Antisemitism Watch

Security alerts for Jewish sites ahead of High Holy Days amid surge in hate crimes
RNC targets Democrats on Israel/antisemitism; Candidate apologizes for remarks
Jewish Canadians seeking US refuge, advocacy groups push for expedited pathways

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Antisemitism Watch

Antisemitism Watch is a daily monitoring and analysis program tracking antisemitism worldwide — incidents, rhetoric, policy, and institutional responses — r

📝 Transcript

You're listening to Antisemitism Watch, I'm Rachel Adler. Today, we're monitoring rising security concerns for Jewish communities, political rhetoric surrounding the upcoming elections, and ongoing discussions about anti-Israel discourse.

Authorities across the United States are urging increased police patrols for Jewish schools and synagogues ahead of the Jewish High Holy Days, which begin September 11th. This comes amid a significant nationwide rise in antisemitic hate crimes. According to an Anti-Defamation League analysis, antisemitic hate crimes accounted for nearly 63% of religion-based hate crimes nationwide in 2025, representing the third highest number on record. In New York City, hate crimes surged 9.4% through July compared to the same period last year, with more than half of those incidents targeting Jewish New Yorkers, according to NYPD statistics. Some Jewish leaders have attributed this rise partly to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's vocal criticism of Israel and his accusations of "genocide" during the war in Gaza. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has pledged increased security for synagogues and Jewish communities across the state, stating that if more protection is needed, state police will be sent. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch also promised that Jewish institutions would not be left to protect themselves.

Reporting reviewed for this episode details an attack on a synagogue that injured a security guard, an incident described as a deliberate targeting of Jewish people.

Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters is warning Jewish Republican leaders that a Democratic congressional majority would put the Jewish community at greater risk. According to the New York Post, Gruters plans to argue that Democratic leaders have failed to adequately confront antisemitism within their party, and will criticize figures including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, and Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed. Gruters seeks to make antisemitism and support for Israel central issues in the upcoming elections. This political backdrop includes former President Donald Trump's prior attacks on El-Sayed, whom Trump accused of hating Jews and Israel. El-Sayed himself issued an apology on August 29th for comments made following a March synagogue attack. Speaking to reporters, El-Sayed had referred to the alleged attacker's circumstances, stating "Hurt people hurt people," remarks that critics interpreted as potentially justifying the violence. El-Sayed apologized, saying his intention was to offer context but acknowledged the timing was inappropriate and could have been hurtful. Separately, reporting indicates that more than a dozen senators and congressmen have condemned rhetoric from an individual identified as "Piker" as "dangerous" and "blatantly antisemitic." Marjorie Taylor Greene has also condemned Laura Loomer's rhetoric, labeling it as representative of "Trump's new MAGA," according to reporting reviewed for this episode.

The legacy of the 2001 Durban Conference continues to be analyzed as the "blueprint for anti-Israel demonization," according to Gerald Steinberg of NGO Monitor, who stated it restarted the "Zionism is Racism" campaign and introduced terms like "genocide" and "apartheid." This rhetoric persists, with reporting reviewed for this episode noting frustration when criticisms of Israeli government policy are met with antisemitism, and "Zionist" is used as a slur. The New Jersey branch of CAIR released a "Back to School Resource Guide" that suggests the 9/11 terror attacks were due to "America’s support of Israel," and notes that "terrorism is defined differently by different groups of people." The Jerusalem Post reported that while the 9/11 Commission Report did cite US support for Israel as a grievance fueling extremism, it did not state the attacks were in response to it. Broader analysis indicates that an unjustified double standard is often applied to Israel, normalizing anti-Israel prejudice and blurring lines with antisemitism. This pattern was highlighted when Jewish progressive politician Brad Lander, a critic of Israeli policy, was targeted with insults including "ballsack Zionist" and accused of being "another paid Zionist" while protesting an RSS event, as reported by the Jerusalem Post. This incident underscores how even Jewish critics of Israeli government policy can face antisemitic slurs for identifying as Zionist.

A Justice Department whistleblower has claimed that the Trump administration allegedly rigged university antisemitism investigations using fake evidence, according to reporting reviewed for this episode.

Jewish Canadians have expressed significant interest in relocating due to safety concerns, harassment, and vandalism, as noted in reporting reviewed for this episode. In response, a coalition of Christian lawmakers, religious leaders, and civic figures, including the National Association of Christian Lawmakers, has asked President Trump to create an expedited legal pathway for Jewish Canadians seeking to move to the United States. The coalition cited concerns over harassment, vandalism, and violence directed at Jewish institutions and families. This initiative has gained traction, with President Trump amplifying the plan on his Truth Social platform, as reported by Fox News Digital. The NACL founder has also highlighted a perceived disproportionate rate of antisemitic incidents in Canada compared to the U.S. The coalition urged the creation of lawful, secure, and appropriately expedited pathways for those facing persecution or fearing for their safety.

I'm Rachel Adler, thank you for listening to Antisemitism Watch.

This report was generated with AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies. Please verify important details with primary sources.

📚 Sources

Sources:
- thehill.com: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6059613-clyburn-supports-el-sayed-michigan/
- vinnews.com: https://vinnews.com/2026/08/30/rnc-chair-to-warn-jewish-republicans-of-democratic-takeover/
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- yahoo.com: https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/trump-indicates-support-christian-backed-164500977.html