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Antisemitism Watch - September 1, 2026, 09 AM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

• 0:06
  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler. Today, we're
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  Speaker 1: tracking evolving threats from online extremism, examining political rhetoric, and
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  Speaker 1: highlighting key legislative responses. Reporting from the Daily News e-edition
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  Speaker 1: highlights evolving terrorism threats 25 years after 9-11, according to
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  Speaker 1: former police commissioner Bill Bratton and NYU professor John Gersham.
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  Speaker 1: A May report from the Center for Strategic and International
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  Speaker 1: Studies identified four types of terrorism, anti-government extremism, partisan extremism, jihadism,
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  Speaker 1: and white supremacy. The report also notes growing fears of
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  Speaker 1: attacks on synagogues, particularly as September 11th this year falls
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  Speaker 1: on Shabbat. Specific recent incidents include a plot targeting the
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  Speaker 1: state capitol, an Iranian-backed militia plotting an attack on a
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  Speaker 1: Manhattan synagogue, and the arrest of two armed men at
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  Speaker 1: Penn Station, described by authorities as a threat to Jews
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  Speaker 1: planning to target a synagogue. According to JTA reporting, Vice
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  Speaker 1: President J.D. Vance addressed the Republican-Jewish Coalition's annual summit, where
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  Speaker 1: he emphasized the American-Israel relationship and blamed immigration for rising anti-Semitism.
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  Speaker 1: Vance also sidestepped a question about podcasters like Tucker Carlson,
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  Speaker 1: differentiating them from Joe Rogan and Nick Fuentes, an approach
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  Speaker 1: that drew applause but also criticism from some attendees and commentators,
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  Speaker 1: as JTA reported. JTA also notes that Vance has defended
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  Speaker 1: ties to influencers accused of amplifying anti-Semitism, including Tucker Carlson
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  Speaker 1: and Norm Coleman. Despite past criticisms and his stances, Vance
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  Speaker 1: received a standing ovation from some Jewish Republicans at the summit.
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  Speaker 1: In terms of hate crimes, according to WKMG reporting, Paul Miller,
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  Speaker 1: known online as Gypsy Crusader and described by the Anti-Defamation
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  Speaker 1: League as a volatile white supremacist accelerationist, participated in a
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  Speaker 1: kickboxing match over the weekend. The event featured Nazi salutes
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  Speaker 1: and a swastika, and Miller directed antisemitic insults at his opponent,
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  Speaker 1: a Jewish man named King Azoulay. Broader antisemitic incidents include
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  Speaker 1: police in New York investigating vandalism, as well as a
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  Speaker 1: £ 1 million arson attack and antisemitic intimidation. according to reporting
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  Speaker 1: reviewed for this episode. Further reports indicate vandalism and arson
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  Speaker 1: in a heavily Jewish Sydney neighbourhood, and antisemitic threats and
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  Speaker 1: arson in France and London. In institutional and policy responses,
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  Speaker 1: California lawmakers gave final approval to SB 1387, a bill
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  Speaker 1: that would expand the definition of ethnicity to include Jewish
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  Speaker 1: identity for demographic data collection, as reported by JTA. This legislation,
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  Speaker 1: which would take effect in 2030, was a priority for
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  Speaker 1: many California Jewish organizations. Also passed by the legislature were
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  Speaker 1: AB 2664, the Safe Worship Zone Act, creating a protective
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  Speaker 1: perimeter around houses of worship, and AB 395, requiring government
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  Speaker 1: bodies and schools to avoid scheduling major events on religious holidays.
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  Speaker 1: According to JTA, the Metropolitan Museum of Art canceled a
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  Speaker 1: planned exhibition of fashion designer John Galliano following backlash over
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  Speaker 1: his history of antisemitic remarks. The decision followed public urging
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  Speaker 1: from his biographer, Jewish leaders, and politicians, including New York
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  Speaker 1: City Council Speaker Julie Menon, who stated the decision was
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  Speaker 1: deeply painful for Jewish New Yorkers. Galliano was fired by
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  Speaker 1: Christian Dior in 2011 for making antisemitic remarks and praising Hitler. Additionally,
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  Speaker 1: acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling praised the Trump
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  Speaker 1: administration's workplace antisemitism initiatives at a Republican-Jewish coalition summit, according
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  Speaker 1: to reporting reviewed for this episode. Finally, in community response
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  Speaker 1: and positive developments, California lawmakers passed AB 1853, a bill
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  Speaker 1: that bars threatening false and misleading information from state voter guides,
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  Speaker 1: as reported by JTA. Jewish California, representing 43 organizations, praised
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  Speaker 1: the bill's advancement, with CEO David Bocarsley stating that official
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  Speaker 1: election documents should not be used to spread conspiracy theories
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  Speaker 1: and bigotry. The Safe Worship Zone Act, AB 2664, also passed,
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  Speaker 1: which Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kerhen stated gives communities a tool to
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  Speaker 1: push back against harassment and protect houses of worship. I'm
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  Speaker 1: Rachel Adler, thank you for listening to Antisemitism Watch. This
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  Speaker 1: report was generated with AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies.
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  Speaker 1: Please verify important details with primary sources.