Antisemitism Watch

California Court Orders Trial for Man Accused of Threatening Jewish Community Center Shooting
170 Jewish Personalities Defend Actor Mark Ruffalo Amid Antisemitism Claims
Far-Right AfD Projected to Win German State Election, Raising Community Concerns

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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, a California court ruled there is sufficient evidence to prosecute Paul Dean Andrews for allegedly threatening a shooting at a Jewish community center and making antisemitic statements. According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, over three days in August, Andrews repeatedly called the Jewish center in Redondo Beach, making threats like 'We don’t want Jews in South Bay. Jews. Get out of South Bay.' In one call, he allegedly threatened a manager, saying, 'I know where you are. I know you’re on Vail Street. I know there are a lot of children there. I will come and open fire at the place.' Prosecutors noted that Andrews had previously been offered a chance to confront his prejudices through an anti-bias program at the Museum of Tolerance after prior charges, but instead allegedly left further antisemitic messages for the museum and a local synagogue in May 2024, stating, 'You will never be real Americans. All Jews should be hanged from trees.' The court ordered Andrews to stand trial. He faces over nine years in prison if convicted, and is being held on $275,000 bail.

In the realm of politics and media, 170 notable Jewish personalities have released an open letter defending actor Mark Ruffalo against accusations of antisemitism. The controversy stems from Ruffalo's social media posts linking Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison and his father, Larry Ellison, to tech giant Oracle and alleging an 'apartheid system of oppression' in Gaza. Paramount reportedly responded by accusing Ruffalo of invoking 'antisemitic tropes' concerning Jewish wealth and power. The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles stated that Ruffalo’s comments 'combined Jewish wealth, media control, secret technology and sinister global power,' drawing on 'recognizable antisemitic tropes with a long and dangerous history.' The letter defending Ruffalo, signed by figures including filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen, and actors Joaquin Phoenix and Debra Winger, calls the attacks a 'false and dangerous weaponization of charges of antisemitism' and argues the actor was right to draw links between Israel’s behavior and the merger.

On university campuses, a non-Jewish woman was reportedly subjected to antisemitic abuse by students at the University of Exeter. Reporting reviewed for this episode indicates this is part of a broader trend of antisemitic incidents on campuses in Britain.

Internationally, the projected win of the far-right AfD party in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt is raising concerns for the country’s Jewish community. The AfD faces accusations of antisemitism, leading some to describe the community as being 'between the left and a hard place.'

In terms of judicial action, reporting reviewed for this episode indicates that legal steps are being taken in response to antisemitic threats made in France and ambulance arson in London.

Finally, focusing on community resilience, IMPACT, a nonprofit founded after the October 7th massacre, held a workshop in Queens, New York, on Thursday called 'Digital Defender 102.' The workshop trains Jewish individuals aged 55 and up to combat online antisemitism using artificial intelligence and social media. According to IMPACT's CEO Aaron Herman, the program aims to empower this group to 'stand up, speak out and make a meaningful difference.'

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:
- jpost.com: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-907630
- ua.news: https://ua.news/en/world/u-kaliforniyi-suditimut-cholovika-za-pogrozi-strilianinoiu-v-ievreiskomu-tsentri
- telegraph.co.uk: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09/05/non-jewish-woman-anti-semitic-abuse-exeter-students/
- jpost.com: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-907619
- jewishrhody.com: https://www.jewishrhody.com/stories/el-sayed-and-vance-call-each-other-evil-while-both-handling-antisemitism-the-same-way,173268
- Times of Israel (Telegram): https://t.me/TheTimesOfIsrael2022/9034
- thej.ca: https://thej.ca/2026/09/05/federal-court-orders-release-of-secret-nazi-war-criminal-records/
- jpost.com: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-907618