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Antisemitism Watch - August 28, 2026, 05 AM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

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  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler. Today, we're
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  Speaker 1: examining alarming reports from educators' unions, high-profile accusations in Hollywood,
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  Speaker 1: and the ongoing debate around political rhetoric and its antisemitic undertones.
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  Speaker 1: A new report from the Anti-Defamation League details widespread hostility
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  Speaker 1: and pressure to self-censor among Jewish members of U.S. teachers' unions.
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  Speaker 1: The ADL surveyed 307 Jewish educators, and found significant alienation
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  Speaker 1: and exclusion. According to the findings, 73.3% of respondents found
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  Speaker 1: Union statements on the Israel-Hamas war problematic if they failed
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  Speaker 1: to condemn Hamas or the October 7th attacks, and 71%
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  Speaker 1: stated resolutions accusing Israel of apartheid, genocide, or ethnic cleansing
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  Speaker 1: were problematic. The report also noted that 48.9% had heard
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  Speaker 1: Zionist used as a slur. and 70% feared raising concerns
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  Speaker 1: could carry reputational or professional consequences, leading 73.6% to self-censor.
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  Speaker 1: The ADL stated these findings reflect a broader rise in
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  Speaker 1: antisemitism across American civic institutions. Leading Jewish organizations and synagogues
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  Speaker 1: have expressed alarm, according to reporting reviewed for this episode.
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  Speaker 1: Actor Mark Ruffalo is facing accusations of simple antisemitism, from
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  Speaker 1: nearly 1,000 Hollywood industry insiders, identified as the Brigade. According
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  Speaker 1: to reports, producers Haim Sabin, Lawrence Bender, and Teddy Schwarzman,
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  Speaker 1: among others, accused Ruffalo of invoking alleged anti-Semitic tropes about
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  Speaker 1: Jewish wealth, power, and mass death while criticizing the Warner Bros.
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  Speaker 1: Discovery merger. The Brigade stated in a release to The
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  Speaker 1: Hollywood Reporter, This is simple anti-Semitism, where Jewish executives are
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  Speaker 1: portrayed as a secretive and powerful wealth-hoarding elite, delighting in
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  Speaker 1: mass death. The dispute reportedly began after Ruffalo shared a
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  Speaker 1: video about Oracle executive Safrikatz's ties to Israeli military technology
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  Speaker 1: in relation to the merger. Ruffalo, however, rejected the accusation
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  Speaker 1: in a statement to Fox News Digital, asserting his objections
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  Speaker 1: targeted political and corporate decisions, not Jewish people. The brigade
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  Speaker 1: explicitly rejected this distinction, arguing that singling out Jewish executives
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  Speaker 1: and framing the attack through Israel is antisemitic. A Paramount
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  Speaker 1: spokesperson confirmed to Fox News digital that the company stand
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  Speaker 1: S by the statement. In political commentary, Representative Juan Vargas
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  Speaker 1: has condemned remarks by streamer Hassan Piker. Reporting from Quiver
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  Speaker 1: Congress Radar indicates Piker suggested some American Jews were inviting
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  Speaker 1: violence and warned that eventually someone will come around and
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  Speaker 1: take action. Representative Vargas called these comments unacceptable. emphasizing that
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  Speaker 1: no one deserves to face violence just for expressing their beliefs.
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  Speaker 1: He stated the remarks were particularly troubling amid rising political
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  Speaker 1: violence and antisemitism, and he wholeheartedly condemns this statement. Analysis
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  Speaker 1: of historical rhetoric offers context for contemporary debates around anti-Israel
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  Speaker 1: discourse and antisemitism. An examination of the 2001 Durban Conference
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  Speaker 1: describes it as a critical juncture. where Israel was demonized
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  Speaker 1: under the guise of anti-racism, employing tactics described as reminiscent
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  Speaker 1: of Stalinist anti-Jewish policies. According to the analysis, proponents argued
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  Speaker 1: Israel was an agent of American imperialism, and Jews had
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  Speaker 1: a malign role in the world. The author notes that
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  Speaker 1: accused Jewish doctors were equated with Nazi doctors, and this,
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  Speaker 1: in version, is seen as a precursor to later accusations
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  Speaker 1: of genocide against Israel and Jews, rather than Hamas. This
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  Speaker 1: framing is linked to the 1975, Zionism is racism, resolution
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  Speaker 1: and the portrayal of Israel as absolute evil, connected to
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  Speaker 1: anti-Americanism and Western imperialism narratives. On the policy front, Congressman
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  Speaker 1: Gottthamer is urging House leaders to support a bipartisan measure
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  Speaker 1: condemning antisemitism. The urgency for such legislative action is highlighted
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  Speaker 1: by rhetoric that falsely claims Jewish Americans bring violence upon themselves.
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  Speaker 1: One individual, named Antisemite of the Year, in 2024 by
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  Speaker 1: Stop Antisemitism, reportedly disseminated such claims to millions of followers.
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  Speaker 1: Regarding campus and higher education, an examination reviewed for this
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  Speaker 1: episode underscores the seriousness of antisemitism by advocating for advanced
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  Speaker 1: graduate-level study. It also questions the current stance of evangelical
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  Speaker 1: colleges and universities on this issue. However, The provided excerpt
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  Speaker 1: offers only a brief observation without detailing specific incidents or
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  Speaker 1: institutional responses. The fight against antisemitism requires vigilance across all sectors,
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  Speaker 1: from our academic institutions to our media and political discourse.
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  Speaker 1: We'll continue to monitor these developments. I'm Rachel Adler, thank
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  Speaker 1: you for listening to Antisemitism Watch. This report was generated
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  Speaker 1: with AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies. Please verify important
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  Speaker 1: details with primary sources.