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Utah Synagogue Bomb Plot Suspect Charged with Hate Crime · Antisemitism Watch

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  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler. We're launching
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  Speaker 1: Antisemitism Watch, Mid-Atlantic, providing focused coverage from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut,
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  Speaker 1: and the Philadelphia region. Visit clockworkmedia.org slash MA for more. Today,
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  Speaker 1: we're tracking serious threats and incidents across the country and abroad.
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  Speaker 1: We begin with a disturbing plot uncovered in Utah. Federal
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  Speaker 1: prosecutors have charged 22-year-old Skyler, A.J. Rose of Ogden with
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  Speaker 1: a hate crime, and multiple other offenses. According to the U.S.
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  Speaker 1: Attorney's Office for the District of Utah, Rose allegedly made
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  Speaker 1: online threats to blow up a synagogue and to kill
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  Speaker 1: Jewish people. Authorities searched his home and found six homemade
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  Speaker 1: pipe bombs, along with components to build more. The indictment
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  Speaker 1: also includes charges for possession of unregistered destructive devices and
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  Speaker 1: child sexual abuse material. Prosecutors stated the charges aimed to
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  Speaker 1: stop a violent attack, serving as a deterrent. Rose faces
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  Speaker 1: up to 70 years in prison if convicted. Meanwhile, in
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  Speaker 1: New York City, police are investigating the stabbing of an
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  Speaker 1: Orthodox Jewish man in Manhattan's Diamond District as a possible
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  Speaker 1: anti-Semitic hate crime. The incident occurred Wednesday evening. The NYPD's
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  Speaker 1: Hate Crimes Task Force is leading the investigation, with assistance
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  Speaker 1: from Manhattan Shamrim. The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital
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  Speaker 1: in stable condition. Reports indicate he may have been stabbed
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  Speaker 1: with a needle or syringe. JTA and the New York
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  Speaker 1: Post reported on the attack, noting that Jewish New Yorkers
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  Speaker 1: continue to be disproportionately targeted in city hate crimes. In Philadelphia,
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  Speaker 1: a contentious report from the U.S. House Committee on Education
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  Speaker 1: and the workforce has accused the school district of Philadelphia
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  Speaker 1: of fostering antisemitism. The report alleges that teachers and curricula
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  Speaker 1: within the district justify violent resistance, legitimize radical groups, and
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  Speaker 1: train students as far-left activists. District officials, including spokesperson Monique Braxton,
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  Speaker 1: have strongly refuted these claims, calling the report a blatantly
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  Speaker 1: partisan framing that distorts and mischaracterizes their work. Superintendent Dr.
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  Speaker 1: Tony Watlington stated the district teaches students how to think
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  Speaker 1: and not what to think, addressing complex issues age-appropriately. The
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  Speaker 1: district plans to implement new social studies curriculum materials by
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  Speaker 1: the 2027-28 school year. This follows an investigation into alleged
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  Speaker 1: antisemitism and promotion of radical political causes in Philadelphia and
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  Speaker 1: other districts. Across the Atlantic, the United Kingdom is implementing
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  Speaker 1: new measures to combat antisemitism in its schools, following an
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  Speaker 1: independent review by Sir David Bell. The review offers 27 recommendations,
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  Speaker 1: including encouraging schools and colleges to adopt the IHRA working
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  Speaker 1: definition of antisemitism. However, Reports indicate teachers' unions are pushing
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  Speaker 1: back against these directives. In Arizona, a candidate for the
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  Speaker 1: State House of Representatives has received explicit anti-Semitic death threats.
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  Speaker 1: According to KJZZ and 12 News, Tammy Caputie, running in
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  Speaker 1: the 4th Legislative District, reported receiving messages including, I will
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  Speaker 1: effing kill you and your entire family bloodline. You effing understand.
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  Speaker 1: You dumb Jew. Caputie's campaign has reported the threats to
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  Speaker 1: law enforcement, stating that political disagreements have crossed a dangerous line. Meanwhile,
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  Speaker 1: Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman has pledged to confront antisemitism
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  Speaker 1: if elected. Speaking in Manhattan, Blakeman vowed to challenge New
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  Speaker 1: York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani's policies on the issue and
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  Speaker 1: criticized Governor Kathy Hochul's record, stating there is no place
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  Speaker 1: for antisemitism anywhere in America. In Canada, a legal dispute
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  Speaker 1: has arisen in Winnipeg concerning Congregation Etz Chaim. Two congregants,
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  Speaker 1: Hadass Eviater and David Holt, were informed they were no
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  Speaker 1: longer welcome, with the synagogue citing Eviater's public conduct and
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  Speaker 1: association with individuals known for aggressively anti-Israel statements, including defending
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  Speaker 1: Hamas and calling Israel a terrorist foreign entity. According to
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  Speaker 1: court filings, the synagogue stated Eviater's alignment suggested an ideology
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  Speaker 1: mutually exclusive and contrary to the existence of the Jewish
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  Speaker 1: people and the State of Israel. Eviatar denies these allegations.
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  Speaker 1: The Canadian Jewish News reported on the ongoing legal challenge.
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  Speaker 1: In the UK, The Telegraph asserts that the anti-Semitism which
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  Speaker 1: preceded the Holocaust is now all around us, drawing a
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  Speaker 1: significant contemporary parallel to historical events. On a more positive note,
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  Speaker 1: a day of the dead altar at San Jose State
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  Speaker 1: University is honouring victims of the October 7th events and
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  Speaker 1: aims to support families facing anti-Jewish and anti-Israel bias in
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  Speaker 1: Bay Area schools, as reported by J Weekly. Additionally, eight
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  Speaker 1: Jewish educators from seven countries were honored this week at
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  Speaker 1: the inaugural Global Jewish Teacher Award Ceremony in Jerusalem. The event,
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  Speaker 1: attended by President Isaac Herzog and Minister Amikai Chikli, recognized
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  Speaker 1: their contributions to Jewish education and strengthening ties with Israel.
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  Speaker 1: I'm Rachel Adler. Thank you for listening to Antisemitism Watch.
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  Speaker 1: For focused coverage from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and
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  Speaker 1: the Philadelphia region, listen to Antisemitism Watch. MidAtlantic at ClockworkMedia.org.ma.
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  Speaker 1: Follow Antisemitism Watch in your podcast app so you don't
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  Speaker 1: miss the next update. This report was generated with AI
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  Speaker 1: assistance and may contain inaccuracies. Please verify important details with
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  Speaker 1: primary sources. Thank you.