Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - September 4, 2026, 01 PM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - September 4, 2026, 01 PM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

• 0:06
  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler. The U.S.
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  Speaker 1: House of Representatives has passed a bill aimed at combating
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  Speaker 1: academic and commercial boycotts against Israel, according to reporting from
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  Speaker 1: The Washington Times and JTA. The Protect Economic and Academic
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  Speaker 1: Freedom Act passed with a vote of 237 to 169.
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  Speaker 1: The legislation would prohibit universities from receiving federal student aid
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  Speaker 1: if they engage in such boycotts. requiring institutions to certify
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  Speaker 1: they are not participating in boycotts of Israel or unreasonably
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  Speaker 1: obstructing academic programs there. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Josh
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  Speaker 1: Gotthamer and Rep. Virginia Fox, aims to counter the boycott,
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  Speaker 1: divestment and sanctions movement. Critics, however, including Rep. Gerald Nadler,
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  Speaker 1: have raised concerns that the bill infringes upon First Amendment
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  Speaker 1: rights and academic freedom. In California, antisemitism remains a significant concern.
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  Speaker 1: with 289 anti-Jewish hate crimes recorded in 2025, according to
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  Speaker 1: Times of San Diego. This figure comprised nearly 74% of
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  Speaker 1: all religion-based hate crimes in the state. In San Diego specifically,
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  Speaker 1: 91 antisemitic incidents were documented last year, with nearly one
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  Speaker 1: in four targeting Jewish institutions. The report also notes concerning
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  Speaker 1: rhetoric from political groups, where the term Zionist is reportedly
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  Speaker 1: used as shorthand for Jew. making engagement with Jewish organizations
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  Speaker 1: a disqualifying offense for endorsement. Vice President J.D. Vance defended
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  Speaker 1: his close relationship with Tucker Carlson this week, calling him
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  Speaker 1: a friend and dismissing criticism about Carlson's history of platforming antisemites.
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  Speaker 1: In a White House briefing, Vance stated, I'm not going
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  Speaker 1: to play the game where I throw friends under the
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  Speaker 1: bus because I have political disagreements with them. This defense
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  Speaker 1: comes as Carlson has a documented history of promoting white
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  Speaker 1: nationalist talking points and granting interviews to notorious antisemites, as
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  Speaker 1: detailed by Media Matters. Critics argue Vance's response is disingenuous,
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  Speaker 1: eliding Carlson's significant role in Vance's political career and his
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  Speaker 1: platform's impact. The Anti-Defamation League has released a set of
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  Speaker 1: five asks for hospitals and healthcare institutions, urging them to
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  Speaker 1: take concrete steps to prevent and address antisemitism. ADL's recommendations,
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  Speaker 1: detailed in their September 4th release, call on institutions to
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  Speaker 1: explicitly name antisemitism, including anti-Zionist harassment, in their policies. They
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  Speaker 1: also advocate for accessible, confidential reporting systems for patients and staff,
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  Speaker 1: mandatory training on antisemitism for all personnel, support for Jewish
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  Speaker 1: employee resource groups, and robust religious accommodation policies, the American
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  Speaker 1: Jewish Committee's 2025 report indicates a concerning rise in fear
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  Speaker 1: among American Jews, with 78% feeling less safe following the
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  Speaker 1: October 7th attacks and over half changing their behavior out
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  Speaker 1: of fear. This heightened concern impacts how Jewish communities observe
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  Speaker 1: high holidays, with security measures becoming a common feature. In
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  Speaker 1: response to these concerns, The FBI Baltimore field office is
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  Speaker 1: prioritizing investigations into hate crimes targeting the Jewish community and
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  Speaker 1: has partnered with local law enforcement on a robust security plan,
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  Speaker 1: according to the Baltimore Jewish Times. On college campuses, a
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  Speaker 1: report notes that one in three students encountered problematic course
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  Speaker 1: content related to protests concerning Israel. Meanwhile, concerns are rising
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  Speaker 1: about the spread of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories on platforms like TikTok.
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  Speaker 1: I'm Rachel Adler, thank you for listening to Antisemitism Watch.
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: Follow Antisemitism Watch in your podcast app so you don't
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: miss the next update. This report was generated with AI
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  Speaker 1: assistance and may contain inaccuracies. Please verify important details with
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  Speaker 1: primary sources.