Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - September 23, 2026, 05 PM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - September 23, 2026, 05 PM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

• 0:06
  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch, I'm Rachel Adler. We begin
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: with a disturbing incident in Belleville, Ontario, where a gunman
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: opened fire outside the Sons of Jacob Synagogue late Sunday evening,
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  Speaker 1: injuring a police officer. According to reporting from the Canadian
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  Speaker 1: press and other outlets, the suspect, identified as 29-year-old Sean Ward,
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  Speaker 1: a former Canadian Armed Forces soldier, died after exchanging gunfire
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  Speaker 1: with police. Anonymous military sources, cited by The Globe and
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: Mail and Global News, suggest Ward was released from the
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: army after refusing COVID-19 vaccination and voiced antisemitic conspiracies. Belleville
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  Speaker 1: police have not confirmed the motive, but Ontario's Solicitor General
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  Speaker 1: has called the attack antisemitic, as reported by CTV News.
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: Defence Minister David McGinty stated it is very concerning that
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  Speaker 1: the suspect was a former soldier. and Justice Minister Sean
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: Fraser highlighted the need to fully implement anti-hate legislation. Constable
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  Speaker 1: Jeff Smith, the injured officer, remains in critical but stable condition,
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  Speaker 1: according to Ashley Smith, his wife, who expressed gratitude for
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  Speaker 1: the community's support. On college campuses U.S., Rep. Henry Kuehler
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: has raised concerns about an upcoming event at the University
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  Speaker 1: of Texas at Austin featuring Internet personality Hassan Piker. As
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  Speaker 1: reported by the San Antonio Express News, Kuehler stated that
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  Speaker 1: Piker's history of comments, particularly concerning Israel and Hamas, could
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  Speaker 1: make Jewish students feel unsafe. Piker has rejected accusations of antisemitism,
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  Speaker 1: arguing his criticism is of Zionism, not Judaism. University officials
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  Speaker 1: reportedly denied requests for larger venues for the event, citing
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  Speaker 1: safety concerns, leading organizers to call it soft-cancelled. Internationally, Irish
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  Speaker 1: Prime Minister Mitchell Martin defended the manager of the Republic
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  Speaker 1: of Ireland men's soccer team, Haimir Holgrimson, who had accused
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  Speaker 1: Israel of genocide. According to the Aljaminer, Martin stated Holgrimson's
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  Speaker 1: comments were unacceptable and echoed concerns about the scale of
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  Speaker 1: death and destruction in Gaza. As previously voiced by UN
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the Israel Football Association had criticised Holgrimson's remarks.
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: In the UK, British police arrested two men in Manchester
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  Speaker 1: on suspicion of plotting an imminent attack. This occurred just
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  Speaker 1: before the anniversary of the Heaton Park attack, a deadly
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  Speaker 1: anti-Semitic terror incident. The arrests underscore escalating threats to Jewish safety,
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: as noted by reporting on the situation. A CNN poll
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  Speaker 1: conducted by SSRS from September 16-17 indicates that 61% of
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  Speaker 1: US adults view Israel as either an ally or friendly.
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  Speaker 1: Though the poll also notes a trend of declining perception
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  Speaker 1: of the Jewish state over the past three years, particularly
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  Speaker 1: among Democrats, this comes as anti-Israel animus has been amplified
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  Speaker 1: by some media figures peddling conspiracy theories, according to reporting
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  Speaker 1: on the poll. Meanwhile, Jewish leaders are urging action at
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  Speaker 1: the United Nations. The J7 large communities task force against antisemitism,
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  Speaker 1: representing major diaspora communities. called on UN member states to
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  Speaker 1: prioritize combating antisemitism in the selection of the next Secretary General,
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  Speaker 1: citing the UN's years-long record of antisemitic conduct and anti-Israel bias,
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: according to the Aljaminer. In New York City, thousands gathered
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  Speaker 1: near UN headquarters, demanding world leaders take serious action against antisemitism,
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  Speaker 1: an event spearheaded by UJA Federation of New York and
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  Speaker 1: other organizations, as reported by E-Jewish Philanthropy. In Washington, 19
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  Speaker 1: Jewish Democrats in Congress have urged Secretary of State Marco
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  Speaker 1: Rubio to maintain the Holocaust Envoy Office as a distinct,
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  Speaker 1: permanent entity, separate from the Antisemitism Envoy Office, according to JTA.
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  Speaker 1: Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, the Anti-Defamation League is bringing survivors
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  Speaker 1: of antisemitic attacks to meet with legislators. The U.S. Treasury
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  Speaker 1: is also initiating procedures to revoke tax-exempt status for certain
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: universities and private schools. with one report linking this action
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  Speaker 1: to anti-Semitism royals' providence. In accountability news, an Argentine judge
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  Speaker 1: has ordered two senior Iranian officials and six others to
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  Speaker 1: face trial in absentia for their alleged roles in the
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  Speaker 1: 1994 AMIA Jewish Community Center bombing, which killed 85 people.
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  Speaker 1: As reported by JTA, the judge charged them with aggravated
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  Speaker 1: homicide and injuries motivated by racial or religious hatred. classifying
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  Speaker 1: the bombing as a crime against humanity and genocide. In
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  Speaker 1: a separate development, the Art Institute of Chicago announced it
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: is returning a 1913 painting, Woman with a Fan, to
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: the heirs of its original Dutch-Jewish owner, Immanuel Leuenstein, after
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  Speaker 1: determining it was forcibly sold during the Nazi occupation of
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  Speaker 1: the Netherlands, according to the Aljaminer. On a more hopeful note,
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: the Portland Trust Israel's Oz Verowatch Initiative is helping wounded
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  Speaker 1: reservists transition into high-tech jobs, providing support for those impacted
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  Speaker 1: by the recent conflict, as highlighted by e-Jewish philanthropy. The
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  Speaker 1: 2026 John Bonathan Lecture also addressed the imperative to fight antisemitism,
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  Speaker 1: referencing the October 7 attacks and the spread of extremist views.
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  Speaker 1: Senator Bernie Sanders, speaking at Riverside Church, decried genocide. I'm
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: Rachel Adler, thank you for listening to Antisemitism Watch. Follow
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: Antisemitism Watch in your podcast app so you don't miss
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: the next update. This report was generated with AI assistance
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: and may contain inaccuracies. Please verify important details with primary sources.