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Montgomery County Schools Face Federal Complaint Over Severe Antisemitic Harassment, Death Threats
UNC Reaches Sweeping Settlement with US Departments Over Campus Antisemitism
UK Review Finds Rising Antisemitism in Schools, Calls for IHRA Definition

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You're listening to Antisemitism Watch, I'm Rachel Adler.

Before we get started, I want to mention the launch of Antisemitism Watch: Mid-Atlantic, providing focused coverage from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and the Philadelphia region. You can find it at clockwork media dot org slash M A.

Today, we begin with serious allegations of antisemitic harassment and threats against a student in Maryland's Montgomery County Public Schools. The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law has filed a federal Title VI complaint against the district, alleging it failed to protect a visibly Jewish student. According to reporting by jpost.com, the complaint details severe harassment, online targeting, and death threats, including an anonymous call stating, "You’re a stupid f***ing Zionist Jew, and we are going to bomb you," followed by fireworks outside the student's home. The report indicates administrators allegedly minimized the incidents, with one principal reportedly questioning why being called a Zionist was problematic. This pattern of intimidation led the student to reduce his school attendance, and over 40 local rabbis and cantors had previously warned that MCPS's inadequate response had normalized hostility. Hon. Kenneth L. Marcus of the Brandeis Center stated, 'an explicit anti-Jewish bomb threat should leave no doubt about the seriousness of the danger or the urgent need for an effective response from school leadership.'

In institutional news, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has reached a settlement with the US Justice and Education Departments to resolve federal investigations into campus antisemitism and race-based discrimination, according to jpost.com. The agreement, which closes 18 separate investigations and a Justice Department review, requires UNC to implement significant reforms. These include establishing a dedicated Title VI Coordinator, mandating annual antisemitism training for all students, faculty, and staff, and strengthening protections for Jewish and Israeli students. The university also agreed to enforce restrictions on facial coverings during demonstrations and implement sanctions for discriminatory student groups. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon stated that Title VI requires equal treatment for all students and that policies tolerating antisemitism or favoring certain racial groups frustrate a color-blind justice system.

Across the Atlantic, a review of antisemitism in English schools and colleges indicates that the 'oldest hatred' is on the rise, according to columbusjewishnews.com. The report, commissioned by the Department for Education, includes 27 recommendations, such as encouraging the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism and ensuring teachers receive awareness training. A 17-year-old student, Jonathan Frisher, shared his experience of antisemitic bullying with Sky News, noting, 'The burden was often left on me as a 12-year-old Jewish student to explain to my peers why this antisemitism was so wrong.' A separate review mentioned by timesofisrael.com indicates that three in five Jewish students in English schools experience antisemitism.

A new study published in October 2026 found that American humanities doctoral students are significantly more likely than other graduate students to hold anti-Jewish prejudice and hostility toward Israel, jpost.com reported. Researchers from the Maurice and Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University surveyed over 3,000 graduate students. The findings indicate that while overt hostility is concentrated in minority factions, 12% of humanities PhD students fit a pattern characterized by hostility to Jews, and 26% exhibited hostility toward Israel. The report suggests universities directly engage with these graduate students, who often serve as teaching assistants and instructors.

In Canada, Public Safety Canada issued a report identifying anti-Zionism as a modern form of Jew-hatred, a stance welcomed by Jewish Canadians, according to winnipegsun.com. However, the government's position was revised just 22 days later, indicating a rapid policy shift.

In the realm of anti-Zionism and rhetoric that may meet IHRA criteria, the Belgium-based Hind Rajab Foundation has filed a complaint with the US Justice Department against an Israeli citizen identified as S.G., jpost.com reported. The complaint alleges S.G.'s involvement in the death of five-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza. US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has publicly supported the complaint, calling on the Justice Department to investigate and arrest the individual for alleged 'war crimes and acts of genocide.' Tlaib's past statements, including the slogan 'From the river to the sea,' have drawn criticism, though she has described it as an aspiration for freedom and peaceful coexistence, according to the report. The foundation claims the individual was a commander in an IDF unit positioned near the vehicle where Hind Rajab died and that forensic analyses and social media posts support its demand for an investigation.

In politics and media, white nationalist Nick Fuentes accused former Fox News host Tucker Carlson of antisemitism and being a 'true Jew hater' in a video clip shared online on October 20, 2026, jpost.com reported. Fuentes claimed he had tried to steer Carlson away from hatred of Jews. This follows a period of public deterioration in their relationship after Carlson hosted Fuentes on his podcast in October 2025, where Fuentes invoked antisemitic claims about Jewish loyalty and influence. Carlson, at the time, disagreed with collective blame and criticized Christian Zionists. Their public dispute continued through late 2025, with Fuentes accusing Carlson of dishonesty and rejecting his stance on white identity politics, according to Mediaite reports cited by jpost.com.

Closing today with a look at community response and positive developments: Jewish Federations across North America are launching a $35 million initiative called 'Frontline,' which includes hiring 100 new professionals to combat rising antisemitism, according to jewishfederations.org. This initiative is a direct response to the surge in antisemitic incidents since the October 7th attacks, which saw antisemitic physical assaults reach a record high and Jews targeted in 64% of religiously motivated hate crimes. The new professionals will focus on advocacy in K-12 and higher education, and interfaith and intergroup partnerships. Shira Hutt, Executive Vice President of Jewish Federations of North America, stated that 'Frontline is a game-changing initiative that will equip Federations with the talent, support, and resources they need to confront the increasingly complex and growing challenges they face,' jewishfederations.org reported. Julie Platt, Chair of Frontline, emphasized the need for deep, sustained, and strategic engagement to ensure antisemitism is neither tolerated nor normalized.

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:
- timesofisrael.com: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/3-in-5-jewish-students-experience-antisemitism-in-english-schools-review-says/
- jpost.com: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-912328
- columbusjewishnews.com: https://www.columbusjewishnews.com/jns/nazi-salutes-to-gas-chamber-taunts-uk-review-finds-rising-antisemitism-in-english-schools/article_aafe3be1-9391-59dd-a8f7-49efc6b1848c.html
- jpost.com: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-912320
- jewishnews.co.uk: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/why-the-bell-review-regarding-antisemitism-in-education-is-so-important/
- jpost.com: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-912394
- jpost.com: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-912339
- jpost.com: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-912324
- winnipegsun.com: https://www.winnipegsun.com/national-news/denying-jews-their-right-to-exist-now-depends-on-the-context/article_b872e3c9-f02c-44bf-8f5a-2cefa2b6be47.html
- facebook.com: https://www.facebook.com/iltvisraelnews/posts/how-safe-do-french-jews-feel-as-antisemitism-becomes-increasingly-politicizedin-/1547113137446075/
- wsj.com: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/free-expression/irish-eyes-are-blind-to-antisemitism-640f95f7
- jewishfederations.org: https://www.jewishfederations.org/blog/all/frontline-federations-hiring-100-new-professionals-to-combat-antisemitism-529103