Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - September 26, 2026, 05 PM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - September 26, 2026, 05 PM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

• 0:06
  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler. We begin
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  Speaker 1: with alarming incidents of violence targeting Jewish communities. In Belleville, Ontario,
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  Speaker 1: on September 21, 2026, a shooting occurred outside the Sons
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  Speaker 1: of Jacob synagogue. The Globe and Mail reported that police
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  Speaker 1: stated the gunman shouted, you are going to die for
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  Speaker 1: the Jews, at an officer before opening fire, leaving bullet
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  Speaker 1: holes in the synagogue's stained glass windows. Prime Minister Mark Carney,
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: noted that over two-thirds of religion-motivated hate crimes in Canada
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: last year were directed at Jewish Canadians, who comprise only
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  Speaker 1: 1% of the population. Meanwhile, Belgian authorities have linked two
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  Speaker 1: attacks earlier this year to instructions from Tehran. According to
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  Speaker 1: Gert Verketeren, director of Belgium's Coordination Unit for Threat Analysis,
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  Speaker 1: as reported by KAN News, perpetrators of an explosion outside
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  Speaker 1: a synagogue in Liege on March 9 and a car
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  Speaker 1: fire in Antwerp's Jewish Quarter on March 23 acted on
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  Speaker 1: Iranian directives. Verketuren stated these were part of a coordinated campaign,
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  Speaker 1: which also included a thwarted attack on a Dutch synagogue.
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  Speaker 1: Belgium currently lists its threat level as very serious, citing
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  Speaker 1: the geopolitical context, particularly the conflict involving Iran, as reported
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  Speaker 1: by multiple news outlets. We also saw a disturbing instance
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  Speaker 1: of Holocaust distortion. Michigan Democrat Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed drew
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  Speaker 1: strong criticism for comparing the Holocaust to the Palestinian Nakba.
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  Speaker 1: Israeli Arab Yosef Haddad, quoted by PJ Media, called the
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  Speaker 1: comparison a vile attempt to co-opt the largest massacre of
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  Speaker 1: the Jewish people in history. Haddad emphasized that the Holocaust
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  Speaker 1: was a systematic genocide of six million Jews, distinct from
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  Speaker 1: the 1948 war and displacement of Arabs. He noted that
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  Speaker 1: unlike Holocaust victims, Arab residents who stayed in Israel were
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  Speaker 1: given citizenship, while those who fled were not permitted to return.
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  Speaker 1: This comparison is seen as an inversion that minimizes the
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  Speaker 1: unique nature and scale of the Holocaust. Turning to rhetoric
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  Speaker 1: from public figures, Abdul El-Sayed's problematic statements extend beyond Holocaust comparisons.
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  Speaker 1: Reports indicate his popularity is declining among Jewish voters. With
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  Speaker 1: his messaging described as an attempt to hide a radical
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  Speaker 1: and genocidal ideology, and alleged terrorist ties. The argument is
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  Speaker 1: made that anti-Zionism, in this context, is anti-Semitic. On social media,
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  Speaker 1: leftist activist Adna Flores, with 144,000 Instagram followers, has publicly
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  Speaker 1: espoused anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, including claims that the Jews still
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  Speaker 1: run the world, and references to a gay Jewish mafia
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  Speaker 1: and evil Jews run the world. Fox News reported these
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  Speaker 1: statements made by Flores, who also endorsed a Democratic candidate,
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  Speaker 1: Further analysis from PJ Media critiques media figures like Tucker
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  Speaker 1: Carlson and Candace Owens for promoting juphobic tropes, suggesting their
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  Speaker 1: influence highlights antisemitism's persistent allure within conservative movements. The report
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  Speaker 1: notes a significant gap in news coverage focusing on how
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  Speaker 1: to combat antisemitism itself. In this context, Israeli Prime Minister
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  Speaker 1: Netanyahu recently denounced antisemitism worldwide, specifically calling out New York
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  Speaker 1: City Mayor Zoran Mamdani, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
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  Speaker 1: according to reports citing Fox News. On college campuses, the
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  Speaker 1: problem of antisemitism remains acute. According to a survey reviewed
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  Speaker 1: for this episode, 84% of students consider antisemitism a serious problem,
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  Speaker 1: with 96% having experienced or witnessed at least one incident. Critically,
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  Speaker 1: 70% of students believe their university does not take the
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  Speaker 1: issue seriously. These findings underscore the rise of anti-Semitism and
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  Speaker 1: anti-Israel sentiment on campuses following the October 7th attacks, an
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  Speaker 1: issue noted by David I in his observations at Columbia University.
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  Speaker 1: In a separate incident, local news reports indicate a swastika
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  Speaker 1: was found on a desk at Walter Johnson High School,
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  Speaker 1: highlighting the presence of hate symbols in educational settings. In Winnipeg,
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  Speaker 1: police responded to the distribution of a leaflet at the
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  Speaker 1: Asper campus. The Jewish Post reported that the Winnipeg Police
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  Speaker 1: Service arrested an individual prompting questions about potential overreaction given
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  Speaker 1: the leaflet's content, which was described as critical of fanatic
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  Speaker 1: settlers on the West Bank. Police cited Section 319.2 of
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  Speaker 1: the Canadian Criminal Code concerning the willful promotion of hatred,
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  Speaker 1: a move that has led to debate about its application
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  Speaker 1: in this instance. Finally, we look at institutional responses. The
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  Speaker 1: Toronto Sun reported that Canadian broadcasting corporation, CBC, journalist Neil Herland,
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  Speaker 1: who is Jewish, has been suspended and faces disciplinary action
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  Speaker 1: for filming anti-Israel protesters outside a Toronto synagogue on Yom Kippur. Herland,
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  Speaker 1: the son of a Holocaust survivor, documented anti-Semitic behavior and
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  Speaker 1: rhetoric from the demonstrators, including one protester who allegedly told him,
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  Speaker 1: you're going to hell. and another who yelled, the Jew smiles,
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  Speaker 1: while he kills babies in Gaza at the synagogue's canter.
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  Speaker 1: The Toronto Sun also reported a police officer told the
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  Speaker 1: canter to stop, antagonizing the protesters. The CBC's decision to
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  Speaker 1: take Herland off the air and investigate him has drawn criticism,
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  Speaker 1: with advocates arguing the institution appears to be siding with
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  Speaker 1: those demonstrating hatred rather than the journalists documenting it. I'm
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  Speaker 1: Rachel Adler, thank you for listening to Antisemitism Watch. Follow
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: Antisemitism Watch in your podcast app so you don't miss
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: the next update. This report was generated with AI assistance
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  Speaker 1: and may contain inaccuracies. Please verify important details with primary sources.