Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - September 4, 2026, 09 AM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - September 4, 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: examining the complex web of foreign influence on American campuses,
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  Speaker 1: the political fallout from controversial rhetoric, vital governmental policy shifts,
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  Speaker 1: and a worrying increase in antisemitism abroad. According to reporting
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  Speaker 1: reviewed for this episode, Qatar has provided billions in funding
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  Speaker 1: to American universities, including $ 737 million to Northwestern University alone.
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  Speaker 1: This funding raises questions about the influence Qatar is buying
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  Speaker 1: within institutions, shaping how young Americans understand the Middle East.
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  Speaker 1: The article notes that textbooks in Qatar teach its children
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  Speaker 1: that Jews are inherently disloyal and that Hitler was justified
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  Speaker 1: because Jews caused Germany to lose World War I. Furthermore,
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  Speaker 1: aspects of funding deals documented by reporting give Qatar control, direction,
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  Speaker 1: or substantial influence over institutional actions. citing an agreement with
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  Speaker 1: Georgetown University that requires consultation on conference themes and speakers.
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  Speaker 1: In the wake of the October 7th attacks, the Qatar Foundation,
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  Speaker 1: supported by the Qatari government, reportedly held a call with
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  Speaker 1: American university deans in Doha, including Northwestern, instructing Northwestern's communications
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  Speaker 1: team to be aligned and in touch with the foundation
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  Speaker 1: and requesting information sharing and no surprises. In politics, Michigan U.S.
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  Speaker 1: Senate candidate Abdel El-Sayed is facing political fallout over his
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  Speaker 1: association with Twitch streamer Hassan Piker. According to reporting, Piker
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  Speaker 1: has made statements such as America deserved 9 slash 11,
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  Speaker 1: I hate America, and has stated that in a totally
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  Speaker 1: just world, any kind of fucking Zionist tendency should be
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  Speaker 1: treated in the same way as being a fucking rabid neo-Nazi.
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  Speaker 1: Piker's rhetoric, described as stridently anti-Israel and anti-Zionist, has become
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  Speaker 1: a liability for El-Sayed in his race. Separately, J.D. Vance
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  Speaker 1: is facing attacks for his association with Tucker Carlson, who
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  Speaker 1: is labeled an antisemite, according to reporting reviewed for this episode.
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  Speaker 1: Turning to institutional responses, the U.S. Department of Health and
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  Speaker 1: Human Services has issued a guidance letter to health care
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  Speaker 1: providers and entities receiving department funding. The letter clarifies how
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  Speaker 1: federal anti-discrimination laws apply to instances of antisemitism. According to HHS,
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  Speaker 1: Jewish and Israeli patients, students and healthcare professionals are entitled
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  Speaker 1: to equal access and treatment without discrimination. The guidance states
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  Speaker 1: that antisemitic conduct may violate Title VI of the Civil
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  Speaker 1: Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable
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  Speaker 1: Care Act when it involves discrimination based on Jewish ancestry,
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  Speaker 1: ethnic characteristics, or Israeli national origin. Examples provided include delaying treatment,
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  Speaker 1: or imposing additional security requirements. The guidance also specifies that
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  Speaker 1: recipients of HHS funds may not intentionally create a hostile
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  Speaker 1: environment or retaliate against those who report discrimination. The letter
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  Speaker 1: calls for the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of
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  Speaker 1: Jew hatred to be considered. The American Jewish Medical Association
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  Speaker 1: told JNS that the letter is an important step in
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  Speaker 1: clarifying protections. Internationally, Antisemitic incidents in Spain rose significantly in 2025.
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  Speaker 1: The Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain reported 221 incidents,
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  Speaker 1: a 14.5% increase from 193 in 2024, warning that hatred
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  Speaker 1: is being normalized. Data from Spain's Interior Ministry also shows
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  Speaker 1: a jump in hate crimes targeting Jews. The report details
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  Speaker 1: incidents like vandalism of Holocaust memorials, desecration of Jewish graves,
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  Speaker 1: and individual harassment, FCJE President David Obadia stated that, our
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  Speaker 1: children are the only ones who go to school with
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  Speaker 1: a police presence. And FCJE spokesperson Maria Royo attributed the
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  Speaker 1: rise to campaigns against Israel, noting that some groups blame
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  Speaker 1: all Jews. Esteban Ibarra, president of the Movement Against Intolerance,
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  Speaker 1: emphasized that antisemitism is a form of hatred distinct from
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  Speaker 1: political disagreements. In Australia, the Supreme Court of Queensland has
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  Speaker 1: overturned a penalty imposed on Greens councillor Trina Massey, who
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  Speaker 1: had been ordered to repay $ 10, 000 and issue an apology
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  Speaker 1: for a newsletter discussing the Gaza conflict, the court found
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  Speaker 1: the council's ethics committee report invalid. The ethics committee had
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  Speaker 1: previously stated that Massey's article was essentially propaganda that could
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  Speaker 1: reasonably be expected to make members of the Jewish community
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  Speaker 1: feel unsafe, victimized, and targeted, though it did not describe
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  Speaker 1: the article as antisemitic. The matter is set to be
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  Speaker 1: reinvestigated by the Council Ethics Committee. Finally, on positive developments,
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  Speaker 1: former Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer told a Las Vegas Valley
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  Speaker 1: gathering that Jewish people must lead the fight against antisemitism
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  Speaker 1: with Israel's support. Dermer highlighted Israel's importance and discussed past
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  Speaker 1: and present antisemitism, stating that while it cannot be ended,
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  Speaker 1: it can be pushed back. He applied the International Holocaust
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  Speaker 1: Remembrance Alliance's criteria demonization, double standards, and delegitimization, suggesting these 3Ds,
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  Speaker 1: account for about 95% of the antisemitism that's out there,
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  Speaker 1: particularly in rhetoric surrounding Israel. He also named Abdel El-Sayed,
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  Speaker 1: Zoran Mamdani, and Tucker Carlson as individuals he considers antisemites.
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  Speaker 1: According to the Anti-Defamation League, over 62 zero antisemitic incidents
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  Speaker 1: were reported in the U.S. in 2025. will continue to
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  Speaker 1: monitor these and other developments in the fight against antisemitism.
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  Speaker 1: I'm Rachel Adler, thank you for listening to Antisemitism Watch.
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  Speaker 1: Follow Antisemitism Watch in your podcast app so you don't
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  Speaker 1: miss the next update. 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.