Antisemitism Watch - August 17, 2026, 01 PM Eastern

This episode of Antisemitism Watch covers critical developments worldwide. In Canada, the Jewish community grapples with rising antisemitism, marked by a fire investigated as arson at a Montreal kosher restaurant and widespread concern leading to discussions of emigration. Political figures face backlash, including Dan Bilzerian, whose antisemitic campaign ad prompted bipartisan condemnation. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani met with rabbis concerned his rhetoric may be fueling hostility, while Toronto Metropolitan University's report details a 'fractured campus environment' for Jewish students. We also examine Portugal's investigation into alleged antisemitism at the University of Coimbra, Syrian soldiers chanting death threats against Jews, reforms removing antisemitic content from Saudi textbooks, and accountability measures like fan bans by CF Montréal. The episode closes with a look at the dedicated work of scholar Amy-Jill Levine.Sources:- Algemeiner: https://www.algemeiner.com/2026/08/17/mounting-antisemitic-attacks-institutional-failures-leave-canadian-jews-asking-stay-or-go/- jpost.com: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-905781- nationalpost.com: https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/tmu-antisemitis-harassment-fear-review- 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- washingtonexaminer.com: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/congressional/4689612/dan-bilzerian-antisemitic-ad-florida-randy-fine/- vinnews.com: https://vinnews.com/2026/08/16/former-mamdani-staffer-retracts-claim-that-nyc-synagogue-attack-was-not-antisemitic/- linkedin.com: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rabbipoupko_i-appreciate-am-ny-asking-mayor-mamdani-to-activity-7495116258854670337-L_iA- amny.com: https://www.amny.com/editorial/editorial-mamdani-rabbis-antisemitism-rhetoric/- jpost.com: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-905798- jpost.com: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-905799- theaustralian.com.au: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/editorials/virginia-bells-royal-commission-must-nail-drivers-of-antisemitism/news-story/74947207c6e4f07dc6b2055000a0ecf4- ejewishphilanthropy.com: https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/your-daily-phil-central-synagogue-attack-highlights-dilemma-for-communal-leaders/- jewishrhody.com: https://www.jewishrhody.com/stories/portuguese-govt-demands-investigation-for-antisemitic-threats-against-israeli-doctoral-student,169840- jpost.com: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-905671- thehub.ca: https://thehub.ca/2026/08/17/what-8-toronto-hate-crime-arrests-say-about-enforcement-in-canada/- montrealgazette.com: https://montrealgazette.com/sports/soccer/club-de-foot-montreal/cf-montreal-bans-fans-mls-antisemitism-investigation/- wpln.org: https://wpln.org/post/episodes/jewish-jesus-scholar-amy-jill-levine-and-her-lifelong-quest-to-end-anti-semitism/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