Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - August 15, 2026, 01 PM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - August 15, 2026, 01 PM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

• 0:06
  Speaker 1: You're listening to antisemitism. Watch I'm Rachel Adler. In New
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  Speaker 1: York City, a man has been charged with hate crimes
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  Speaker 1: following a violent disruption during Shabbat's services at Manhattan's Central Synagogue,
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  Speaker 1: Larry Mont's forty six, is accused of assaulting a congregant
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  Speaker 1: and a security staffer and damaging property. According to NYPD
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  Speaker 1: Commissioner Jessica Tish, a sixty three year old woman sustained
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  Speaker 1: a minor cut to her lip and injuries to her
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  Speaker 1: right forearm, while a security guard was spat on and
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  Speaker 1: head budded. Police stated witnesses described panic during the incident,
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  Speaker 1: which occurred around six ten pm on Friday. Montes faces
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  Speaker 1: multiple charges, including assault and criminal mischief as hate crimes.
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  Speaker 1: Commissioner Tish, who grew up attending the synagogue, called the
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  Speaker 1: incident deeply painful and stated a place of worship should
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  Speaker 1: never be a crime scene. Governor Cathy Hotchell condemned the
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  Speaker 1: attack as a affirming that Jewish New Yorkers have every
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  Speaker 1: right to worship openly, proudly, and without fear. Mayor Zorin
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  Speaker 1: Mamdani also condemned the assault, calling it a despicable act
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  Speaker 1: and vowing his administration would do everything in our power
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  Speaker 1: to keep Jewish New Yorker safe. NYPD confirmed there are
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  Speaker 1: no known additional threats, though extra police resources were deployed
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  Speaker 1: to the area. This incident highlights ongoing concerns about antisemitism,
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  Speaker 1: which remains the most frequently reported bias category in New
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  Speaker 1: York City according to NYPD data. Moving to Canada, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan,
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  Speaker 1: a man faces mischief charges in connection with vandalism at
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  Speaker 1: Congregation Aguda's Israel Synagogue during prayer services on August first.
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  Speaker 1: Police stated the thirty one year old suspect through eggs
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  Speaker 1: at vehicles and parts of the building. While the Saskatoon
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  Speaker 1: Police Hate Crimes Unit was involved in the investigation, the
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  Speaker 1: suspect was not initially charged with hate crimes, though the
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  Speaker 1: least noted evidence of bias can be considered an aggravating factor.
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  Speaker 1: During sentencing, Rabbi Claudio Jodurkowski expressed concern about the vandalism
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  Speaker 1: occurring in broad daylight, while also stating a need to
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  Speaker 1: trust Saskatoon is a safe place for the Jewish community.
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  Speaker 1: Statistics Canada data indicates that seventy percent of police reported
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  Speaker 1: hate crimes targeting religious groups in twenty twenty four were
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  Speaker 1: directed at the Jewish community on university campuses. An external
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  Speaker 1: review of protests at Toronto Metropolitan University or TMU, found
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  Speaker 1: that two incidents leading to student arrests last year were
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  Speaker 1: symptoms of a deteriorating campus climate following the start of
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  Speaker 1: the Israel Hamas War. The review, conducted by former Ontario
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  Speaker 1: Court of Appeal judge Mary Lubinato and lawyer Margaret Finley,
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  Speaker 1: criticized the university for inconsistent policy application. The report highlighted
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  Speaker 1: that similar incidents were likely to recur without decisive institutional action.
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  Speaker 1: The review examined disruptions at a Democracy Forum event by
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  Speaker 1: members of Students for Justice in Palestine at TMU, where
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  Speaker 1: speakers were interrupted and attendees called war criminal and murderer.
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  Speaker 1: It also covered the disruption of an event organized by
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  Speaker 1: students supporting Israel, which led to injuries when a glass
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  Speaker 1: door broke amidst protesters surrounding attendees. The report recommended TMU
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  Speaker 1: revise its statement on freedom of speech to prohibit intimidation
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  Speaker 1: and harassment and to ensure lawful events are not denied
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  Speaker 1: due to anticipated opposition in institutional responses. Haverford College has
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  Speaker 1: settled a lawsuit with a landmark agreement aimed at confronting
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  Speaker 1: antisemitism and insuring Jewish safety on campus. This settlement follows
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  Speaker 1: what sources describe as a wave of antisemitic intimidation and
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  Speaker 1: violence that enveloped the school after the October seventh attacks.
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  Speaker 1: Professor Barrack Mendelssohn, who became a target of threats and harassment,
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  Speaker 1: including his mezuza being stolen and receiving posts with his
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  Speaker 1: home address wishing him a Happy Holocaust Day, stated he
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  Speaker 1: didn't really identify as an Israeli or a Jew before
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  Speaker 1: October seven. The lawsuit detailed numerous abuses against Jewish students,
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  Speaker 1: including harassment, intimidation, and claims that college administrators showed indifference.
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  Speaker 1: The agreement aims to address these issues, providing a model
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  Speaker 1: for other institutions grappling with similar challenges. Internationally, Australia is
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  Speaker 1: implementing its largest gun buyback in three decades, launched in
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  Speaker 1: New South Wales. The scheme, a joint effort between state
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  Speaker 1: and federal governments, began in November twenty twenty six in
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  Speaker 1: response to what Prime Minister Anthony Albanize called the antisemitic
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  Speaker 1: terrorist attack in Bondi. The program aims to remove firearms
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  Speaker 1: from circulation following the deadly attack on December fourteenth, twenty
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  Speaker 1: twenty five. Compensation is being offered for various types of firearms,
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  Speaker 1: with a second phase planned for early twenty twenty seven
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  Speaker 1: for higher value firearms. I'm Rachel Adler. Thank you for
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  Speaker 1: listening to Antisemitism Watch. 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.