Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - August 28, 2026, 05 PM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - August 28, 2026, 05 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 accountability for hate crimes, the impact of flawed reporting
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  Speaker 1: on campus safety, concerning rhetoric from public figures, and institutional
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  Speaker 1: responses to rising antisemitism. In the UK, four young men
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  Speaker 1: have pleaded guilty to an arson attack that destroyed Jewish
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  Speaker 1: community ambulances in London. According to reporting from the Algemeiner,
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  Speaker 1: The incident targeting the volunteer emergency service Hatzola in March
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  Speaker 1: is being treated as an anti-Semitic hate crime. Prosecutors stated
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  Speaker 1: web searches for ambulance costs and police investigation times were
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  Speaker 1: found on one defendant's phone. The Community Security Trust called
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  Speaker 1: it an appalling anti-Semitic act. This follows other attacks on
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  Speaker 1: London's Jewish community this year, with potential Iranian links being investigated.
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  Speaker 1: In a separate case, London's Metropolitan Police announced no further
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  Speaker 1: action will be taken against the lead singer of punk
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  Speaker 1: rap duo Bob Violin for chanting death to the IDF
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  Speaker 1: at a pro-Palestinian rally. The police stated that after consulting
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  Speaker 1: Crown Prosecution Service advice, they concluded no further action was warranted.
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  Speaker 1: On university campuses, a crucial report on antisemitism has come
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  Speaker 1: under intense scrutiny. The Canadian case report, initially presented by
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  Speaker 1: mainstream media as demonstrating widespread danger, was later disclosed by
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  Speaker 1: its authors to show that 92% of anti-Zionist Jewish respondents
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  Speaker 1: found campuses safe and inclusive. Critics point to significant methodological flaws,
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  Speaker 1: including improper screening and a recruitment process that prioritized Zionist organizations,
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  Speaker 1: leading to a report that misrepresents the state of safety
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  Speaker 1: and conflates anti-Zionist speech with antisemitism. This narrative has fueled
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  Speaker 1: what some describe as a moral panic used to suppress
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  Speaker 1: pro-Palestine movements, according to analysis of the report. In related
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  Speaker 1: campus news, a report indicates that students can graduate from
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  Speaker 1: North Carolina public universities having never read about the Holocaust
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  Speaker 1: or the forces of antisemitism. In response to such educational gaps,
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  Speaker 1: the Jewish Community Relations Council has hired its first K-12
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  Speaker 1: curriculum specialist, to ensure balanced and accurate education on the topic.
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  Speaker 1: In politics and media, serious questions are being raised about
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  Speaker 1: Georgia Senate candidate Mike Collins. Reporting from the nation details
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  Speaker 1: how multiple individuals associated with Collins, including former staffers, his
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  Speaker 1: chief of staff, and his son-in-law, have been linked to racist, antisemitic,
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  Speaker 1: and white supremacist content. This includes sharing swastikas, KKK imagery,
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  Speaker 1: and expressing white supremacist beliefs. raising concerns about the influences
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  Speaker 1: within his political orbit. On cable news, Fox News host
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  Speaker 1: Julie Banderas clashed with Democratic strategist Corbyn Trent over streamer,
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  Speaker 1: Hassan Piker's controversial comments suggesting American Jews could face violence
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  Speaker 1: if perceived as staunch supporters of Israel. Trent defended Piker's views,
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  Speaker 1: framing them as reflecting growing sentiment, while Banderas called the
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  Speaker 1: rhetoric insanity. Piker has also faced backlash for past comments,
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  Speaker 1: such as saying the U.S. deserved the 9-11 attacks, Vice
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  Speaker 1: President J.D. Vance is scheduled to speak at the Republican-Jewish
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  Speaker 1: Coalition's annual summit. His appearance has drawn criticism from some
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  Speaker 1: Jewish conservatives concerned about his past statements on Israeli officials
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  Speaker 1: and his silence on Pundit Tucker Carlson's spread of antisemitic
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  Speaker 1: conspiracy theories, turning to rhetoric related to Israel and Zionism
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  Speaker 1: that meets IHRA criteria for antisemitism. Award-winning Australian novelist Richard
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  Speaker 1: Flanagan has controversially claimed that a deadly ISIS-inspired terrorist attack
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  Speaker 1: on a Sydney Hanukkah celebration was not antisemitic, but rather
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  Speaker 1: a refutation of antisemitism. Flanagan also alleged the Israel lobby
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  Speaker 1: is fuelling antisemitism in Australia, a claim strongly disputed by
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  Speaker 1: reporting on the nation's historic surge in antisemitic incidents since
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  Speaker 1: October 7. In New York City, An event organized by
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  Speaker 1: IDF reservists simulating debates on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Washington
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  Speaker 1: Square Park drew condemnation. According to the Aljaminer, passersby used
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  Speaker 1: anti-Semitic tropes and fantasized about violence against the participants, despite
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  Speaker 1: the event's stated purpose. On the online front, independent exhibitor
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  Speaker 1: Rui Pereira has made anti-Semitic remarks such as fake Jews
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  Speaker 1: and sub-human devils, on social media accounts associated with the
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  Speaker 1: historic Bruin Theatre, potentially jeopardising its revival. Pereira has dismissed
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  Speaker 1: these concerns as online nonsense. In another development, a Jewish
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  Speaker 1: scholar appointed to lead the Catholic Biblical Association has faced
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  Speaker 1: antisemitic backlash and denunciations online. In institutional and policy responses,
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  Speaker 1: Australia's Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has concluded
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  Speaker 1: its public hearings following extensive testimony. The Commission, established after
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  Speaker 1: the Bondi Beach attack, will now finalise a report expected
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  Speaker 1: to shape how Australia addresses hate. Montreal's Agglomeration Council has
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  Speaker 1: adopted an unprecedented motion to fight antisemitism and promote social cohesion,
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  Speaker 1: denouncing the rise in antisemitism and affirming residents' right to
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  Speaker 1: live without fear. The resolution acknowledges that antisemitism threatens not
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  Speaker 1: only the Jewish community, but Montreal's social fabric as a whole.
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  Speaker 1: From the world of academia, the American Sociological Association's 2025
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  Speaker 1: meeting featured a special session on the resurgence of antisemitism
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  Speaker 1: in the 21st century. This marks the first known ASA
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  Speaker 1: annual meeting session devoted entirely to antisemitism, signaling a growing
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  Speaker 1: focus on the topic within the discipline. Internationally, a startling
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  Speaker 1: figure was highlighted by combat antisemitism regarding antisemitism rising in
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  Speaker 1: South America. Finally, In community responses, Archie Gottesman has launched
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  Speaker 1: a new mission in the post-October 7 era, shifting from
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  Speaker 1: advertising Judaism to actively fighting antisemitism, notably with billboards in
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  Speaker 1: the Bible Belt. I'm Rachel Adler, thank you for listening
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  Speaker 1: to Antisemitism Watch. This report was generated with AI assistance
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  Speaker 1: and may contain inaccuracies. Please verify important details with primary sources.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you.