Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - September 1, 2026, 01 PM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - September 1, 2026, 01 PM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

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  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler. Today, we
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  Speaker 1: look at escalating concerns for Jewish communities worldwide, from memorials
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  Speaker 1: for past attacks to the political ascendant of parties with
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  Speaker 1: concerning rhetoric and the ongoing challenges on college campuses. We
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  Speaker 1: begin with a somber commemoration in Manchester, where hundreds gathered
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  Speaker 1: at the Heaton Park Synagogue on Monday to remember Melvin
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  Speaker 1: Kravitz and Adrian Dalby, victims of the October 2, 2025
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  Speaker 1: jihadist attack on the synagogue. According to the BBC, survivors
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  Speaker 1: and relatives spoke at the service. Rabbi Daniel Walker, who
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  Speaker 1: helped confront the attacker, stated that the Jewish community feels
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  Speaker 1: less safe now than immediately after the assault, according to
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  Speaker 1: the BBC, citing a lack of action to deal with
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  Speaker 1: core problems. Messages of support were sent by King Charles
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  Speaker 1: and UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who recalled a visit
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  Speaker 1: to the synagogue and sent love and support to the community. Internationally,
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  Speaker 1: Germany's far-right alternative for Germany, or AfD, party is poised
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  Speaker 1: for a potential historic victory in Saxony-Anhalt, with polls showing
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  Speaker 1: them with over 40% support ahead of the September 6 election,
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  Speaker 1: according to JTA. This would mark the first far-right state
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  Speaker 1: government in Germany since World War II. Political science professor
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  Speaker 1: Lars Rentsman notes that while the AfD does not often
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  Speaker 1: use overtly antisemitic rhetoric, it employs coded language referencing, globalist,
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  Speaker 1: cosmopolitan elites, and shadowy financial powers, as part of a
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  Speaker 1: worldview that targets national identity. The party manifesto also calls
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  Speaker 1: for moving past Germany's guilt complex over the Holocaust, with
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  Speaker 1: one regional leader calling the Holocaust memorial a monument of shame.
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  Speaker 1: Rentsman states the party uses antisemitic tropes, antisemitic ideas, antisemitism
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  Speaker 1: as part of a larger worldview. Meanwhile, in France and London,
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  Speaker 1: serious antisemitism cases are moving through the judicial system. Judicial
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  Speaker 1: action is being taken in response to antisemitic threats in
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  Speaker 1: France and ambulance arson in London, highlighting significant incidents in Europe,
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  Speaker 1: according to reporting reviewed for this episode. As Jewish students
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  Speaker 1: return to campuses across the country this fall, concerns about
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  Speaker 1: antisemitism persist. At UC Berkeley, A lawsuit settlement reached in
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  Speaker 1: March 2026 has enhanced the university's non-discrimination policies, expanded Jewish
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  Speaker 1: and Israeli studies, and continued antisemitism education, according to reporting
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  Speaker 1: on the settlement. The author of one piece, reflecting on
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  Speaker 1: her own experience as a student, advises Jewish students to
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  Speaker 1: recognize antisemitism, know their rights, and hold universities accountable. While
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  Speaker 1: also emphasizing the importance of building Jewish community and life
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  Speaker 1: beyond incidents, globally, a 98-year-old Holocaust survivor, Nate Lapsager, has
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  Speaker 1: sent a message to Jewish students through the International March
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  Speaker 1: of the Living Initiative. Lapsager, who survived Auschwitz-Birkenau, urges students
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  Speaker 1: to embrace their identity and stand together against antisemitism. He
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  Speaker 1: distinguishes between criticism of the Israeli government and discrimination against
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  Speaker 1: Jewish students due to their identity or connection to Israel.
