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Antisemitism Watch - August 28, 2026, 09 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: tracking significant developments in how universities are confronting antisemitism, the
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  Speaker 1: infiltration of hate speech into political structures, and landmark policy discussions.
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  Speaker 1: On campuses, a wave of settlements and reforms is reshaping
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  Speaker 1: how universities address antisemitism. Reporting indicates that Reed College in
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  Speaker 1: Oregon has agreed to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance,
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  Speaker 1: or IHRA, working definition of antisemitism, and to hire an
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  Speaker 1: independent outside monitor. This settlement follows severe harassment against a
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  Speaker 1: Jewish student, including an attempted break-in, mezuzah desecration, and a
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  Speaker 1: rock thrown through her window. According to reporting reviewed for
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  Speaker 1: this episode, this case is one of the most sweeping
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  Speaker 1: campus antisemitism settlements universities have signed. Other prominent institutions like
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  Speaker 1: Columbia University and UCLA have also reached significant settlements requiring
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  Speaker 1: new title VI coordinators and financial damages, following lawsuits and
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  Speaker 1: federal civil rights complaints, as detailed in reporting reviewed for
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  Speaker 1: this episode. Harvard and UC Berkeley have agreed to new measures,
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  Speaker 1: and Haverford University will train staff and students as part
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  Speaker 1: of a settlement that states discrimination against Jews cannot be
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  Speaker 1: excused by labeling targets as Zionists. The pressure from Jewish
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  Speaker 1: organizations and legal action has reportedly led to a decrease
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  Speaker 1: in reported campus antisemitic incidents last year. However, reporting also
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  Speaker 1: highlights that hostility is now manifesting in classrooms through syllabi
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  Speaker 1: and faculty hiring, with an ADL Academic Engagement Network report
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  Speaker 1: finding anti-Zionist politics driving faculty unions. Meanwhile, in the Boulder
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  Speaker 1: Valley School District, parents have voiced unanimous concern over antisemitic harassment,
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  Speaker 1: leading to a debate on policy. Some parents, according to
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  Speaker 1: reporting reviewed for this episode, caution against partnering with the
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  Speaker 1: ADL and its imposition of the IHRA definition, advocating instead
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  Speaker 1: for an intersectional anti-oppression framework. They cite criticism of the
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  Speaker 1: ADLS approach, including its Mamdani monitor, and mention that Wikipedia
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  Speaker 1: has designated the ADL an unreliable source due to conflating
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  Speaker 1: criticism of Israel with hate speech. In politics, a disturbing
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  Speaker 1: situation has emerged within the Brooklyn Democratic Party. Carmela Charrington,
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  Speaker 1: a member of a reform coalition, promoted Henry Ford's anti-Semitic tract,
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  Speaker 1: The International Jew, on Instagram, calling its theories the truth,
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  Speaker 1: according to reporting from the Daily News. She also blamed
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  Speaker 1: Zionists for Brooklyn's deed theft problem. Calls for Charrington's resignation
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  Speaker 1: from Jewish district leaders were met with silence from key
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  Speaker 1: figures in the coalition. who instead reportedly condemned those demanding accountability.
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  Speaker 1: While the incoming party chair, Giulio Pena-Ai-Ai-Ai, acknowledged her anti-Semitism,
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  Speaker 1: the coalition's tolerance of such rhetoric has drawn strong criticism,
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  Speaker 1: with reporting noting that over 70% of Jewish educators and
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  Speaker 1: teachers unions fear for their safety. Shifting to policy, California
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  Speaker 1: is on the verge of a legislative vote on SB 1387,
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  Speaker 1: a bill that could make Jewish an official ethnic and
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  Speaker 1: racial category in state demographic data collection, impacting public schools, prisons,
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  Speaker 1: and state agencies. Proponents, including Jewish California CEO David Bockersley,
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  Speaker 1: argue this is crucial to reflect Jewish peoplehood beyond religion
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  Speaker 1: and to combat misinformation amid rising antisemitism. The bill, co-authored
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  Speaker 1: by members of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, has advanced
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  Speaker 1: through the state Senate, and awaits an Assembly vote. This
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  Speaker 1: initiative aims to ensure better understanding and response to issues
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  Speaker 1: affecting the Jewish community. In another development concerning institutional response,
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  Speaker 1: Congressman Jamie Raskin's probe into campus antisemitism investigations has drawn criticism.
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  Speaker 1: Reporting from August 28, 2026, indicates concerns about his handling
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  Speaker 1: of the issue. noting his recent campaigning and selective criticism
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  Speaker 1: of figures like streamer Hassan Piker while reportedly withholding criticism
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  Speaker 1: of others. Finally, regarding rhetoric related to Israel that meets
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  Speaker 1: IHRA criteria, the British government is threatening sanctions over Israeli
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  Speaker 1: homes in Judea and Samaria, while simultaneously demanding Jews be
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  Speaker 1: removed from parts of their ancestral homeland. According to Israel Today,
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  Speaker 1: This action raises questions about whether the policy is truly
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  Speaker 1: about peace or serves as an excuse to pressure, isolate
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  Speaker 1: and delegitimize Israel, highlighting a potential double standard. I'm Rachel Adler,
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  Speaker 1: thank you for listening to Antisemitism Watch. This report was
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  Speaker 1: generated with AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies. Please verify
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  Speaker 1: important details with primary sources.