Antisemitism Watch - August 16, 2026, 01 PM Eastern

This week on Antisemitism Watch, host Rachel Adler reports on the violent assault at Manhattan's Central Synagogue, where charges include hate crimes, and analyzes the political context surrounding the incident. We cover targeted attacks on Jewish institutions in Sri Lanka and on journalists in Belfast, Northern Ireland, as well as an assault in Brooklyn. Updates include Toronto Metropolitan University establishing a task force on campus antisemitism, concerns over a Romanian politician's US visa, and the broader discourse on Jews and Israel in media. Plus, an institutional response as CF Montreal bans fans for antisemitic comments.Sources:- anash.org: https://anash.org/violence-erupts-outside-chabad-center-in-sri-lanka/- jpost.com: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-905671- clevelandjewishnews.com: https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/jns/toronto-metropolitan-university-creates-campus-expression-antisemitism-community-safety-task-force-after-receiving-external-report/article_e8571d2c-8c8e-5e6a-8f3e-d5fdce585a39.html- wspa.com: https://www.wspa.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-hate-crime-charges-filed-in-manhattan-synagogue-attack/- thejewishnews.com: https://www.thejewishnews.com/jewish-telegraphic-agency/assailant-who-attacked-congregant-guard-at-nyc-shabbat-services-charged-with-hate-crimes/article_3d194de2-e96b-4cf3-a4d5-2c59008b0759.html- fox5ny.com: https://www.fox5ny.com/news/76-year-old-man-assaulted-after-minor-scooter-collision-brooklyn-suspect-sought- worldisraelnews.com: https://worldisraelnews.com/bronx-man-faces-14-charges-for-attack-on-congregant-guard-at-central-synagogue-shabbat-service/- clevelandjewishnews.com: https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/news/national_news/hate-crime-charges-filed-in-manhattan-synagogue-attack/article_d867f1f2-4fb4-50f9-8516-44ef4881cef9.html- thejc.com: https://www.thejc.com/news/usa/arrest-after-man-storms-bimah-and-punches-congregant-during-shabbat-service-at-manhattan-synagogue-da2ios07- vinnews.com: https://vinnews.com/2026/08/16/israels-i24-channel-team-attacked-in-ireland-while-filming-on-antisemitism/- jns.org: https://www.jns.org/news/world/toronto-metropolitan-university-creates-campus-expression-antisemitism-community-safety-task-force-after-receiving-external-report-it-commissioned- jpost.com: https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-905673- worldisraelnews.com: https://worldisraelnews.com/your-fault-mamdani-slammed-after-synagogue-attack-tweet/- aish.com: https://aish.com/why-the-world-cant-stop-talking-about-the-jews/- forward.com: https://forward.com/news/845321/central-synagogue-attack-larry-montes-israel-judaism-mamdani/- ctvnews.ca: https://www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/article/cf-montreal-bans-two-supporters-for-anti-semitic-comments/Music Attribution:Intro: Intro: Music by https://pixabay.com/users/dariocoiro-54756271/ Dario Coiro from PixabayOutro: Outro: Music by https://pixabay.com/users/muzaproduction-24990238/ Aleksandr Karabanov from Pixabay