morales ultimately defeated Smiley in the primary, according to VIN News.
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: Elsewhere in the political and media landscape, Judicial Watch founder
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: Larry Klayman has filed a civil lawsuit against streamer Hassan Piker.
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: The suit, filed in Florida, alleges antisemitism and incitement to violence,
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: citing Piker's statements that Hamas is a thousand times better
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: than Israel and that Jews should go back to Auschwitz.
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: According to the National News Desk, Klayman claims Piker's remarks
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: constitute a fatwa intended to harm and kill. Anti-defamation, League
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, noted that Piker has a long track
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: record of commending and excusing terrorism. Internationally, a proposed anti-Semitism
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: bill in Italy is drawing criticism from UN special rapporteur
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: Francesca Albanese and rights advocates. Protesters in Rome demonstrated on Wednesday,
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: arguing that the bill, which could adopt the IHRA working
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: definition of anti-Semitism, risks silencing criticism of Israel. Albanese stated
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: that legislation equating criticism of a state with anti-Semitism is
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: problematic and could lead to Jewish individuals worldwide being seen
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: as emissaries of Israel. This contrasts with the strong backing
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: the bill has received from Italy's Union of Italian Jewish Communities, UCEI.
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: On the campus front, Representatives Elise Stefanik and Josh Gottthamer
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: have launched the bipartisan combating antisemitism on college campuses caucus.
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: According to the office of Representative Josh Gottthamer, The caucus
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: aims to provide a coordinated legislative approach to oversee university
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: responses to antisemitism, pressuring institutions to enforce their policies and
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: spotlighting those addressing the issue effectively. This initiative follows a
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: significant reported drop in antisemitic incidents on U.S. college campuses
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: in 2025. According to an ADL audit cited by the
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: Lowe's Angels Times, in Australia, the Royal Commission into Antisemitism
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: and Social Cohesion has concluded its public hearings. The Aljamina
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: reports that Jewish individuals shared harrowing testimony detailing their experiences
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: since the October 7 massacre and the December 14, 2025
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: terror attack. The commission investigated what went wrong in Australian
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: society and noted government shifts regarding support for Israel. Back
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: in New York City, Council Speaker Julie Menon is highlighting
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: her synagogue protection law as Jewish New Yorkers prepare for
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: the high holidays amidst rising antisemitism. Recent NYPD data indicates
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: an 8.5% increase in anti-Jewish incidents in early 2026, with
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: Jewish victims accounting for 57% of reported hate crimes, according
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: to the Forward. Menin's legislation seeks to establish buffer zones
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: for protests outside houses of worship, a measure that will
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: be tested as the UN General Assembly convenes. Mayor Zoran
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: Mamdani's administration is expected to release a citywide strategy to
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: combat antisemitism. A coalition of North American Jewish nonprofit groups,
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: including the Jewish Federations of North America, the ADL, and
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: the American Jewish Committee, announced a new Jewish Students' Bill
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: of Rights on Wednesday. The document outlines six core principles
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: for K-12 schools, aiming to ensure Jewish students can identify antisemitism,
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: have clear reporting processes, receive accurate education, have religious observances respected,
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: and have their civil rights protected. JFNA President and CEO
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: Eric Fingerhut stated, no child should have to choose between
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: their education and their identity. An analysis suggests that left-wing
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: political forces in Europe are increasingly leveraging anti-Israel sentiment for votes.
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: potentially fueling antisemitism. This trend is seen as embracing what
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: the reporting calls new antisemitism, driven by ignorance and double standards,
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: such as critiques leveled against Israel's actions without acknowledging broader
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: contexts or the actions of groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: The pursuit of left-wing votes and concerns about growing Muslim
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: populations are cited as factors. The normalization of antisemitic language
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: online remains a concern. An author writing for Aljaminer observes
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: that terms like Zianazi and the collective blaming of all
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: Jews for Israel's actions have become commonplace. Many individuals expressing
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: these views express surprise when labelled anti-Semitic, indicating a comfort
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: with repeating ideas that once crossed a clear social boundary
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: against overt hatred of Jews. This trend has become more
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: pronounced following the October 7th attacks. Finally, Congressman Josh Gotthamer
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: announced that $ 1. 7 million in fiscal year 2025 nonprofit security
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: grant program funding has been secured for eight North Jersey
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: nonprofit organizations, including synagogues and faith-based schools. This federal funding,
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: administered by FEMA, provides resources for physical security upgrades and training,
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: as noted by the congressman. According to FBI data, Anti-Jewish
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: hate crimes account for nearly two-thirds of all religion-based hate
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: crimes nationwide. Follow Antisemitism Watch in your podcast app so
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: you don't miss the next update. This report was generated
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: with AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies. Please verify important
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: details with primary sources.