Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - August 11, 2026, 09 PM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - August 11, 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: with an incident in Rome where a Jewish tourist from
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: France was reportedly attacked twice. According to Italian news agency
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: at Cronos and reporting reviewed for this episode, a twenty
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: two year old French tourist wharing a kippa, was targeted
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  Speaker 1: on separate occasions in the city center. The first incident,
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: on August seventh, involved an assault with an irritating spray,
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: and the following day he was kicked by a group
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: of four people. According to the victim, In both instances,
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: attackers allegedly shouted the slogan free Palestine. Italian National Military
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  Speaker 1: Police identified a thirty one year old Algerian citizen who
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  Speaker 1: is homeless and has prior convictions, as strongly suspected in
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  Speaker 1: the assaults, with efforts under way to identify others involved.
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani strongly condemned the aggressi as antisemitic,
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  Speaker 1: stating solidarity with the victim and the Jewish community and
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  Speaker 1: emphasizing that Italy will always be on the side of
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  Speaker 1: religious freedom and coexistence. In New York City, concerns are
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  Speaker 1: mounting over the rhetoric of Mayor Zuren Mamdani. Ten New
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  Speaker 1: York rabbis met with Mayor Mamdani in a private city
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  Speaker 1: hall meeting, urging him to tone down his anti Israel rhetoric,
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  Speaker 1: warning that his language risks intensifying an already hostile atmosphere
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  Speaker 1: for Jewish New Yorkers. According to World Israel News staff
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  Speaker 1: and The New York Times, Rabbi Jonathan Leaner of Prospect
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  Speaker 1: Heights Schule described the discussion as direct, noting that some
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  Speaker 1: rabbis suggested he moderate his attacks on Israel or focus
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  Speaker 1: on local issues. The rabbis expressed concern that anger directed
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  Speaker 1: at the Israeli government by New Yorkers and Americans is
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  Speaker 1: being taken out on Jewish people locally, and that this
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  Speaker 1: is unacceptable. Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for
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  Speaker 1: Reform Judaism, to Mamdani that his words carry significant weight
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  Speaker 1: and that speaking constructively about Israel, rather than vilifying it,
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  Speaker 1: would be more impactful. Rabbi Rachel Timiner of Congregation bait
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  Speaker 1: Eloheim noted that criticism of Israel must be accompanied by
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  Speaker 1: a clear distinction between the Israeli government and American Jews.
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  Speaker 1: As Jewish New Yorkers cannot influence Israeli policy, but can
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  Speaker 1: become targets of hostility. According to NYPD figures reported by
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: World Israel News, anti Jewish hate crimes in New York
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  Speaker 1: City were up eight point five percent in the first
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  Speaker 1: seven months of twenty twenty six compared to the previous year.
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  Speaker 1: Mayor Mamdani, who has previously supported BDS and founded a
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  Speaker 1: Students for Justice in Palestine chapter, has been scrutinized for
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  Speaker 1: his statements, including describing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netaniahu as
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  Speaker 1: a war criminal and the architect of a horrific genocide
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  Speaker 1: in a video posted to YouTube, as reported by WABC
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  Speaker 1: and Brake bar Art. An analysis in a report reviewed
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  Speaker 1: for this episode characterizes this video as demagogic propaganda and
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  Speaker 1: anti Israel libels, arguing the accusations are rooted in a
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  Speaker 1: long antisemitic history. Former New York City Mayor Ruddy Giuliani
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  Speaker 1: and Rabbi Daniel Scanbutch have also warned of a red
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  Speaker 1: green alliance between the Democratic Socialists of America and radical
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  Speaker 1: Islamist movements, suggesting it poses an existential danger to New
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  Speaker 1: York and the nation, and linking this trend to the
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  Speaker 1: rise of leaders like Mayor Mamdani. Mamdani's administration through phylas
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  Speaker 1: A Wisdom, executive director of the Mayor's Office to Combat Antisemitism,
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  Speaker 1: described the meeting with rabbis as an open, positive and
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  Speaker 1: constructive conversation, affirming the Mayor's commitment to engaging with Jewish
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  Speaker 1: life in the city. Turning to the United Kingdom, a
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  Speaker 1: significant independent review into antisemitism in schools and colleges is
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  Speaker 1: revealing the profound impact of rising antiseiae, sematism and anti
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  Speaker 1: Israel hostility. According to reporting by the BBC and the
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  Speaker 1: Algemina Jewish School, principles are increasingly forced to prioritize student
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  Speaker 1: safety and security arrangements over educational matters. David Bell, who
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  Speaker 1: is leading the government commissioned review, described the situation as
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  Speaker 1: a crisis. Principles report that security concerns consume a substantial
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  Speaker 1: portion of their time, with one anonymously stating that ninety
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  Speaker 1: percent of my time was devoted to security related matters
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  Speaker 1: in some weeks. Preliminary data indicates that at least one
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  Speaker 1: in five of roughly five thousand Jewish young people surveyed
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  Speaker 1: reported experiencing antisemitic behavior at school or college. Examples cited
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  Speaker 1: include students being told they should be in a gas chamber,
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  Speaker 1: with swastikas drawn in classrooms, and Nazi salutes becoming widespread,
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  Speaker 1: causing immense distress to students whose families suffered in the Holocaust.
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  Speaker 1: UK Education Secretary Lucy Powell condemned these fine, warning that
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  Speaker 1: antisemitism is reaching children and staff in places where they
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  Speaker 1: should feel protected. At Knox Grammar School, staff reportedly removed
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  Speaker 1: a student made image featuring an antisemitic meme after becoming
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  Speaker 1: aware of its meaning, as noted in reporting reviewed for
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: this episode. Finally, in New Jersey politics, Democratic congressional candidate
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  Speaker 1: Rebecca Bennett's campaign has stated she will not endorse Hamoy,
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  Speaker 1: citing concerns over antisemitism on the trail. According to reporting
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  Speaker 1: reviewed for this episode, I'm Rachel Adler. Thank you for
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: listening to Antisemitism Watch. This report was generated with AI
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  Speaker 1: assistance and may contain inaccuracies. Please verify important details with
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: primary sources.