Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - September 11, 2026, 09 AM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - September 11, 2026, 09 AM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

• 0:06
  Speaker 1: Welcome to Antisemitism Watch. Today, we're monitoring rising tensions in
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  Speaker 1: Southeast Asia, a concerning increase in conspiracy-driven incidents in the US,
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  Speaker 1: and a pivotal debate over defining antisemitism in Europe. I'm
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  Speaker 1: Rachel Adler. We begin with a concerning escalation in Thailand,
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  Speaker 1: where hundreds rallied against Israeli tourists outside Israel's embassy in Bangkok,
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  Speaker 1: as reported by the Bangkok Post. The protest was reportedly
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  Speaker 1: led by Thai conspiracy theorist Sandhai Limthankul, who claimed Chabad
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  Speaker 1: centers were involved with international Zionist networks. Protesters displayed anti-Semitic messages, including,
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  Speaker 1: Jews out, and you Jewish folks don't understand Thai culture,
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  Speaker 1: so get out. According to reporting reviewed for this episode,
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  Speaker 1: demonstrators also attempted to get a Chabad-hosted Rosh Hashanah event cancelled.
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  Speaker 1: Deputy Chief of Mission Raymai Teplitsky said, stated the Israeli
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  Speaker 1: embassy is working to foster friendship and ensure mutual respect,
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  Speaker 1: noting that while the embassy takes concerns seriously, public attention
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  Speaker 1: may be disproportionate. The embassy also provided guidance to Israeli tourists.
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  Speaker 1: The Thai foreign minister, Sihisak Funkekyo, told reporters that while
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  Speaker 1: Thailand welcomes tourists, hospitality does not grant license to act detrimentally.
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  Speaker 1: Israeli tourists are a significant economic contributor. generating approximately $ 1. 2
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  Speaker 1: billion last year, according to Thailand's Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
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  Speaker 1: In Europe, a debate over defining antisemitism is playing out
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  Speaker 1: in Italy. Hundreds protested in Rome against a proposed antisemitism bill,
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  Speaker 1: warning it could restrict freedom of expression. As reported by
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  Speaker 1: Al Jazeera, critics like Amnesty International Italy and UN special
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  Speaker 1: rapporteur Francesca Albanese argue the bill. which seeks to adopt
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  Speaker 1: the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism, risks
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  Speaker 1: conflating legitimate criticism of Israel with antisemitism. Analyst Balduccini of
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  Speaker 1: Amnesty International Italy stated the bill is based on a
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  Speaker 1: definition that censors political criticism. Francesca Albanese added that any
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  Speaker 1: piece of legislation that directly or indirectly equates criticism of
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  Speaker 1: a state with antisemitism is problematic. activists called for adopting
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  Speaker 1: the Jerusalem Declaration on antisemitism instead. However, the legislation has
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  Speaker 1: strong backing from Italy's Jewish institutional leadership, with Nomi Di Segni,
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  Speaker 1: president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, describing legislative
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  Speaker 1: action against antisemitism as urgent and unavoidable. The bill has
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  Speaker 1: been approved by the Senate and is currently being examined
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  Speaker 1: by the Chamber of Deputies. In the United States, the
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  Speaker 1: Anti-Defamation League reported a significant rise in a specific antisemitic trope.
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  Speaker 1: The ADL documented a near doubling of antisemitic incidents involving
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  Speaker 1: September 11 conspiracy theories, with 68 such incidents recorded in 2025,
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  Speaker 1: according to the organization's findings. Meanwhile, a new poll indicates
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  Speaker 1: a significant shift in U.S. public sentiment. According to a
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  Speaker 1: Quinnipiac University poll reported by Haaretz.com, for the first time,
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  Speaker 1: More American voters say their sympathies lie more with Palestinians
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  Speaker 1: than Israelis. This finding adds to evidence of growing animosity
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  Speaker 1: toward Israel among the US electorate. I'm Rachel Adler, thank
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  Speaker 1: you for joining us on Antisemitism Watch. Follow Antisemitism Watch
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: in your podcast app so you don't miss the next update.
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  Speaker 1: This report was generated with AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies.
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  Speaker 1: Please verify important details with primary sources. Thank you.