Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - September 16, 2026, 05 AM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - September 16, 2026, 05 AM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

• 0:06
  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler. We begin
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: with a report from the nation concerning allegations that New
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: England Patriots owner Robert Kraft leveraged his influence to have
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  Speaker 1: hip-hop artist Macklemore removed from Ed Sheeran's stadium tour. Macklemore's
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  Speaker 1: statement of free Palestine, according to the nation, prompted Kraft
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  Speaker 1: to allegedly threaten to cancel Sheeran's sold-out shows at Gillette Stadium,
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  Speaker 1: which Kraft owns, if Macklemore remained on the bill. The
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  Speaker 1: Nation further argues that Kraft's actions constitute antisemitism, stating that
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  Speaker 1: Kraft uses his wealth to equate Jewish identity with support
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  Speaker 1: for the Israeli state and silences critics. The article asserts
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  Speaker 1: this false equivalence, winds up actually fanning the flames of antisemitism,
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  Speaker 1: and is a slap in the face to the legions
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  Speaker 1: of young anti-Zionist Jews. The report notes that McLemore himself responded,
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  Speaker 1: emphasizing that the true victims are the Palestinian people experiencing violence.
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  Speaker 1: The report also mentions Singer Pink wrote on Instagram that
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  Speaker 1: McLemore's statement made her feel scared as a Jewish person,
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  Speaker 1: and that Kraft rallied other stadium-owning billionaires to make similar threats.
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  Speaker 1: The Nation cites a Washington Post poll indicating that 61%
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  Speaker 1: of American Jews believe Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza,
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  Speaker 1: and 39% say the country is committing genocide, with younger
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  Speaker 1: respondents showing the highest percentage of dissent. The article also
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  Speaker 1: references groups like Jewish Voice for Peace, and If Not Now.
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  Speaker 1: On university campuses, particularly in Britain, conflict continues following the
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  Speaker 1: October 7th attacks. Reporting reviewed for this episode highlights arguments
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  Speaker 1: by Amira Halperin and Stephen Sussman, published by Fathom, which
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  Speaker 1: contend that academic freedom and free speech are being selectively
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  Speaker 1: invoked on campuses to normalize antisemitic expression and and allow
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  Speaker 1: universities to avoid institutional responsibility. According to Halperin and Sussman,
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  Speaker 1: the core issue is not criticism of Israel itself, but
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  Speaker 1: a failure to distinguish protected political debate from conduct that
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  Speaker 1: intimidates or discriminates against Jewish and Israeli students and faculty.
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  Speaker 1: Their analysis suggests that institutional neutrality can function as a
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  Speaker 1: mechanism of avoidance, with legal protections for speech used to
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  Speaker 1: justify inaction. The report notes that distinguishing between protected expression
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  Speaker 1: and discriminatory conduct requires careful assessment, as contemporary antisemitism may
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: be masked within political debates over Israel, Zionism, and colonialism. Separately,
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  Speaker 1: in California, a federal court has revived an antisemitism lawsuit
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  Speaker 1: concerning Lowe's Angels Unified's ethnic studies curriculum, according to reporting
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  Speaker 1: reviewed for this episode. State leaders, including State Superintendent of
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  Speaker 1: Instruction Tony Thurmond and State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond,
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  Speaker 1: had previously rejected the lawsuit's claims. I'm Rachel Adler, thank
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: you for listening to Antisemitism Watch. Follow Antisemitism Watch in
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: your podcast app so you don't miss the next update.
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: This report was generated with AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies.
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: Please verify important details with primary sources. Thank you.