Antisemitism Watch

San Diego and Ventura Vandalism Highlights Weekend of Hate Crimes
Israel Consul General Accuses NYC Mayor Mamdani of Antisemitism, Cites Third Reich Tactics
NY Officials Announce $70M Security Effort Amid Rising Jewish Hate Crimes Ahead of High Holidays

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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

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

This week, acts of vandalism targeting Jewish individuals and institutions serve as stark reminders of rising antisemitism. In San Carlos, California, an overnight spray-painting spree left swastikas and racial slurs scrawled across homes, fences, and vehicles. Residents discovered the vile graffiti along Lake Ariana Avenue and surrounding streets, including a swastika on a Jewish neighbor's property. Orlando Chavez told CBS 8 that his hauling truck was among the defaced vehicles. City Councilmember Raul Campillo blasted the vandalism as 'completely abhorrent,' noting its disturbing timing just before Rosh Hashanah, and called for accountability for hate crimes.

In Ventura, California, police are investigating three separate incidents of antisemitic vandalism that occurred over a previous weekend. According to the Ventura Police Department, swastikas and other hateful images, including the phrase 'Death to Jews,' were found at Temple Beth Torah. The Higher Vision Church was defaced with the words 'Zionist traitors,' and Juanamaria Park displayed graffiti including a swastika and the phrase 'They want to replace you.' Joshua Burt, regional director for the Anti-Defamation League Santa Barbara/Tri-Counties, shared images of the graffiti, calling it 'antisemitism and criminal.' The police are investigating the incidents as hate crimes and increasing patrols in the area. Mayor Jeannette Sánchez-Palacios stated that 'Antisemitism, hate and intimidation have no place in Ventura.'

In Park City, Utah, leaders at Temple Har Shalom are calling the vandalism of their synagogue's sign an antisemitic attack. Over the weekend, the sign's letters were ripped off, and the Star of David was destroyed. Rabbi Jeff Dreifus described the act as disheartening, especially before the High Holy Days. Temple Har Shalom President June K. Volk echoed these sentiments, noting the incident occurred days before Rosh Hashanah. The Summit County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.

In a high-profile diplomatic spat, Israel’s Consul General in New York, Ofir Akunis, accused New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani of antisemitism. Akunis likened Mamdani's support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions, or BDS, movement to tactics of the Third Reich, stating that Mamdani bears direct responsibility for attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions in the city. This exchange occurred as Mamdani, on his first day in office, revoked an executive order that had adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, or IHRA, definition of antisemitism. Akunis cited Mamdani's past rhetoric, such as calling the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, 'monsters,' as dehumanizing language comparable to that used by Nazis. Reactions from the Jewish community were mixed; Margot Hughes-Robinson of New York Jewish Agenda called Akunis's comparisons 'unproductive' and 'frankly offensive,' while Michael Miller, former head of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, expressed sympathy for Akunis's challenging position. The Zionist Organization of America supported Akunis's statements.

On university campuses, leaders are grappling with rising incidents of hate. At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chancellor Lee H. Roberts and other university leaders issued an open letter condemning multiple recent incidents of racism, antisemitism, and bigoted harassment. These acts included a trespasser using racial slurs against Black students and harassment of Taiwanese students, alongside an incident targeting a Jewish member of the community. The letter stated these acts 'violate Carolina’s core values' and that 'Hatred and bigotry... threaten our sense of security.' In Denver, an accusation of an antisemitic comment made by a board member, Hunter, regarding a colleague has prompted calls for an investigation, according to reporting by The Denver Post.

In Phuket, Thailand, a Chabad house canceled a Rosh Hashanah dinner intended for hundreds of Israeli guests at the request of Israeli security officials. Officials were concerned that local anti-Israel protests, which featured signs like 'SAVE PHUKET NO ISRAEL' and 'Free Palestine' chants, could turn violent. Protest organizers issued a statement with antisemitic undertones, claiming Chabad centers were advancing objectives by 'international Zionist networks.'

Responding to the climate of increasing antisemitism, New York state and city officials announced a significant security effort ahead of Rosh Hashanah. Governor Kathy Hochul committed $70 million in state grant funding for 290 organizations identified as hate-crime targets, to be used for security upgrades. The New York City Police Department also announced a 'massive' mobilization, with visible deployments of uniformed officers, counterterrorism units, and heavy weapons teams across the city, even though no specific credible threats were identified. NYPD figures indicate that overall hate crime reports have climbed 16% this year, with Jewish New Yorkers being the target of more than half of these incidents. Bias crimes specifically targeting Jewish people have risen 8% compared to last year. Nationally, Jewish institutions spent over one billion dollars on security last year, a 33% increase from the prior year, with the cost for a typical synagogue's security now exceeding $400,000 annually. Community leaders have pointed to the October 7th attacks and the subsequent war as a turning point that has sharpened security anxieties.

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

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

📚 Sources

Sources:
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