Headlines

England Schools to Recognize Antisemitism as Distinct Harm
Trump Uses "Shylock" Slur Defending Senator Marshall
Rotterdam Synagogue Targeted in Arson Attack

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You're listening to Antisemitism Watch, I'm Rachel Adler. And we're launching Antisemitism Watch: Mid-Atlantic, providing focused coverage from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and the Philadelphia region. Visit clockwork media dot org slash M A. Today, we begin with significant developments in educational policy in England.

A comprehensive review into antisemitism in English schools and colleges is set to lead to new government policy. The BBC understands that schools will soon be required to recognize antisemitism as a distinct category of harm. This follows findings that three in five Jewish students experienced prejudice, and one in five students witnessed antisemitism, according to a survey cited by the Guardian. The Community Security Trust recorded a 59% rise in antisemitic incidents in schools in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, according to the Guardian. The review, led by former Ofsted chief inspector Sir David Bell, is also expected to recommend dedicated teacher training and encourage schools to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism. The government is expected to accept all 27 recommendations, according to the Guardian.

In physical violence, a synagogue in Rotterdam was targeted in an arson attack, exposing a threat beyond mere vandalism, according to aurora-israel.co.il.

In politics and media, former President Donald Trump used the antisemitic slur 'Shylock' while defending Republican Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas. Spokesman.com and Haaretz.com reported that Trump claimed Marshall was unfairly attacked for suing patients, suggesting Marshall was a 'Shylock-type guy.' Antisemitism watchdogs, like the Anti-Defamation League, state that the term implies Jews are stereotypically 'money-hungry, conniving, and cruel.'

In Los Angeles, a report from the LAPD's Robbery-Homicide Division detailed a rise in antisemitic hate crimes. MyNewsLA.com reports that from January through July 2026, antisemitic hate crimes increased 41% in the Valley Bureau and 55% in the West Bureau compared to the same period last year, according to a Los Angeles Police Department report cited by mynewsla.com.

Online, a report by the Combat Antisemitism Movement, or CAM, identified a wave of antisemitic conspiracy theories following nationwide riots in France. The Algemeiner reports that CAM's Antisemitism Research Center found 1,384 social media posts from 816 accounts blaming Jews, Israel, Zionists, or the Mossad for the unrest. Some posts called for violence or extermination against Jews.

In Manhattan, the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating vandalism at a Capital One bank branch. The activist group Palestine Action claimed responsibility, protesting the bank's ties to Elbit Systems. NBCMontana.com reported graffiti including 'Pal Action' and 'Drop Elbit' was found, and the group stated the bank was lending billions for Israel's weapons. New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin condemned the vandalism, stating there is 'no place for hate, intimidation or violence in New York City,' according to NBCMontana.com. The Jewish Community Relations Council CEO Mark Treyger also called for accountability.

In Maryland, the state's largest school district is accused of failing to protect a Jewish teen after a bomb threat and antisemitic harassment, according to combatantisemitism.org.

Also from combatantisemitism.org, a student reportedly received death threats from accounts subscribed to her newsletter after refusing to sign an anti-Israel petition, an experience that reportedly led to her conversion to Judaism.

Finally, a new study by IMPACT-se analyzed Syrian textbooks for the 2025-2027 school years. The Algemeiner reports that the materials promote an Islamist worldview, glorifying jihad and martyrdom, and perpetuating antisemitic stereotypes, while omitting thousands of years of Syrian Jewish history. This marks an ideological shift following the fall of the Assad regime, according to IMPACT-se.

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

For focused coverage from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and the Philadelphia region, listen to Antisemitism Watch: Mid-Atlantic at clockwork media dot org slash M A.

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

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Sources:
- nbcmontana.com: https://nbcmontana.com/news/nation-world/nypd-new-york-police-probes-possible-hate-crime-after-capital-one-bank-branch-vandalized-with-pro-palestinian-graffiti-palestine-action-activist-group-elbit-systems-israel-weapons-jewish
- aurora-israel.co.il: https://www.aurora-israel.co.il/en/sinagoga-de-rotterdam-incendio-prevencion/
- mynewsla.com: https://mynewsla.com/crime/2026/10/20/la-police-commissioners-to-address-rise-in-hate-crimes/
- Algemeiner: https://www.algemeiner.com/2026/10/20/syrias-post-assad-schoolbooks-promote-jihad-antisemitism-islamist-ideology-new-study-finds/
- youtube.com: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFJmhWV8i-M
- bbc.com: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c623d7z1rxg5o
- combatantisemitism.org: https://combatantisemitism.org/cam-news/getting-closer-to-the-truth-an-interview-with-argentine-judge-franco-fiumara-on-the-new-path-to-justice-for-amia-jewish-community-center-attack-victims/
- news.sky.com: https://news.sky.com/story/report-set-to-reveal-vast-scale-of-antisemitism-in-english-schools-13601145
- Algemeiner: https://www.algemeiner.com/2026/10/20/real-madrid-calls-la-liga-president-resign-nazi-joseph-goebbels-comparison/
- shs.cairn.info: https://shs.cairn.info/revue-l-annee-sociologique-2026-2-page-117?lang=en
- haaretz.com: https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2026-10-20/ty-article/.premium/trump-repeats-antisemitic-shylock-slur-while-defending-republican-senator/000001a1-5a78-d551-a3b5-fefda75b0000
- spokesman.com: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/oct/20/trump-uses-antisemitic-shylock-slur-to-defend-gop-/
- Algemeiner: https://www.algemeiner.com/2026/10/20/over-1300-social-media-antisemitic-conspiracy-theories-discovered-blaming-israel-jews-france-riots/
- combatantisemitism.org: https://combatantisemitism.org/interview/how-refusing-to-sign-an-anti-israel-petition-led-a-barnard-student-to-convert-to-judaism/
- theguardian.com: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/oct/20/schools-in-england-must-recognise-antisemitism-as-distinct-category-of-harm-report-says