Headlines

Manhattan Stabbing Investigated as Possible Antisemitic Attack
UK Mandates Treating Antisemitism as Safety Concern in Schools
US House Report Details Antisemitic Activism in K-12 Education

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Transcript

You're listening to Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler. Before we get to today's headlines, a quick note: Antisemitism Watch: Mid-Atlantic is now providing focused coverage from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and the Philadelphia region. Find it at clockwork media dot org slash M A.

We begin with a disturbing incident in Manhattan. On Wednesday evening, a Chabad Hassid man was stabbed in the Diamond District. As reported by the Jewish Press Online, the New York Police Department's Hate Crimes Task Force, alongside the safety organization Manhattan Shomrim, is investigating the stabbing as a possible antisemitic attack. According to Manhattan Shomrim, the victim was targeted while dressed in a visibly Jewish manner, and the assailant, described as a woman in her 30s, reportedly passed over other pedestrians before the attack. The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital and was reported to be in stable condition. Manhattan Shomrim has requested public assistance, including security camera footage, to help locate the suspect.

Turning to policy, the British government is overhauling Holocaust education and mandating that schools treat antisemitism as a specific safety concern, following a review that uncovered widespread anti-Jewish harassment in the education system. As detailed by Israel National News, citing the BBC and Education Secretary Lucy Powell, this new approach requires schools and colleges to identify antisemitism as a distinct form of harm, necessitating specific preventive measures. The government has accepted 27 recommendations from an independent review led by Sir David Bell, including specialized teacher training and improved procedures for documenting incidents. Educational institutions will also be encouraged to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, or IHRA, working definition of antisemitism. The Board of Deputies of British Jews welcomed the move, stating it would strengthen schools' responsibility to protect Jewish students. This action comes amid broader concerns; parliamentary records indicate that antisemitism is a significant and growing problem in modern Britain, affecting Jewish pupils, students, and staff.

In the United States, a U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee investigation has found antisemitic materials and anti-Israel activism within K-12 education, including programs supported by the National Education Association and in public school curricula, according to a majority staff report. The Anti-Defamation League reports a 135 percent increase in antisemitic incidents in K-12 schools in 2023 alone. The committee's investigation highlighted specific instances, such as a world history assignment in Philadelphia directing students to 'honor' a resistance movement that included a Hamas-endorsed campaign, and a lesson in Berkeley, California, that labeled Israel as 'Palestine' on a map and presented activist Edward Said favorably without addressing his history of antisemitism.

On the university level, Tulane University is set to host an event on October 22nd, organized by the Palestine Solidarity Coalition and the Minority Association of Pre-Med Students, featuring Dr. Salman Khan discussing 'Israel’s alleged weaponization of infectious diseases in Gaza.' As reported by Cleveland Jewish News, organizers stated Khan would speak about his experience during a medical mission, with promotional material inviting insights on 'how intentional weaponization of healthcare perpetuates within a region.' The American Jewish Medical Association has called such accusations unacceptable, warning that future physicians should be trained to follow evidence, not perpetuate inflammatory allegations that echo antisemitic tropes about Jews poisoning people. The U.S. Department of Education's investigation into Tulane over alleged Jew-hatred, opened in December 2023, remains ongoing. The Times of Israel also notes that the University of Pittsburgh is confirming interviews with Jewish students for an antisemitism report, following significant antisemitic attacks on students in 2024.

In the political and media landscape, a deputy leader of the UK's Green Party was filmed joining a controversial chant at an anti-Zionist group's rally, as reported by Jewish News. Meanwhile, an analysis by Jewish Voice for Liberation, citing Newscord, examined coverage of the Green Party's 'Zionism Is Racism' motion across 37 UK national outlets. The analysis found staggering bias, with coverage disproportionately focusing anger on the motion compared to Israel's actions in Gaza, and repeating the conflation of anti-Zionism with antisemitism, often privileging Jewish sensitivities over Palestinian lives.

Separately, the controversial figure Nick Fuentes, known as a Holocaust denier, has accused Tucker Carlson of being a 'Jew hater' and exhibiting 'rabid antisemitism.' Israel National News reports on this development, questioning Fuentes' sincerity and suggesting potential financial competition between the two figures for audience and donations. The report also raises concerns about Vice President JD Vance's continued relationship with Carlson, particularly Vance's repeated unwillingness to condemn Carlson by name when controversies arise, despite Carlson facing accusations of amplifying antisemitic conspiracies and rhetoric useful to hostile regimes.

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

For focused coverage from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and the Philadelphia region, listen to Antisemitism Watch: Mid-Atlantic at clockwork media dot org slash M A.

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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:
- jpost.com: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-912552
- 5pillarsuk.com: https://5pillarsuk.com/2026/10/22/government-accused-of-planning-major-crackdown-on-pro-palestine-expression-in-schools/
- hansard.parliament.uk: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2026-10-21/debates/26102156000010/AntisemitismInSchoolsAndColleges
- timesofisrael.com: https://www.timesofisrael.com/u-of-pittsburgh-now-says-some-jewish-students-were-interviewed-for-antisemitism-report/
- clevelandjewishnews.com: https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/jns/tulane-student-groups-to-host-talk-accusing-israel-of-disease-weaponization-in-gaza/article_2cc0610e-e05f-5da3-a147-a83d992cdd36.html
- jewishnews.co.uk: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/green-party-deputy-leader-filmed-joining-controversial-chant-at-anti-zionist-groups-rally/
- jewishvoiceforliberation.org.uk: https://jewishvoiceforliberation.org.uk/article/zionism-is-racism-motion-forensic-analysis-of-uk-medias-biased-coverage/
- israelnationalnews.com: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/434996
- themedialine.org: https://themedialine.org/headlines/house-probe-finds-antisemitic-anti-israel-materials-in-schools-nations-largest-teachers-union/
- israelnationalnews.com: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/434986