Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - September 9, 2026, 05 PM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - September 9, 2026, 05 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 a significant international development. Israeli ambassador to the United Nations,
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  Speaker 1: Danny Danon has launched a UN task force on combating antisemitism.
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  Speaker 1: According to reporting, Danon cited a 136% increase in Jew
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  Speaker 1: hatred across countries with large Jewish populations since October 7th,
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  Speaker 1: and a disconnect between government declarations and concrete action. The
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  Speaker 1: task force, launched in Turtle Bay, aims to close this gap.
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  Speaker 1: With representatives from dozens of countries including the United Kingdom, Australia,
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  Speaker 1: Argentina and Slovakia in attendance, the Israeli mission stated. Danon
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  Speaker 1: shared a collage of anti-Semitic attacks and news reports, emphasizing that,
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  Speaker 1: never again, must be a commitment, not just a slogan,
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  Speaker 1: and highlighting the need for the UN to confront Jew
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  Speaker 1: hatred within its own walls. Meanwhile, in Australia, proposed amendments
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  Speaker 1: to the University Funding Overhaul Bill, known as the Opening
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  Speaker 1: the Doors of Opportunity Bill, could soon oblige universities to
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  Speaker 1: adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism.
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  Speaker 1: The opposition introduced these measures in the Senate, with Liberal
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  Speaker 1: Party Senator Matt O'Sullivan set to introduce amendments requiring universities
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  Speaker 1: to adopt the contentious IHRA definition, according to reporting. Back
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  Speaker 1: on campuses, Reporting from the Algemeiner highlights an evolving landscape
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  Speaker 1: of antisemitism. Beyond overt incidents, Jewish students are increasingly experiencing
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  Speaker 1: what is described as ambient antisemitism, a pervasive climate where
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  Speaker 1: Jewish identity is treated as less legitimate or protected. This
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  Speaker 1: manifests through digital targeting and a broader atmosphere of bias,
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  Speaker 1: making students feel unsafe even without visible assaults. as noted
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  Speaker 1: by Hillel International's Senior Vice President of Campus Solutions in
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  Speaker 1: the report. In politics and media, a stark contrast is
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  Speaker 1: drawn between the Republican Party's swift condemnation of David Duke
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  Speaker 1: in 2016 and the Democratic Party's approach to streamer Hassan Piker. Piker,
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  Speaker 1: who has over 11 million followers, made remarks such as
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  Speaker 1: America deserved 9-11 and called Israel Jewish ISIS. He has
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  Speaker 1: appeared with prominent Democrats including Senator Bernie Sanders, Representatives Alexandria
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  Speaker 1: Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar, and New York Mayor Zoran Mamdani,
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  Speaker 1: according to reporting. While some Democrats like DNC Chairman Ken
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  Speaker 1: Martin and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries condemned Piker's statements,
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  Speaker 1: they initially did not name him. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, however,
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  Speaker 1: directly called Piker a stone-cold anti-Semite. On this theme, Republican
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  Speaker 1: New York City Council Member Vicky Paladine told streamer Hassan
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  Speaker 1: Piker to go back to where you came from during
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  Speaker 1: a Fox News interview. Defending her remarks against accusations of racism,
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  Speaker 1: Palladino made the comments in response to Piker's criticism of
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  Speaker 1: Mayor Zoran Mamdani's attendance at a 9-11 anniversary ceremony. Reporting
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  Speaker 1: notes Piker, born in New Jersey to Turkish parents, previously
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  Speaker 1: said America deserved the Sept. 11 attacks. Concerns have also
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  Speaker 1: been raised by Jewish Republicans, regarding Vice President J.D. Vance's
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  Speaker 1: frontrunner status for the 2028 presidential election, particularly his close
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  Speaker 1: ties with political commentator Tucker Carlson. Reporting indicates Vance pointedly
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  Speaker 1: refused to address these concerns at the Republican Jewish Coalition
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  Speaker 1: National Leadership Summit, fueling questions about the extent of Carlson's influence.
