Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - October 2, 2026, 03 PM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - October 2, 2026, 03 PM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

• 0:06
  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler. Today, we're
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  Speaker 1: tracking a disturbing convergence of hate crimes concerning rhetoric from
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  Speaker 1: political figures and institutional responses to antisemitism across North America
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  Speaker 1: and Europe. In Belleville, Ontario, antisemitic flyers blaming Jewish people
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  Speaker 1: were distributed this week to the Sons of Jacob Synagogue
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  Speaker 1: and surrounding neighborhoods. This incident compounds the trauma following a Sept.
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  Speaker 1: 20 attack where police thwarted a mass killing attempt at
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  Speaker 1: the same synagogue. Synagogue president Norman Wedham stated the flyers
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  Speaker 1: couldn't have been done by one person, according to thespect.com,
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  Speaker 1: and police are actively investigating. This follows a report from jpost.com
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  Speaker 1: noting that in 2025, Canadian police recorded 788 hate crimes
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  Speaker 1: targeting Jews, comprising 71% of all religion-motivated hate crimes. In
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  Speaker 1: the UK, a year after the Manchester synagogue attack, Jewish
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  Speaker 1: community leaders report ongoing feelings of vulnerability. Mark Levy of
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  Speaker 1: the Jewish Representative Council for Greater Manchester told the BBC
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  Speaker 1: that Jewish people still feel like they have a target
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  Speaker 1: on our backs due to prevalent antisemitism, with some questioning
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  Speaker 1: their future in the UK. This anxiety is heightened by
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  Speaker 1: news that counter-terrorism police disrupted an advanced plot targeting the
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  Speaker 1: Jewish community again during Yom Kippur this year. On campuses,
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  Speaker 1: Jewish graduate students are increasingly facing an insidious, subtle feeling
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  Speaker 1: of exclusion and hostility that impacts their safety, education, and careers,
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  Speaker 1: according to JewishReady.com. Advocacy groups are engaging with Congress to
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  Speaker 1: address these issues. Meanwhile, the Justice Department announced on October 1, 2026,
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  Speaker 1: that UCLA Law School illegally considered race in its admissions
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  Speaker 1: for recent classes. As reported by ABC7. com, the Justice Department
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  Speaker 1: is also suing UCLA again, alleging antisemitism against students. In
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  Speaker 1: media and politics, Canadian reporter Neil Herland was reportedly suspended
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  Speaker 1: by the CBC after posting a video of pro-Palestinian protesters
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  Speaker 1: outside Yom Kippur services and writing about his experience. The
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  Speaker 1: CBC declined to confirm the suspension, citing confidentiality and stating
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  Speaker 1: reports contained errors and mischaracterizations. While a press freedom group
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  Speaker 1: criticised the potential punishment, Herland had described protesters yelling, Zionist alert,
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  Speaker 1: and you're going to hell, according to JTA. In the UK,
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  Speaker 1: the Green Party is set to debate a resolution declaring
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  Speaker 1: Zionism as racism, which opponents warn could lead to the
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  Speaker 1: expulsion of Jewish members, as reported by TheGuardian.com. The Palestinian
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  Speaker 1: Authority continues to be a source of concern. The Aljamina
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  Speaker 1: reports that PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has publicly praised and
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  Speaker 1: honored terrorists, referring to them as founding brothers and martyrs,
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  Speaker 1: including mass murderers and plane hijackers, with PA TV programs
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  Speaker 1: also reportedly featuring prominent terrorists. New York City Mayor Zoran
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  Speaker 1: Mamdani released the city's first comprehensive municipal strategy to combat antisemitism,
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  Speaker 1: committing $ 29 million annually and establishing an interagency task force.
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  Speaker 1: While the funding was noted, LatinTimes.com reports sharp criticism for
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  Speaker 1: omitting an official definition of antisemitism, such as the IHRA definition,
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  Speaker 1: and for not explicitly addressing anti-Zionism as a driver of hate. Acklej.org
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  Speaker 1: notes that Mamdani previously revoked executive orders that had adopted
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  Speaker 1: the IHRA definition and barred boycotts of Israel. Mamdani has
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  Speaker 1: also renewed calls for the U.S. to join the ICC
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  Speaker 1: and enforce arrest warrants. calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
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  Speaker 1: the architect of a horrific genocide. According to Vinus.com, Netanyahu
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  Speaker 1: had previously criticized Mamdani for making Jews feel unsafe in
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  Speaker 1: New York. Online, the ADL reported that at least 25,000
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  Speaker 1: posts on X, formerly Twitter, within 48 hours of the
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  Speaker 1: Sept 30 fly-to-buy incident propagated conspiracy theories, including false flag
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  Speaker 1: narratives and accusations targeting Jewish people. This spread was amplified
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  Speaker 1: by influencers across the political spectrum. In institutional responses, 12
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  Speaker 1: Jewish teachers have filed applications with the Ontario Human Rights
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  Speaker 1: Tribunal against four school boards and three teachers' unions, alleging
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  Speaker 1: that numerous antisemitic events they reported were ignored or penalised,
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  Speaker 1: as detailed by theglobenmail.com. Meanwhile, Italy's government is pushing Parliament
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  Speaker 1: to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism. a move supported
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  Speaker 1: by Holocaust survivor Liliana Seger and Jewish leaders amid rising antisemitism,
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  Speaker 1: though the center-left warns it could chill criticism of Israel,
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  Speaker 1: according to UNIT Jewish World. On case outcomes, Siliv.com reported
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  Speaker 1: that a Staten Island man accused of an antisemitic hate
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  Speaker 1: crime rampage has been deemed mentally unfit for trial. Separately,
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  Speaker 1: the Santa Barbara News Press notes that the University of
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  Speaker 1: California is seeking to dismiss a Department of Justice anti-Semitism lawsuit. Finally,
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  Speaker 1: in a positive development, Miss Teenage Nova Scotia Mikkel Shepshilevich
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  Speaker 1: is using her platform to raise awareness about bullying and anti-Semitism.
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  Speaker 1: Inspired by her own experiences, Thekjan.ca reports. She plans presentations
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  Speaker 1: for students and advocacy training. I'm Rachel Adler, thank you
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  Speaker 1: for listening to Anti-Semitism Watch. Follow Antisemitism Watch in your
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: podcast app so you don't miss the next update. This
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  Speaker 1: report was generated with AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies.
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  Speaker 1: Please verify important details with primary sources.