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NYC Sees Surge in Antisemitic Hate Crimes · 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 a significant rise in antisemitic hate crimes in New
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  Speaker 1: York City, controversy surrounding the city's mayor and his approach
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  Speaker 1: to combating antisemitism, and federal action on campus incidents. We're
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  Speaker 1: also launching Antisemitism Watch, Mid-Atlantic, bringing you focused coverage from
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  Speaker 1: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and the Philadelphia region. You
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  Speaker 1: can find us at clockworkmedia.org.ma. In New York City, new
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  Speaker 1: figures reveal a concerning trend. According to Gothamist, anti-Semitic hate
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  Speaker 1: crimes increased by 9% in the first eight months of
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  Speaker 1: 2026 compared to the same period last year. During this timeframe,
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  Speaker 1: Jewish New Yorkers were the targets in over half of
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  Speaker 1: all confirmed hate crimes citywide, according to police commissioner Jessica Tisch.
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  Speaker 1: This rise occurred against the backdrop of heightened tensions surrounding
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  Speaker 1: the anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel,
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  Speaker 1: with a vigil in Union Square drawing both participants and protesters,
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  Speaker 1: as Gothamist reported. Mayor Zoran Mamdani's attendance at that October
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  Speaker 1: 7th anniversary vigil in Union Square became a focal point
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  Speaker 1: for criticism. Gothamist reported that while Mamdani was present, protesters
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  Speaker 1: chanted and booed. The Anti-Defamation League's New York-slash-New Jersey office
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  Speaker 1: issued a statement criticizing the mayor. stating he chose to
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  Speaker 1: use his considerable platform to level political charges against Israel,
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  Speaker 1: justifying the very violence he claims to condemn, rather than
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  Speaker 1: mourning alongside his Jewish constituents. The ADL also criticized Mayor
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  Speaker 1: Mamdani's administration for releasing a plan to combat hate crimes
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  Speaker 1: against Jewish New Yorkers that did not adopt a formal
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  Speaker 1: definition of antisemitism, as reported by Gothamist and the Wall
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  Speaker 1: Street Journal. the journal noted that Jewish leaders reacted with
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  Speaker 1: shock to the plan, implying significant concern about its authenticity
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  Speaker 1: and effectiveness. This also comes amid broader reports of increasing
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  Speaker 1: harassment and intimidation of Jews outside synagogues and Jewish institutions,
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  Speaker 1: as noted in a statement from Jewish Public Affairs. On
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  Speaker 1: the campus front, the U.S. Department of Education is expanding
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  Speaker 1: its investigation into Swarthmore College. according to Odyssey and the St.
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  Speaker 1: Kitts Nevis Observer. The Office for Civil Rights received complaints
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  Speaker 1: alleging the college has not adequately or promptly responded to
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  Speaker 1: egregious anti-Semitic propaganda on campus. These allegations include a video
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  Speaker 1: posted by a group called Students for Justice in Palestine,
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  Speaker 1: which depicted an effigy of an Israeli soldier being doused
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  Speaker 1: with gasoline and lit aflame. Using a term that Hamas
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  Speaker 1: employs to describe the October 7th attacks. Swarthmore College stated
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  Speaker 1: to the Philadelphia Inquirer that it believes the complaints have
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  Speaker 1: no merit but will comply with the law. The college
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  Speaker 1: had previously revoked SJP's affiliation a year ago. In Congress, U.S.,
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  Speaker 1: Representative Josh Gotthamer of New Jersey marked the third anniversary
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  Speaker 1: of the October 7th Hamas terrorist attack by unveiling a
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  Speaker 1: bipartisan resolution. As reported by the press of Atlantic City
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  Speaker 1: and North Jersey, the resolution aims to remember the victims,
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  Speaker 1: and honor the hostages and their families. Representative Gottthamer also
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  Speaker 1: announced broader efforts to combat terrorism and antisemitism. Finally, looking
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  Speaker 1: at community impact, local Jewish activist Adam Zimmerman reflected on
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  Speaker 1: the continuing effects of antisemitism on Jewish communities in the D.C. region.
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  Speaker 1: Three years after the October 7th attacks, Fox 5 D.C.
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  Speaker 1: reported that Zimmerman discussed efforts to improve security for local
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  Speaker 1: synagogues and communal institutions. while also acknowledging the suffering of
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  Speaker 1: Palestinian civilians in Gaza and expressing a desire for peace.
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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.