Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - September 6, 2026, 09 AM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - September 6, 2026, 09 AM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

• 0:06
  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch, I'm Rachel Adler. Across the
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  Speaker 1: political and media landscape, concerns are mounting over rhetoric that
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  Speaker 1: echoes or invokes antisemitic tropes. Reporting this week highlights how
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  Speaker 1: figures on different sides of the political spectrum are being scrutinized.
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: According to reporting reviewed for this episode, Elon Musk made
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  Speaker 1: statements on X regarding Jewish identity that critics argue echo
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  Speaker 1: historical antisemitic frameworks. suggesting Jewishness is determined by appearance rather
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  Speaker 1: than lineage or self-identification. Simultaneously, Vice President J.D. Vance referred
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  Speaker 1: to podcaster Tucker Carlson as a friend, a comment drawing
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  Speaker 1: attention given Carlson's documented history of hosting Holocaust deniers and
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  Speaker 1: promoting antisemitic conspiracies, as noted by reporting. Meanwhile, an article
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  Speaker 1: argues the Democratic Party has become a domestic abuser to
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  Speaker 1: Jewish voters by associating with individuals and groups accused of
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  Speaker 1: antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment, citing figures like Abdul El-Sayed and
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  Speaker 1: movements such as Black Lives Matter. This comes as some
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  Speaker 1: 170 notable Jewish personalities released an open letter defending actor
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  Speaker 1: Mark Ruffalo, who faced accusations of antisemitism for his comments
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  Speaker 1: on a corporate merger. While supporters called the charges a
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  Speaker 1: dangerous weaponization of charges of antisemitism, several leading Jewish groups
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  Speaker 1: stated Ruffalo's remarks invoked classic anti-Semitic tropes about Jewish wealth
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  Speaker 1: and power. Internationally, the rise of Germany's far-right alternative for Germany,
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  Speaker 1: or AfD, party continues to draw concern. JTA reporting indicates
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  Speaker 1: the party is predicted to win significantly in regional elections,
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  Speaker 1: potentially leading to its first state government leadership since World
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  Speaker 1: War II. Stefan Kramer, president of Germany's domestic intelligence agency
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  Speaker 1: in the state of Thuringia, expressed worry to JTA about
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  Speaker 1: the party's potential to wield power over state institutions. In parallel,
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  Speaker 1: Israel's National Security Council has issued a threat assessment warning
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  Speaker 1: of intensified efforts by Iran and its terrorist proxies to
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  Speaker 1: attack Israelis and Jews abroad ahead of Rosh Hashanah, urging
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  Speaker 1: travelers to maintain a low profile and avoid political discussions.
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  Speaker 1: In policy developments, California is poised to become the first
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  Speaker 1: state to classify Jewish identity as an ethnicity on state forms.
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  Speaker 1: Following the passage of Senate Bill 1000-387, State Senator Henry Stern,
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  Speaker 1: the bill's author, stated the goal is to improve data
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  Speaker 1: collection on the needs of Jewish communities, though the move
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  Speaker 1: has sparked debate within the community. In Australia, Jewish leaders
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  Speaker 1: are advocating for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to grant Gillian
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  Speaker 1: Segal a second term as antisemitism envoy, highlighting the perceived
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  Speaker 1: importance of the role. Meanwhile, in Ukraine, a draft law
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  Speaker 1: has been registered to expand the nation's existing antisemitism law
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  Speaker 1: to encompass Ukrainophobia, racism, and racial discrimination, aiming to create
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  Speaker 1: a unified legal mechanism against hate and discrimination. On the
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  Speaker 1: cultural front, rapper Macklemore is facing calls for his removal
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  Speaker 1: from an Ed Sheeran tour after using his opening set
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  Speaker 1: to advocate for free Palestine and accuse Israel of genocide,
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  Speaker 1: the Israeli-American Council launched a petition characterizing his message as
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  Speaker 1: anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic propaganda, and Stop Antisemitism noted his performance.
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  Speaker 1: The IAC stated the message relied on selective imagery, biased messaging,
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  Speaker 1: and disputed claims presented to a massive audience as fact,
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  Speaker 1: without context or complexity. To close, A powerful message comes
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  Speaker 1: from 98-year-old Auschwitz survivor Nate Lapsiger. He urges Jewish students
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  Speaker 1: to confront antisemitism directly with the plea, don't hide, don't run,
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  Speaker 1: underscoring the enduring fight against hatred. I'm Rachel Adler, thank
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  Speaker 1: you for listening to Antisemitism Watch. Follow Antisemitism Watch in
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  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.
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: Please verify important details with primary sources.