Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - August 22, 2026, 09 PM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - August 22, 2026, 09 PM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

• 0:06
  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism watch. I'm Rachel Adler. This week
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  Speaker 1: we're tracking concerning incidents targeting Jewish community spaces, high profile
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  Speaker 1: accusations of antisemitism, and important policy discussions here and abroad.
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  Speaker 1: We begin with rising tensions impacting Jewish institutions in New
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  Speaker 1: York City. Services at Central Synagogue were disrupted by an
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  Speaker 1: assault on a congregant and security guard, as reported by
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  Speaker 1: the ADL. The previous November, congregants at Park East Synagogue
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  Speaker 1: faced protesters chanting antisemitic slogans and threats in Lowe's Angels.
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  Speaker 1: Masked protesters shouted slurs outside Wilshire Boulevard temple. According to
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  Speaker 1: ADL data reviewed for this episode, dozens of protest related
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  Speaker 1: antisemitic incidents and nearly five hundred and thirty incidents of
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  Speaker 1: harassment at synagogues occurred in the United States in twenty
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  Speaker 1: twenty five, physical assaults reaching record levels that year. Following
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  Speaker 1: the attack at Central Synagogue, NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tish
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  Speaker 1: vowed that Jewish institutions would not be left to protect themselves.
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  Speaker 1: Speaking at the synagogue, Tish affirmed the NYPD stands as
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  Speaker 1: a partner noting that Jewish New Yorkers account for about
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  Speaker 1: half of the city's hate crime victims despite making up
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  Speaker 1: approximately ten per cent of the population. Reporting indicates hate
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  Speaker 1: crimes against Jewish New Yorkers have increased eight point five
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  Speaker 1: per cent year to year, with a concerning fifty three
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  Speaker 1: point three per cent jump in July twenty twenty six
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  Speaker 1: compared to July twenty twenty five. In the realm of
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  Speaker 1: media and politics, actor Mark Ruffalo has become embroiled in
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  Speaker 1: a dispute with Paramount over his criticism of the proposed
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  Speaker 1: Warner Bros. Discovery merger. Paramount accused Ruffalo of injecting antisemitic
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  Speaker 1: tropes into what the company described as a corporate dispute,
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  Speaker 1: citing his use of terms like genocide and apart eate
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  Speaker 1: in us in relation to Oracle's technology supply amid the
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  Speaker 1: Israel Hamas conflict and comments made by Oracle executive Saffrakats. Ruffalo,
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  Speaker 1: in a statement, called the accusation appalling and fundamentally dishonest,
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  Speaker 1: asserting that criticizing Israeli Prime minister actions, military technology contracts,
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  Speaker 1: or executives is not the same as criticizing Jewish people.
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  Speaker 1: He stated his views stem from his own political convictions
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  Speaker 1: and should never be interpreted as hostility toward Jewish people,
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  Speaker 1: for whom he expressed deep love and respect. Reporting by
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  Speaker 1: The Washington Times notes that Late night host Bill Maher
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  Speaker 1: is among the few mainstream figures publicly addressing the rise
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  Speaker 1: of antisemitism, particularly on the political left. Maher remarked on
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  Speaker 1: his show that as long as your faith isn't Jewish,
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  Speaker 1: your good, and when pressed by CNN's Dana Bash, stated,
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  Speaker 1: because it's true. Meanwhile, a resurfaced twenty fifteen Facebook post
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  Speaker 1: by Republican States Senator and congressional candidate Peter Oas showing
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  Speaker 1: his grandfather in a Nazi military uniform with a swastika
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  Speaker 1: badge has drawn scrutiny. Obracher initially defended the post honoring
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  Speaker 1: a veteran, but later admitted to Politico he would look
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  Speaker 1: at it differently today given the rise in antisemitism, especially
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  Speaker 1: after serving on a State Senate Republican Antisemitism working Group.
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  Speaker 1: Obracher also stated his opponent has remained silent and refused
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  Speaker 1: to stand up to actual dangerous antisemites in his party,
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  Speaker 1: like Zorin Mamdani, Graham Plattner, and Hassen Piker. In connection
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  Speaker 1: with this reporting from NewsBusters highlights comments by Hassen Piker
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  Speaker 1: who stated Hamas is a thousand times better than Israel internationally.
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  Speaker 1: An Australian born cleric in Iran identified as Ol Musawi
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  Speaker 1: reportedly made vile remarks blaming Jews for the Holocaust. He
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  Speaker 1: later issued a disclaimer stating his comments were not intended
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  Speaker 1: to incite hate or antisemitism, nor were they a personal opinion.
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  Speaker 1: In Accountability News from the UK, hekmat Omar Ali Hakim,
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  Speaker 1: an Iraqi national, has been charged under the Terrorism Act.
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  Speaker 1: This charge relates to allegations of failing to disclose information
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  Speaker 1: concerning the terrorist attack at Manchester's Heaton Park Synagogue on
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  Speaker 1: October two, twenty twenty five, which resulted in two fatalities.
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  Speaker 1: Turning to policy and institutional responses, Australia's Royal Commission on
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  Speaker 1: Antisemitism and Social Cohesion is in its final week of
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  Speaker 1: public hearings. Witnesses have reportedly shared evidence of antisemitism and
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  Speaker 1: complex societal challenges, alongside a focus on optimism regarding grassroots
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  Speaker 1: efforts for social cohesion. This includes a childcare center teaching
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  Speaker 1: shared values through traditions like Holla Baking, and initiatives like
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  Speaker 1: Brave Conversations aimed at equipping university students to discuss difficult topics. Finally,
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  Speaker 1: in positive developments, the National Council of Jewish Women of
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  Speaker 1: Australia is honouring its inaugural Ester Award winners. The organization
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  Speaker 1: is involved in public education and remembrance and has passed
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  Speaker 1: a council motion supporting the IHR definition of antisemitism. 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.