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  Speaker 1: This message is being distributed globally amid heightened concerns following
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  Speaker 1: the October 7th Hamas attack and ensuing war in Gaza,
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  Speaker 1: with Jewish students reporting harassment and hostility. In the political arena,
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  Speaker 1: Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene was the only Republican who refused
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  Speaker 1: to vote for a bill condemning antisemitism, according to reporting
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  Speaker 1: on the vote. Fashion designer John Galliano has cancelled a
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  Speaker 1: planned major exhibition at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art,
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  Speaker 1: scheduled for May 2027. This decision followed criticism over his
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  Speaker 1: past anti-Semitic and racist remarks made in 2011, which led
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  Speaker 1: to his dismissal from Dior. Galliano stated he remains fully
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  Speaker 1: accountable for the pain caused by my words, and that
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  Speaker 1: an exhibition would be painful for some. Critics, including New
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  Speaker 1: York City Council Speaker Julie Menon and ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt,
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  Speaker 1: had voiced opposition, with Greenblatt calling the exhibition, misguided, at
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  Speaker 1: a time of crisis levels of antisemitism. The exhibition's timing,
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  Speaker 1: coinciding with Yam HaShoah, also drew concern. Meanwhile, actor Mark
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  Speaker 1: Ruffalo is at the centre of a controversy regarding his
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  Speaker 1: criticism of the Paramount Warner Bros' discovery merger. Ruffalo accused
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  Speaker 1: the Ellison family, whose son David Ellison heads Skydance Media,
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  Speaker 1: which has ties to Oracle and military contracts with Israel,
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  Speaker 1: of being complicit in what he termed genocide against Palestinians.
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  Speaker 1: A Paramount spokesperson accused Ruffalo of invoking anti-Semitic tropes. The
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  Speaker 1: Simon Wiesenthal Center and Creative Community for Peace condemned his comments,
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  Speaker 1: while an industry group noted it was unacceptable to introduce Jews, anti-Zionism,
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  Speaker 1: or anti-Semitism into conversations about business transactions. Ruffalo defended himself,
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  Speaker 1: stating criticism of Israeli actions or military contracts is not
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  Speaker 1: criticism of Jewish people. Separately, the vice president expressed support
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  Speaker 1: for Israel and the Jewish community while confronting a skeptical crowd.
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  Speaker 1: And reporting also probes J.D. Vance's political strategy concerning skeptical
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  Speaker 1: Jewish voters, linking antisemitism to his brand of politics. In Missouri,
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  Speaker 1: a new law that went into effect this week requires
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  Speaker 1: public schools and universities to define antisemitic behavior in their
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  Speaker 1: codes of conduct. and report such cases to state officials. However, critics,
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  Speaker 1: including attorney Bill Freevogel and Brenda Talent, have raised concerns
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  Speaker 1: about the law's potential impact on free speech. Freevogel notes
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  Speaker 1: ambiguity in distinguishing criticism of Israel from antisemitism, and points
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  Speaker 1: to an exchange where the law's sponsor gave a response
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  Speaker 1: that illustrated confusion for school officials. While the law includes
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  Speaker 1: a provision against diminishing First Amendment rights, Critics worry that
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  Speaker 1: institutions will interpret it in ways that chill speech or
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  Speaker 1: go too far. Attorney Javed Kazili warns of absurd outcomes
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  Speaker 1: where Jewish students criticizing Israel could be deemed anti-Semitic, potentially
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  Speaker 1: chilling speech. Finally, a strong show of support for actor
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  Speaker 1: Mark Ruffalo comes from over 170 Jewish figures in the
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  Speaker 1: entertainment industry and beyond. As reported, these individuals have signed
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  Speaker 1: an open letter defending Ruffalo against accusations of anti-Semitism, calling
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  Speaker 1: the charges spurious and part of a smear campaign. The
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  Speaker 1: letter argues that Ruffalo's criticism of the Paramount Warner Bros.,
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  Speaker 1: merger and its ties to the Ellison family's support for
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  Speaker 1: Israel amid the Gaza conflict, is not antisemitic. Signatories, including
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  Speaker 1: Joel Cohen, Ilana Glazer, and Tony Kushner, stated that pointing
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  Speaker 1: out the crucial connections between what is happening in Gaza
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  Speaker 1: and what is happening in Hollywood is the exact opposite
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  Speaker 1: of antisemitism. It is, for us, the very essence of
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  Speaker 1: Jewish ethical duty. Actress Hannah Einbinder, who helped lead the effort,
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  Speaker 1: stated that calling Ruffalo antisemitic is absurd and a dangerous
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  Speaker 1: way to shut down legitimate criticism, emphasizing his consistent opposition
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  Speaker 1: to antisemitism while supporting Palestinian rights. We'll be back tomorrow
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  Speaker 1: with more on Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler. This report
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  Speaker 1: was generated with AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies. Please
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  Speaker 1: verify important details with primary sources.