Antisemitism Watch

Orlando event featuring Neo-Nazis, swastika flag, and antisemitic slurs draws condemnation from officials.
California man ordered to stand trial on hate crime charges for threatening Jewish community center.
Senator JD Vance faces scrutiny over ties to Tucker Carlson and controversial statements on antisemitism.

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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 tracking disturbing incidents involving hate symbols at public venues, serious threats against Jewish institutions, and high-profile political rhetoric that demands scrutiny.

We begin in Orlando, Florida, where a professional mixed martial arts event at the Kia Center has drawn condemnation from local and state officials. According to reporting reviewed for this episode, the event featured fighter Paul Miller, who derided his opponent, Ben Azoulay, with antisemitic slurs, calling him 'a short little fucking Jew prick.' During the event, a spectator was ejected for waving a giant swastika flag, and fighter Paul Miller reportedly gave at least two Nazi salutes from the ring. Miller is described in reporting as a convicted felon and self-professed antisemite. State Representative Anna Eskamani called the event unacceptable, stating, 'This is another reminder of how prevalent extremism is in our society, and of the responsibility every one of us carries to combat antisemitism, racism, white supremacy and hate in all its forms.' Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said, 'Symbols of hate, including the Nazi flag, were brought to Kia Center this weekend. But hate will never be welcome here.' Kia America, the naming rights partner, also condemned the incident. The venue, Orlando Venues, a division of the city's government, defended hosting the event based on the First Amendment, but stated the views of participants 'do not reflect the views of Orlando Venues, the City or Orlando, or our staff,' adding they would review event policies.

In California, a man is facing serious charges for making threats against a Jewish community center. According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office, Paul Dean Andrews has been ordered to stand trial on felony hate crime charges for allegedly making threatening calls to the Redondo Beach Jewish Community Center in August 2025. Prosecutors stated that during one call, Andrews threatened a person who answered, saying he knew 'there are a whole bunch of kids there. I am going to come up and shoot up the place.' DA Nathan Hochman highlighted Andrews' prior history, noting that after being given an opportunity to participate in an anti-bias program following earlier antisemitic remarks, he allegedly continued his threats. Reporting details a previous case where Andrews made antisemitic statements including 'All Jews need to hang from trees' and 'We don’t want (antisemitic slurs) in our town,' which led to the termination of his diversion program.

Turning to politics, U.S. Senator JD Vance is facing scrutiny over his public statements and associations. Media analysis describes Tucker Carlson, with whom Vance maintains a close relationship, as 'the country's leading antisemitic advocate.' Vance has defended Carlson, stating in interviews that it is 'absurd' to suggest Carlson has no place in the conservative movement. He has also been criticized for amplifying conspiracy theories, including accusing the Israeli government of a 'very discreet, extremely well-funded campaign' to 'manipulate American public opinion' and suggesting Jeffrey Epstein worked for the Mossad. Vance reportedly made a closed-door pitch to Jewish Republicans in Las Vegas, where he addressed antisemitism and attempted to distinguish it from Holocaust denial, referencing figures like Nick Fuentes.

In the realm of media and culture, Anna Wintour has reportedly backed a fashion designer convicted of an antisemitic hate crime. This news emerged amidst reporting on behind-the-scenes issues involving influential New Yorkers that contributed to difficulties surrounding the designer's work.

On campuses, Haverford College in Pennsylvania will institute new antisemitism prevention courses at all educational levels as part of a federal civil rights settlement. According to a joint press release from the Center for Combating Antisemitism and the Deborah Project, the settlement resolves claims that the college failed to protect Jewish students from bullying related to antisemitic activity. Reporting noted prior incidents at Haverford, including praise for a professor who called Jewish advocates 'racist genocidaires,' and a disruption by a pro-Hamas group where a student was heard shouting 'When Gaza has burned, you will all burn too.'

In institutional responses, over 80 police officers from across the state of Georgia are participating in antisemitism training led by the Combat Antisemitism Movement, according to reporting.

In legal news, a federal judge in Miami has dismissed a lawsuit brought against a Jewish couple from Pennsylvania. The case, Khorashi v. Beer, involved comments the couple made on an attorney's anti-Israel posts, which had reportedly drawn complaints of antisemitism. The attorney claimed the couple's comments, which included linking to her law-firm profile and stating 'It's disgraceful,' cost her job and constituted defamation and conspiracy. However, the court ruled that under ordinary Florida law, making truthful statements like linking to an employer's profile does not constitute tortious interference. The judge also found the defamation claim could not be proven as it was an opinion, and the conspiracy claim failed as commenting on a public post does not make individuals co-conspirators.

Finally, in New York City, a Jewish activist was removed from a store in Borough Park after attempting to confront Mayor Zohran Mamdani during his visit to local businesses ahead of the High Holidays. Stephanie Benshimol, who has publicly criticized Mayor Mamdani's stances on Israel and Jewish issues, was removed from Eichler's store by security. Reporting indicates Benshimol also confronted Phylisa Wisdom, executive director of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, who was accompanying Mamdani.

This has been Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler. Thank you for joining us as we continue to monitor antisemitism worldwide.

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

📚 Sources

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