Headlines

Duquesne Professor Alleges Antisemitic Harassment, EEOC Complaint Filed
French Far-Right Leader's Ally Faces Antisemitism Allegations
Senator Schumer Defines Anti-Zionism as Antisemitism

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

At Duquesne University, a Jewish professor alleges he endured ongoing antisemitic harassment and discrimination. The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law filed a federal complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of Alexander Kranjec, an associate professor of psychology. According to the complaint, Kranjec believes the university treated anti-Zionist hostility directed at him differently than other forms of discrimination, and he has expressed disappointment that raising concerns led to retaliation. The complaint also states that graduate students in the psychology department feared reporting antisemitism could negatively impact their grades, clinical training, licensure, or future career prospects. An emeritus Jewish faculty member described an antisemitic work environment predating October 7, 2023. Duquesne University's Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Gabriel Welsch, stated the university takes such allegations seriously and follows established procedures, adding that the university takes proactive measures to prevent antisemitism and has a robust process for reviewing and investigating claims. The complaint details how, after a Gaza-related petition was circulated, Kranjec distributed a survey identifying what he believed were discriminatory assumptions about Jews, Israelis, and Zionists. A visiting faculty member reportedly responded by calling Kranjec's survey "deceptive," "offensive," and ideologically motivated. Kranjec noted that in academic settings, Jews are often seen as "Zionists" and collectively cast as colonizers. Deena Margolies, a litigation staff attorney for the Brandeis Center, stated there's a lack of understanding of what constitutes antisemitism, emphasizing that while anti-Israel protests are permissible, blocking Jewish supporters of Israel is not. The complaint also cites an incident where a graduate student defended her right to support violent acts against Israeli civilians by Hamas during a town hall, and Duquesne's alleged failure to intervene after Kranjec reported antisemitic and anti-Israel content on social media, including a student posting his name and calling him a "racist."

In France, Jordan Bardella, a key ally of far-right presidential frontrunner Marine Le Pen, is facing allegations of antisemitic comments made in 2013. Bardella and Le Pen have dismissed these accusations, calling them part of a "total war" orchestrated by opponents to destabilize their party's presidential campaign ahead of the 2027 elections. The allegations were published by the investigative website Mediapart, which Bardella has denied. Le Pen has expressed "total confidence" in Bardella, who has been instrumental in the National Rally party's efforts to "decontaminate" its image and shed the legacy of Jean-Marie Le Pen's repeated antisemitic remarks. Bardella previously made an unprecedented visit to Israel in 2025, an effort to demonstrate the RN's evolving credentials.

In the United States, Senate Democratic minority leader Chuck Schumer stated at a New York Public Library event in May 2025 that people who do not believe Israel should exist as a Jewish state are antisemites. According to resurfaced video of the event, where he was promoting his book "Antisemitism in America, A Warning," Schumer said, "To be anti-Zionist — to not believe the Jewish people should have a state — is in my view a form of antisemitism." He further clarified that if one believes every other people should have their own state but not the Jewish people, "that is antisemitic." The report indicates this definition could extend to figures like Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed. Mamdani drew criticism during a mayoral race for declining to state whether Israel should exist as a Jewish state, later saying Israel has a right to exist with equal rights for all. He has been a critic of Israel, supporting BDS campaigns and accusing the nation of genocide in Gaza. Earlier, Netanyahu accused Mamdani of fanning hatred and making New York less safe for Jews. El-Sayed, when asked about Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, has sought to reframe the question, disputing the idea of an ethno-state and questioning why tax dollars are sent to Israel for alleged genocide and apartheid rather than domestic investment. The New York Public Library emphasized its presentation of diverse viewpoints on hot-button topics.

In Canada, Brandon Taylor Moore has been sentenced to an 18-month conditional sentence order, including house arrest, for publicly inciting hatred against Jewish people. Between February 2024 and December 2025, Moore operated an X (formerly Twitter) account with approximately 180,000 followers, posting statements that included hateful invective and calls for the removal or exclusion of Jewish people. Crown prosecutor David Piche described these as hateful communications. Victim impact statements, including from David Katzman of Congregation Agudas Israel, spoke of the anxiety, hurt, and fear caused by Moore's posts, drawing on familiar antisemitic tropes. Rochelle Direnfeld of the Alliance of Canadians Combatting Antisemitism noted that the posts used dehumanizing narratives common in the persecution of Jewish people. Richard Robertson of B'nai Brith Canada stated the sentence did not adequately reflect the gravity of the charges or the harm inflicted. Moore's sentence includes house arrest for the first six months, a curfew for the subsequent six months, mandatory personal counseling and educational programming for hate speech, and 150 hours of community service.

Finally, an opinion piece in The Times of Israel described an encounter with a London barber who openly expressed anti-Jewish sentiments to the author. The author characterized this as a shift from veiled "dog whistles" to a direct expression of prejudice.

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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Sources:
- instagram.com: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dd078xVliaZ/
- amp.tennessean.com: https://amp.tennessean.com/story/opinion/contributors/2026/09/29/global-free-speech-summit-vanderbilt-civility-israel-gaza/91998822007/
- duquesneduke.org: https://duquesneduke.org/complaint-filed-against-duquesne-alleges-antisemitism/news/
- ft.com: https://www.ft.com/content/11a29b88-5293-4574-8660-e9ec3107c819?syn-25a6b1a6=1
- nytimes.com: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/world/europe/bardella-antisemitism-denial-france.html
- nypost.com: https://nypost.com/2026/09/29/us-news/chuck-schumers-definition-of-antisemite-could-include-mamdani-senate-hopeful-el-sayed/
- afp.com: https://www.afp.com/en/french-far-right-says-antisemitism-claims-part-total-war-derail-presidency-bid
- timesofisrael.com: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/french-far-right-leader-dismisses-antisemitism-allegations-as-political-hit-job/
- france24.com: https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260929-french-far-right-says-antisemitism-claims-part-of-total-war-to-derail-presidency-bid
- Times of Israel (Telegram): https://t.me/TheTimesOfIsrael2022/9276
- cbc.ca: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/brandon-taylor-moore-antisemitism-inciting-hatred-sentencing-9.7361359