Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - September 1, 2026, 05 PM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - September 1, 2026, 05 PM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

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  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler. New details
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  Speaker 1: emerged this week in a disturbing planned attack in San Diego,
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  Speaker 1: where prosecutors revealed that two teenage gunmen who attacked a
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  Speaker 1: mosque had also plotted to target a local synagogue and
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  Speaker 1: black students at a local high school. For Sith County
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  Speaker 1: District Attorney Jim O'Neill stated that the shooter's actions were
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  Speaker 1: ideologically motivated. A 17-year-old girl has been indicted for allegedly
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  Speaker 1: helping disseminate the gunmen's hate-filled manifesto. According to NBC San Diego,
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  Speaker 1: San Diego police confirmed the district attorney's statements regarding the
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  Speaker 1: intended targets, though they declined to provide further details. Rabbi
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  Speaker 1: Barney Kasten of the Kehillat Ariel Messianic Synagogue, a potential target,
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  Speaker 1: told NBC San Diego that he was not surprised the
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  Speaker 1: synagogue was on the shooter's radar due to its proximity
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  Speaker 1: to the mosque. He expressed confidence in his synagogue's security protocols,
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  Speaker 1: which include visible armed guards at major events. In a
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  Speaker 1: separate incident, Howard County police are investigating swastika graffiti found
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  Speaker 1: at the entrance to the bus loop at Phelps Luck
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  Speaker 1: Elementary School. According to Principal Dr. Shauna Holden, camera footage
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  Speaker 1: indicated the graffiti was present on or before August 7, 2026.
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  Speaker 1: The vandalism has since been removed. Turning to campus and
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  Speaker 1: K-12 education, a new report from the Anti-Defamation League indicates
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  Speaker 1: a stark divergence in antisemitic incidents, while antisemitic incidents on
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  Speaker 1: college campuses dropped sharply in 2025. Reported cases in non-Jewish K,
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  Speaker 1: though 12 schools, remained largely unchanged, with 825 incidents in
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  Speaker 1: 2025 compared to 860 in 2024. Shira Goodman of the
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  Speaker 1: ADL described the K-12 space as a hotspot. Incidents beyond
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  Speaker 1: hate symbols include a February 2024 case at El Camino
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  Speaker 1: Real High School in Lowe's Angels, where a student alleged
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  Speaker 1: being verbally and physically assaulted with antisemitic slurs. At Walt
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  Speaker 1: Whitman High School in Maryland, Jewish students reported being named
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  Speaker 1: in alleged antisemitic threats. Some advocates, like Mark Meckler of
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  Speaker 1: Convention of States Action, argue the persistent numbers reflect a
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  Speaker 1: wider problem, calling it endemic in elementary, secondary, and higher education.
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  Speaker 1: Federal agencies are increasing scrutiny, with the Education Department's Office
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  Speaker 1: for Civil Rights opening investigations in Baltimore City, Florida's Bay
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  Speaker 1: County School District, and the New York City Department of Education.
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  Speaker 1: The Justice Department also reached a settlement with the Concord-Carlyle
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  Speaker 1: Regional School District in Massachusetts requiring policy updates and training.
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  Speaker 1: The school district of Philadelphia is also facing a congressional
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  Speaker 1: investigation and an education department review over its handling of
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  Speaker 1: reported incidents. Additionally, reporting indicates instances of antisemitism within higher
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  Speaker 1: education unions, according to ADL-CCAE. In politics and media, Michigan
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  Speaker 1: Attorney General Dana Nessel, who is Jewish, has drawn criticism
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  Speaker 1: for remarks reportedly urging Jewish voters to prioritize collective survival
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  Speaker 1: and saving humanity. over their own safety. An author cited
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  Speaker 1: in the reporting called these remarks a new low and
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  Speaker 1: questioned Nessel's analogy to Queen Esther, suggesting it misrepresents the
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  Speaker 1: biblical figure's actions, which aimed at her people's survival. This
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  Speaker 1: comes as other figures are noted for their stances on antisemitism.
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  Speaker 1: Representative Randy Fine claimed that Republicans have dealt with antisemitism
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  Speaker 1: by crushing and expelling our lunatics, contrasting this with Democrats
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  Speaker 1: who he said embrace and elevate theirs. citing examples like
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  Speaker 1: Tucker Carlson and Hassan Piker. Meanwhile, actor Mark Ruffalo faces
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  Speaker 1: accusations of using antisemitic tropes while criticizing the Paramount Warner Bros.
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  Speaker 1: discovery merger, earning support from 170 Jewish figures. J.D. Vance
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  Speaker 1: was reportedly confronted in a closed-door queue, an A about
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  Speaker 1: MAGA allies who platform antisemites, with Tucker Carlson framed as
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  Speaker 1: a public concern. In broader political commentary, Speakers at a
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  Speaker 1: GOP Jewish confab warned about the implications of far-left DSA
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  Speaker 1: candidates winning office, stating that the people in charge would
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  Speaker 1: not be moderate Democrats. It would be the squad. It
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  Speaker 1: would be the DSA. In media disputes, DJ Vlad has
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  Speaker 1: accused Drink Champ's host Enoari of pressuring him to drink
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  Speaker 1: and has criticized the podcast's handling of vulnerable guests. citing
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  Speaker 1: Can I West's controversial 2022 appearance, which included antisemitic remarks
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  Speaker 1: and false statements about George Floyd's death, for which N.O.R.E.
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  Speaker 1: later apologized. A panel discussion on Fox News at night
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  Speaker 1: also featured analysis of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's criticism
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  Speaker 1: of the Democratic Party's stance on antisemitism. Internationally, the National
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  Speaker 1: Association of Christian Lawmakers, or NACL, has formally proposed that
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  Speaker 1: the United States create lawful, secure and appropriately expedited pathways
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  Speaker 1: for Jewish Canadians facing persecution and rising anti-Semitism to enter
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  Speaker 1: the U.S. as refugees. This proposal was followed by a
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  Speaker 1: retweet from former President Donald Trump on Truth Social. Marking
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  Speaker 1: his first acknowledgement of Jewish Canadians needing assistance, Rabbi Jard
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  Speaker 1: Grover stated that anti-Semitism is off the charts in Canada,
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  Speaker 1: estimating around 7,000 incidents. He criticized Canadian Prime Minister Mark
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  Speaker 1: Carney's government for inaction and the perceived failure of a
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  Speaker 1: promised task force to tackle anti-Semitism. As Jewish communities prepare
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  Speaker 1: for Rosh Hashanah, new data highlights widespread fear. An American
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  Speaker 1: Jewish Committee report indicates that 91% of American Jews feel
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  Speaker 1: less safe as Jewish people in the United States due
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  Speaker 1: to recent violent attacks, and 55% have altered their behavior
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  Speaker 1: out of safety concerns. The report details personal decisions about
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  Speaker 1: wearing religious symbols, attending Jewish events, or publicly identifying as Jewish,
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  Speaker 1: driven by fears of being visibly Jewish or speaking openly
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  Speaker 1: about Israel. The AJC emphasizes that while security measures are necessary,
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  Speaker 1: the response must also include living more confidently and openly
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  Speaker 1: as Jews, celebrating traditions, and strengthening bonds with neighbors of
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  Speaker 1: all backgrounds. I'm Rachel Adler. Thank you for listening to
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  Speaker 1: Antisemitism Watch. This report was generated with AI assistance and
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  Speaker 1: may contain inaccuracies. Please verify important details with primary sources.