Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - September 17, 2026, 09 PM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - September 17, 2026, 09 PM 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 direct threats, renewed scrutiny of public figures, and crucial
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  Speaker 1: data on community security needs. Federal authorities have arrested a
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  Speaker 1: North Carolina man, Brian Charles, accused of mailing antisemitic threats
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  Speaker 1: to Jewish organizations, leaders, and a Holocaust memorial. According to
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  Speaker 1: a criminal complaint filed in federal court, the letters, sent
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  Speaker 1: in June and July, contain statements such as, I am
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  Speaker 1: going to destroy many Jews, and many shall die by
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  Speaker 1: my wrath. The FBI identified Charles through a fingerprint found
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  Speaker 1: on one of the letters. This arrest comes as Charles
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  Speaker 1: has a prior conviction in 2018 for mailing threatening communications.
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  Speaker 1: The Simon Wiesenthal Center noted that such threats are intended
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  Speaker 1: to terrorize Jewish Americans, making them afraid to open their
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  Speaker 1: mail or live openly. FBI data shows Jews remain the
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  Speaker 1: most targeted religious group for hate crimes in the U.S.
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  Speaker 1: In Florida, a Kansas man, Corby Allen Strube, faces 23
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  Speaker 1: felony counts for allegedly threatening to kill conservative commentator Ben Shapiro,
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  Speaker 1: reportedly over his Jewish faith. According to Boca News Now,
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  Speaker 1: Strube admitted to authorities that he authored social media posts,
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  Speaker 1: including one with a countdown to killing Shapiro. In the
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  Speaker 1: realm of media and culture, Musician Macklemore is facing renewed
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  Speaker 1: controversy over a 2014 performance where he wore a costume
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  Speaker 1: featuring antisemitic tropes, including an exaggerated hooked nose and beard.
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  Speaker 1: The images resurfaced following his recent advocacy for Palestinian freedom
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  Speaker 1: and subsequent removal from Ed Sheeran's tour. While Macklemore apologized
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  Speaker 1: in 2014, stating he hadn't realized the imagery was antisemitic, U.S.,
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  Speaker 1: Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee recently stated on Fox News
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  Speaker 1: Digital that McLemore had become the voice, if you will,
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  Speaker 1: of Jew hatred. In New York City, accusations of anti-Semitism
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  Speaker 1: have arisen concerning Mayor Zoran Mamdani's administration. Jewish groups, including
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  Speaker 1: former state Supreme Court Justice John Leventhal, have claimed anti-Semitism
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  Speaker 1: after Leventhal was not reappointed to a judicial advisory committee,
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  Speaker 1: noting the committee lacks Jewish members. Leventhal alleges he was
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  Speaker 1: singled out due to his representation of Ghislaine Maxwell, a
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  Speaker 1: claim disputed by the mayor's office, which cited concerns over
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  Speaker 1: financial ties to associates of Jeffrey Epstein. Separately, the Manhattan
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  Speaker 1: Institute has filed a lawsuit seeking to compel the administration
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  Speaker 1: to release documents related to an attempted meeting with the
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  Speaker 1: Iranian envoy to the UN. On college campuses, Jewish students
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  Speaker 1: continue to report pervasive antisemitism. A student at George Washington
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  Speaker 1: University described feeling intimidated and targeted, citing protests with anti-Semitic overtones,
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  Speaker 1: and an incident where stink bombs were deployed at an
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  Speaker 1: Israel Fest event. Broader reports describe universities as cesspools of
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  Speaker 1: unchecked anti-Jewish hatred, highlighting the tangible impact on students' lived experiences. Internationally,
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  Speaker 1: Australia's security intelligence agency, ASIO, has issued a stark warning.
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  Speaker 1: Director General Mike Burgess stated that the Jewish community faces
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  Speaker 1: threats from state actors, in particular Iran, and that he
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  Speaker 1: wouldn't rule out the possibility that Iran would want to
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  Speaker 1: kill prominent Jewish Australians. ASIO has previously linked Iran's Revolutionary
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  Speaker 1: Guard Corps to attacks on Jewish properties in Sydney and Melbourne.
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  Speaker 1: Australia expelled Iranian diplomats in August 2025. In Jerusalem, a
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  Speaker 1: reform synagogue called Hainshama was vandalized in mid-August. Teenagers reportedly
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  Speaker 1: smashed a window, entered the sanctuary, tore down a pride flag,
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  Speaker 1: and damaged art. Police are investigating the incident. During Rosh
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  Speaker 1: Hashanah services, another group attempted to throw eggs at congregants.
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  Speaker 1: Haaretz noted a lack of response from Israeli government and
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  Speaker 1: Jerusalem's mayor. The escalating climate of antisemitism has led to
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  Speaker 1: a dramatic rise in security spending for Jewish institutions across
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  Speaker 1: the United States. Analysis from the Jewish Federations of North
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  Speaker 1: America shows synagogues and community centers spent over $ 1 billion
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  Speaker 1: on security last year, a 33% increase in a single year.
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  Speaker 1: This follows a surge in antisemitic hate crimes since the
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  Speaker 1: October 7th attacks. FBI data indicates that Jews comprised over
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  Speaker 1: 60% of all religiously motivated hate crimes reported in 2025.
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  Speaker 1: New state data from Hawaii reveals a disturbing trend. Jewish individuals,
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  Speaker 1: representing less than 1% of the population, were the targets
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  Speaker 1: of 75% of religion-based hate crimes in 2025. A local
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  Speaker 1: rabbi described receiving threats and fear following October 7, including
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  Speaker 1: a message implying danger and a swastika found at a
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  Speaker 1: child's school. In France, the Union of French Jewish Students
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  Speaker 1: condemned a court's decision to drop anti-Semitism charges from the
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  Speaker 1: sentencing of a woman involved in a 2024 group assault.
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  Speaker 1: The victims were called dirty Zionists during the attack, but
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  Speaker 1: the court focused on general assault charges, significantly limiting potential penalties.
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  Speaker 1: The group questioned what more needs to happen to officially
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  Speaker 1: recognize antisemitism in such cases. On the political front, radio
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  Speaker 1: host Sid Rosenberg met with Vice President J.D. Vance at
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  Speaker 1: the White House to address concerns from Jewish conservatives regarding
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  Speaker 1: Vance's past statements on Israel and his relationship with Tucker Carlson.
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  Speaker 1: Rosenberg had previously criticized Vance for not being strong enough
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  Speaker 1: on Israel. Finally, research from Norway tracking attitudes towards Jews
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  Speaker 1: and Muslims over a decade shows measurable shifts in public
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  Speaker 1: sentiment toward Jews following the October 2023 attacks and the
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  Speaker 1: war in Gaza, illustrating how international events can influence social attitudes.
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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
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: primary sources.