Headlines

Ontario Synagogue Shooting: Gunman Targets Jewish Community on Yom Kippur; Police Officer Injured
Iran Confirmed Behind Belgium Synagogue Bombing, Arson Attack as Part of Global Campaign
French Far-Right Leader Bardella Denies Antisemitism Allegations from Old Private Messages

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Transcript

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

We begin with deeply disturbing incidents of antisemitic violence and threats. In Belleville, Ontario, police report that Sean Ward, 29, carried out a 'hate-motivated' shooting at the Sons of Jacob Synagogue on Yom Kippur. A police officer, Const. Jeff Smith, was injured in a shootout with the gunman and remains in critical but stable condition. Investigators believe the Jewish community was the intended target, with Ward reportedly bringing additional resources for a larger assault. This incident follows other recent arrests in Ontario for antisemitic threats. Waterloo Regional Police arrested Justin Arnold-Galvez, 33, for online threats directed at the Jewish community. Durham Regional Police charged 19-year-old Alexander Parfitt with making online threats to a synagogue. B'Nai Brith Canada reports a significant increase in antisemitic violence in Ontario, noting 32 incidents in 2026 compared to 10 in 2025. The advocacy group also highlighted previous incidents including swastika graffiti on a Winnipeg synagogue, overnight shootings at Toronto synagogues, and an attempted arson at a Montreal synagogue.

Across the Atlantic, Belgium's intelligence agency Coordination Unit for Threat Analysis, or CUTA, has confirmed that Iran was behind two attacks targeting the Jewish community in March: an explosion outside a synagogue in Liege and an arson attack in Antwerp's Jewish quarter. Authorities view these as part of a coordinated global campaign by Iran against Jewish interests, with similar plots disrupted in the Netherlands and identified in Australia.

In Melbourne, Australia, a Muslim preacher identified as Abu Ahmad has drawn national attention for urging his followers to take up arms against Christians and Jews, citing religious obligation. Reports indicate his institution, the Al Bayyinah Islamic Centre, has ties to networks linked to the gunman in the Bondi attack. Senator Pauline Hanson and the Australian Jewish Association have criticized the government's response to such extremism, with the AJA calling for a crackdown on radical preachers and extremist centers.

In France, far-right leader Jordan Bardella is facing allegations of antisemitism stemming from private messages reportedly sent over a decade ago. Investigative website Mediapart published a report alleging a pattern of antisemitic and conspiratorial rhetoric, including a claim about Jewish ownership of banks. Bardella has formally disputed the accusations, calling them 'crude fabrications' and 'deranged remarks' made when he was a minor, and has instructed his lawyer to pursue legal proceedings. Marine Le Pen, his party leader, has also defended him, suggesting the report is a 'manipulation.'

On campuses, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has released a unanimous, bipartisan report detailing campus antisemitism and institutional responses since October 7th, 2023.

In K-12 education, over 40 clergy members are calling on the Superintendent of Montgomery County's school district to implement specific teacher training on antisemitism and enforce consequences for hateful actions, citing a surge in incidents. Separately, a Jewish professor at Duquesne University has filed an EEOC complaint alleging antisemitism.

In Australia, Glen Eira City Council in Victoria has become the first council in that state, and the second in the country, to endorse a strategy to combat antisemitism. Representing Australia's largest Jewish community, the municipality has seen a rise in incidents, with 43 percent of reported antisemitic incidents in Victoria last year occurring there. The new strategy includes annual antisemitism and trauma-informed training for councillors, public information initiatives, and efforts to improve security and incident response times. Mayor Simone Zmood noted that some residents feel unsafe and have relocated overseas.

Official Palestinian Authority television broadcasts continue to feature rhetoric that meets IHRA's criteria for antisemitism. An interview with Egyptian cleric Sheikh Yasser Mustafa Younes on PA TV described Israel as 'the state of Satan on earth' and Jews as 'morally corrupt' and 'evil.' Separately, Fatah spokesman Dr. Maher Alnamoura stated that Israelis 'will go to Hell' and that the Jewish state will be destroyed, according to broadcasts and Fatah's social media.

In Sweden, an individual defaced an Israeli flag at a book fair, with the Israeli Ambassador to Sweden, Tammy Rahamimoff, involved in the reporting of the incident.

Following the Yom Kippur shooting incident in Belleville, Ontario, B'nai Brith Canada has called for legislative changes to allow synagogues to hire armed, qualified security guards. The organization is also demanding the allocation of law enforcement resources to ensure a police presence at every Jewish institution across Canada, stating the community can no longer wait for authorities to act.

A recent survey conducted by Public Square Research for The Hub found that while 87 percent of Canadians agree that Jewish individuals should not be punished for actions taken by Israel, only 49 percent can define antisemitism. This indicates a significant gap in public understanding and measurement of the issue.

In a clarification, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese apologized for misinterpreting the term 'Muselmann' and retracting her assertion that antisemitism originally meant hatred of all Semitic peoples. Historical sources, including the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, confirm the term was coined specifically to denote hatred of Jews.

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.

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