Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - September 17, 2026, 01 PM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - September 17, 2026, 01 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 escalating concerns on college campuses, pointed political rhetoric, and
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  Speaker 1: a disturbing lack of accountability in a recent hate crime case.
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  Speaker 1: The US Department of Education has launched civil rights investigations
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  Speaker 1: into two educational institutions, the Etiwanda School District in California
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  Speaker 1: and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York.
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  Speaker 1: According to complaints filed by the Anti-Defamation League, the Louis D.
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  Speaker 1: Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law. And stand with us,
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  Speaker 1: these institutions allegedly failed to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment.
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  Speaker 1: At the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, allegations include a
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  Speaker 1: flyer calling for violence against Jews being placed under a
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  Speaker 1: Jewish student's dorm room door in November 2023, followed by
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  Speaker 1: administrators reportedly ignoring continued reports of harassment, which led the
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  Speaker 1: student to drop out. For the Etiwanda School District, Complaints
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  Speaker 1: accuse the public school system of failing to respond appropriately
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  Speaker 1: after a student allegedly choked a Jewish 7th grader and
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  Speaker 1: told her to shut her stupid Jewish ass up. Reports
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  Speaker 1: also detail other students giving Nazi salutes and cracking Hitler
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  Speaker 1: jokes from 2024 to 2026, with one student reportedly saying,
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  Speaker 1: This wouldn't be an issue if you weren't Jewish. Jonathan Greenblatt,
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  Speaker 1: CEO of the ADL. stated that educational institutions must take
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  Speaker 1: stronger stances in stopping antisemitic harassment and bullying as soon
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  Speaker 1: as the incidents are reported to leadership. Both institutions face
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  Speaker 1: potential mediation and the loss of federal funding under Title
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  Speaker 1: VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Etiwanda School
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  Speaker 1: District Superintendent Laura Rowland said the district investigated and found
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  Speaker 1: a small number of students made remarks outside employee presence.
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  Speaker 1: adding that the students involved no longer attend the school
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  Speaker 1: and that the district has implemented additional training and strengthened
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  Speaker 1: review procedures. In New York City, Mayor Zoran Mamdani has
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  Speaker 1: drawn criticism for his rhetoric concerning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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  Speaker 1: Mamdani stated he has no plans to join protests against
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  Speaker 1: Netanyahu during his upcoming UN General Assembly visit. This comes
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  Speaker 1: after Mamdani previously called Netanyahu a war criminal. the architect
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  Speaker 1: of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people, in a
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  Speaker 1: video address, and had campaigned on a pledge to arrest
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  Speaker 1: Netanyahu based on an ICC warrant, a move he later
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  Speaker 1: acknowledged was beyond his authority. Jewish organizations have raised concerns
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  Speaker 1: that Mamdani's rhetoric contributes to a hostile climate for Jews
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  Speaker 1: across the city. On Capitol Hill, Senator John Fetterman made
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  Speaker 1: a controversial comparison while discussing foreign policy. According to reporting,
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  Speaker 1: Fetterman stated, The Iranian regime is no different and no
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  Speaker 1: less evil than the Nazis. This statement, made during a
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  Speaker 1: discussion on the war in Iran, echoes patterns identified in
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  Speaker 1: the IHRA definition of antisemitism concerning Holocaust inversion. A panel
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  Speaker 1: discussion on Fox News, the Faulkner Focus, highlighted a broader trend,
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  Speaker 1: with experts discussing a significant uptick in antisemitic attacks and
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  Speaker 1: threats in the U.S., leading to widespread fears for the
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  Speaker 1: safety of Jewish Americans. civil rights groups have issued warnings.
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  Speaker 1: In Australia, a case involving the ramming of gates at
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  Speaker 1: Brisbane's Great Synagogue has concluded with a notable outcome. Matthew
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  Speaker 1: Alexander Donald de Campo was sentenced to six months in
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  Speaker 1: prison for the incident. However, he was immediately released on
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  Speaker 1: a good behaviour bond, having already served 83 days. Crucially,
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  Speaker 1: the hate crime aggravating circumstance was dropped during the hearing.
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  Speaker 1: a decision that led to a lack of direct accountability
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  Speaker 1: for the antisemitic nature of the act. In contrast, at
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  Speaker 1: Wilfrid Laurier University, officials have been responsive to the needs
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  Speaker 1: of the Jewish community following vandalism of a mezuzah on campus,
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  Speaker 1: a response praised by community members. Online, a personal dilemma
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  Speaker 1: highlights the spread of antisemitic tropes. One woman is grappling
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  Speaker 1: with confronting her friend's social media posts, which include a
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  Speaker 1: quote from an Orthodox leader linking Zionism to Satan worship
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  Speaker 1: and perpetuating stereotypes, alongside claims that 9-11 was an inside
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  Speaker 1: job involving Israel. On the policy front, dozens of members
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  Speaker 1: of the European Parliament from the Patriots for Europe group
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  Speaker 1: have adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance, alliances, principles on combating
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  Speaker 1: antisemitism and commemorating the Holocaust. Participants also voiced support for
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  Speaker 1: Israel and settlements. Separately, the Trump administration previously established a
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  Speaker 1: Department of Justice task force to combat anti-Semitism. Finally, we
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  Speaker 1: turn to positive developments. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft
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  Speaker 1: has pledged $ 2 million for aid to the Middle East,
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  Speaker 1: matching a donation by singer Ed Sheeran. This commitment followed
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  Speaker 1: controversy over Kraft's decision to block Macklemore from performing due
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  Speaker 1: to the rapper's anti-Israel remarks and past anti-Semitic incidents. In
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  Speaker 1: a statement, Kraft emphasized his decades-long support for peace-building efforts
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  Speaker 1: that create opportunities for Palestinians and bring young Israelis and
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  Speaker 1: Palestinians together. I'm Rachel Adler, thank you for listening to
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  Speaker 1: Antisemitism Watch. Follow Antisemitism Watch in your podcast app so
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  Speaker 1: you don't miss the next update. This report was generated
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  Speaker 1: with AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies. Please verify important
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: details with primary sources. Thank you.