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  Speaker 1: A recent article headline states that Miliband is playing into
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  Speaker 1: the hands of anti-Semites, signifying a notable political development concerning
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  Speaker 1: the topic. In Toronto, mayoral candidates Brad Bradford and Chris
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  Speaker 1: Alexander have criticized Mayor Olivia Chow for not appearing at
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  Speaker 1: an anti-Semitism forum, according to reporting. New York City Mayor
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  Speaker 1: Zoran Mamdani's recent visit to Eichler's Judaica store has drawn
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  Speaker 1: criticism from city council member Inna Vernikov. Vernikov called the
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  Speaker 1: visit an embarrassment. alleging it allowed Mamdani to portray himself
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  Speaker 1: as an ally while continuing to promote anti-Israel views, despite
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  Speaker 1: reporting that anti-Semitic incidents in the city have significantly increased
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  Speaker 1: since he took office. Turning to institutional responses, multiple Jewish
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  Speaker 1: and healthcare organizations, including Hadassah and the Anti-Defamation League, have
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  Speaker 1: welcomed new federal guidance from the U.S. Department of Health
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  Speaker 1: and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. This guidance clarifies
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  Speaker 1: that antisemitic discrimination has no place in the nation's healthcare system,
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  Speaker 1: explicitly stating that federal civil rights protections extend to discrimination
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  Speaker 1: based on actual or perceived Jewish ancestry or ethnic characteristics
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  Speaker 1: and Israeli national origin. Emory University has established the Emory
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  Speaker 1: Policy Institute on Countering Antisemitism, or EPICA. Founded by historian
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  Speaker 1: Deborah Lipstadt, the institute will conduct research, facilitate dialogue, and
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  Speaker 1: train future leaders to address antisemitism within democratic societies, with
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  Speaker 1: support from private donations, according to university reporting. On Capitol Hill,
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  Speaker 1: Representatives Elise Stefanik and Josh Gottthamer are launching a bipartisan
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  Speaker 1: congressional coalition, the Combating Antisemitism on College Campuses Caucus. This
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  Speaker 1: caucus aims to provide lawmakers a venue to coordinate oversight
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  Speaker 1: of how higher education institutions address antisemitism, press for the
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  Speaker 1: protection of Jewish students, and track federal legislation targeting campus antisemitism.
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  Speaker 1: In Portugal, a comedian withdrew from a festival headlined by
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  Speaker 1: Jerry Seinfeld, accusing Israel of genocide, according to a brief
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  Speaker 1: report referencing the incident alongside discussions of the IHRA antisemitism definition.
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  Speaker 1: In New York City, Mayor Zoran Mamdani and Police Commissioner
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  Speaker 1: Jessica Tisch have detailed security plans for the upcoming 25th
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  Speaker 1: anniversary of 9-11 and the start of Rosh Hashanah. Officials
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  Speaker 1: stated there are no current known specific or credible threats,
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  Speaker 1: but confirmed hate crimes citywide are up 16% this year,
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  Speaker 1: with antisemitic hate crimes up 9% and more than half
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  Speaker 1: of all confirmed hate crimes targeting Jewish New Yorkers, according
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  Speaker 1: to NYPD data. Consequently, An increased NYPD presence will be
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  Speaker 1: deployed outside synagogues and other Jewish religious and cultural locations
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  Speaker 1: across the five boroughs. In community response, letters to the
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  Speaker 1: editor advocate for strong interfaith cooperation between Jewish and Muslim
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  Speaker 1: communities to counter rising Islamophobia and antisemitism. The letters reference
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  Speaker 1: rhetoric at the recent Jewish-American summit and model Cheshbon Hainfesh,
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  Speaker 1: A Jewish Practice of Self-Reflection, as a way to foster
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  Speaker 1: mutual engagement and shared advocacy for civil rights and safety
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  Speaker 1: of worship. Finally, in Pittsburgh, the Tree of Life Synagogue
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  Speaker 1: in Squirrel Hill, the site of the deadliest antisemitic attack
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  Speaker 1: in American history in 2018, will change its name eight
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  Speaker 1: years after the tragedy, as reported. I'm Rachel Adler, thank
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  Speaker 1: you for listening to Antisemitism Watch. Follow Antisemitism Watch in
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: your podcast app so you don't miss the next update.
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  Speaker 1: This report was generated with AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies.
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  Speaker 1: Please verify important details with primary sources.