Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - September 24, 2026, 09 PM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - September 24, 2026, 09 PM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

• 0:06
  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler. Today, we
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  Speaker 1: cover a wave of violent threats and incidents across North
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  Speaker 1: America and beyond, alongside disturbing trends emerging on university campuses
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  Speaker 1: and online. In Belleville, Ontario, Police Chief Murray Rodd has
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  Speaker 1: labeled a shooting attack outside a synagogue on Yom Kippur
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  Speaker 1: an anti-Jewish hate-motivated offense. Reporting from JTA states the assailant
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  Speaker 1: was heard yelling,' You are going to die for the Jews.'
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  Speaker 1: The suspect, Sean Ward, died after confronting officers who prevented
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  Speaker 1: him from entering the sons of Jacob Synagogue. Police indicated
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  Speaker 1: Ward possessed combustible materials and significant ammunition, and that the
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  Speaker 1: officer's actions prevented a far greater act. Constable Jeff Smith
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  Speaker 1: remains in critical but progressing condition. In Brooklyn, New York,
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  Speaker 1: a man was arrested and charged with aggravated harassment as
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  Speaker 1: a hate crime. The Daily News reports Devin Best, 48,
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  Speaker 1: chased a Jewish student with a knife while shouting,' Heil Hitler!'
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  Speaker 1: Surveillance video captured the harrowing incident. According to NYPD statistics
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  Speaker 1: cited by the Daily News, hate crimes in the city
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  Speaker 1: are up 15% this year, with 42% of confirmed August
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  Speaker 1: hate crimes being antisemitic. In Jerusalem, the Qal Hayn Shama
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  Speaker 1: synagogue has experienced escalating hostility, as reported by Haaretz. Worshippers
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  Speaker 1: had eggs thrown at them during Rosh Hashanah prayers. and
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  Speaker 1: a pride flag was torn down on Yom Kippur Eve
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  Speaker 1: following a previous break-in at the community center. On Canadian
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  Speaker 1: university campuses, Jewish students are facing a disturbing rise in antisemitism.
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  Speaker 1: Reporting from JTA, the CJN, and the National Post indicates
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  Speaker 1: incidents ranging from graffiti, and Heil Hitler salutes to mezuzahs
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  Speaker 1: being torn from dorm room doors. A campus antisemitism and
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  Speaker 1: student experiences, or case, report, found that over 90% of
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  Speaker 1: Jewish students experienced or witnessed antisemitism on campus in the
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  Speaker 1: past year, and 68% feel their campus is not safe
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  Speaker 1: or inclusive for Jews. Students have traveled to Ottawa to
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  Speaker 1: lobby members of parliament, sharing first-hand accounts and calling for
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  Speaker 1: action to ensure safety. Some students also reported facing antisemitism
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  Speaker 1: from professors and teaching assistants. Separately, a Jewish professor at
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  Speaker 1: Duke Wesleyan University has alleged ongoing anti-Semitism and retaliation within
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  Speaker 1: his department, according to TribLive. On the international stage, Prime
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  Speaker 1: Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations General Assembly, denouncing
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  Speaker 1: anti-Semitism worldwide. Fox News and JTA report that Netanyahu specifically
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  Speaker 1: accused New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani of spreading lies,
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  Speaker 1: distorting facts, and fostering an environment where Jews no longer
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  Speaker 1: feel safe in New York. he also broadly described global
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  Speaker 1: threats against Jewish people. The Roy's report details a concerning
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  Speaker 1: online trend. A small but growing group of pastors and
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  Speaker 1: online influencers are merging segregationist theology with hyper-masculine and attention
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  Speaker 1: economy tactics to promote white supremacy and antisemitism. Examples include
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  Speaker 1: rhetoric labeling Jews as enemies of God and the promotion
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  Speaker 1: of materials like Martin Luther's on the Jews and their lies.
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  Speaker 1: In Spain, Over 350 writers and cultural figures have signed
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  Speaker 1: a petition defending Jewish-Argentinian novelist Ariana Harwicks. JTA reports she
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  Speaker 1: was disinvited from the Cultur Al Festival after university activists
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  Speaker 1: complained about her views, which include opposing cultural boycotts against
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  Speaker 1: Israeli writers as anti-Semitic and dismissing accusations of genocide against Israel.
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  Speaker 1: The activists stated that labeling all criticism of Israel as
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  Speaker 1: anti-Semitic trivializes the Real antisemitism. Following the Belleville synagogue shooting,
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  Speaker 1: Jewish leaders and members of parliament in Canada are calling
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  Speaker 1: for increased federal funding for community security. The Globe and
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  Speaker 1: Mail reports that a federal requirement for synagogues to cover
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  Speaker 1: 30% of security costs places a significant burden on smaller institutions.
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  Speaker 1: A Public Safety Canada report noted, antisemitism, which includes anti-Zionism,
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  Speaker 1: is not always. In accountability news, the U.S. Justice Department
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  Speaker 1: announced that Edwin Guerrero was sentenced to nine years and
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  Speaker 1: 11 months for making anti-Semitic social media posts and threats
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  Speaker 1: targeting Jewish U.S., Representative Randy Fine and his family. Guerrero
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  Speaker 1: admitted to sending messages that included, Don't worry, your two
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  Speaker 1: little precious Jewish boys will suffer the same fate. His
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  Speaker 1: search history also contained anti-Israel content. Finally, hundreds gathered at
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  Speaker 1: Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza in New York. organized by UJA and
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  Speaker 1: the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. JTA reports
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  Speaker 1: the group urged world leaders at the UN General Assembly
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  Speaker 1: to address the rampant proliferation of antisemitism. Speakers, including ADL
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  Speaker 1: CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, criticized what they termed deliberate passivity in
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  Speaker 1: the face of antisemitism. And some speakers criticized New York
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  Speaker 1: City Mayor Zoran Mamdani. The challenges facing Jewish communities remain acute,
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  Speaker 1: but advocacy and community action continue. I'm Rachel Adler, thank
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  Speaker 1: you for listening to Antisemitism Watch. Follow Antisemitism Watch in
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  Speaker 1: your podcast app so you don't miss the next update.
• 5:35
  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.