Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - September 12, 2026, 05 AM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - September 12, 2026, 05 AM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

• 0:06
  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler. 25 years
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  Speaker 1: after the September 11th attacks, the political landscape shaped by
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  Speaker 1: the ensuing war on terror continues to influence Europe. A
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  Speaker 1: report from Al Jazeera details how this era provided significant
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  Speaker 1: legitimacy and electoral force to Europe's far-right parties. According to
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  Speaker 1: the report, prior to September 11th, these parties were largely
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  Speaker 1: marginalized within their multi-party systems. they were often noted for
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  Speaker 1: antisemitism and nostalgia for fascist origins, rather than being credible
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  Speaker 1: contenders for government. However, the article explains that even before 9-11,
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  Speaker 1: far-right racism had begun sharpening its focus on Islam, with
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  Speaker 1: parties like France's Front National and Austria's Freedom Party identifying
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  Speaker 1: Muslims as an enemy within. The September 11 attacks, which
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  Speaker 1: killed nearly 3,000 people, offered a crucial opening. The declaration
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  Speaker 1: of a global war on terror by President George W.
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  Speaker 1: Bush and the subsequent rhetoric and policies contributed to a
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  Speaker 1: globalizing of Islamophobia. While Bush insisted the fight targeted terrorists,
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  Speaker 1: reporting indicates that the discourse often treated all Muslims as
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  Speaker 1: suspects and framed Islam itself as inherently violent. This framing
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  Speaker 1: was amplified by media coverage and military campaigns across Muslim-majority countries.
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  Speaker 1: European governments, even while far-right parties were still largely out
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  Speaker 1: of power, enacted their own Islamophobic policies, such as countering
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  Speaker 1: violent extremism programs, and cooperated in international detention practices. These actions,
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  Speaker 1: according to the report, rested on the premise that Muslim
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  Speaker 1: religious belief itself was a dormant threat. The Al-Jazeera report
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  Speaker 1: argues that the war on terror thus legitimized anti-Muslim racism
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  Speaker 1: that had been building, providing the far-right with a powerful
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  Speaker 1: new narrative, and broadening their appeal. I'm Rachel Adler, thank
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  Speaker 1: you for listening to Antisemitism Watch. Follow Antisemitism Watch in
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: 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.