Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - September 19, 2026, 05 AM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - September 19, 2026, 05 AM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

• 0:06
  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler. Today, we're
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  Speaker 1: examining a disturbing pattern of escalating threats and harassment from
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  Speaker 1: an elementary school classroom to a German synagogue, alongside crucial
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  Speaker 1: community perspectives on political rhetoric. We begin with a deeply
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  Speaker 1: troubling report out of California, where a federal civil rights
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  Speaker 1: complaint alleges a 12-year-old student at Etiwanda Intermediate School was
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  Speaker 1: subjected to severe antisemitic bullying. According to CBS News, The complaint,
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  Speaker 1: filed by the Brandeis Center on behalf of the Riverside
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  Speaker 1: County family, details an attack where the student was allegedly
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  Speaker 1: beaten and choked. The harassment that followed, according to the complaint,
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  Speaker 1: included students hurling slurs, performing Nazi salutes in the hallway,
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  Speaker 1: and praising Adolf Hitler. The U.S. Department of Education's Office
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  Speaker 1: for Civil Rights confirmed it opened an investigation into the
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  Speaker 1: Etiwanda School District on August 31, 2026. Following the complaint
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  Speaker 1: filed in March 2025, the district's superintendent, Laura Rowland, stated
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  Speaker 1: that the Etiwanda School District condemns antisemitism and takes its
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  Speaker 1: duty to provide a safe learning environment very seriously, adding
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  Speaker 1: that antisemitic bullying is contrary to their values. However, attorneys
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  Speaker 1: for the family, speaking to CBS News, called the district's
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  Speaker 1: actions too little, too late, while acknowledging some recent efforts
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  Speaker 1: to educate staff and students and increase monitoring. The alleged
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  Speaker 1: attack occurred in September 2024, and the harassment reportedly intensified,
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  Speaker 1: including swastikas drawn on school property, after the initial complaint
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  Speaker 1: was filed. In Germany, prosecutors are investigating an alleged anti-Semitic crime,
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  Speaker 1: after a 37-year-old man was arrested for attempting to set
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  Speaker 1: a synagogue ablaze in Wuppertal. Haaretz.com reported that the incident
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  Speaker 1: occurred just days before the Jewish High Holy Day of
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  Speaker 1: Yom Kippur. Prosecutors stated that the man made an anti-Semitic
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  Speaker 1: comment at the scene, though a definitive Islamist motive was
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  Speaker 1: not yet established. This act of attempted arson against a
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  Speaker 1: religious institution underscores the ongoing threat to Jewish life and
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  Speaker 1: safety in Europe. Turning to politics and media, rapper Macklemore
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  Speaker 1: is again facing accusations of anti-Semitism following the release of
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  Speaker 1: his May 2024 song, Heinz Hall, and his subsequent pro-Palestinian statements.
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  Speaker 1: According to reporting reviewed for this episode, the song, which
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  Speaker 1: pays tribute to protesters who occupied Columbia University's Hamilton Hall,
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  Speaker 1: criticizes U.S. military support for Israel and dismisses claims that
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  Speaker 1: opposing Zionism is anti-Semitic. McLemore has also accused Israel of
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  Speaker 1: genocide and apartheid, stating in June 2024 to an audience
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  Speaker 1: in Germany that the only way that we can atone
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  Speaker 1: for our past is by today standing up against apartheid,
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  Speaker 1: against occupation, against genocide, for a free Palestine. Critics, including
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  Speaker 1: Robert Kraft and major Jewish organizations like the ADL, have
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  Speaker 1: condemned his rhetoric. The Central Council of Jews in Germany
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  Speaker 1: specifically condemned his invitation to a festival, suggesting its signaled
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  Speaker 1: antisemitism was welcome. Jewish reggae singer Matisyahu also suggested the
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  Speaker 1: song invoke stereotypes about Jewish control. This controversy follows a
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  Speaker 1: 2014 incident where McLemore wore an onstage costume widely interpreted
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  Speaker 1: as a Jewish caricature, for which he later apologized and
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  Speaker 1: encouraged support for the ADL. Finally, a new survey offers
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  Speaker 1: insight into American Jewish sentiment regarding Israel and antisemitism. According
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  Speaker 1: to the Melman Group for the Jewish Electorate Institute, a
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  Speaker 1: significant majority of American Jewish voters hold critical views of
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  Speaker 1: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 56% of respondents believe Netanyahu's actions
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  Speaker 1: have directly increased anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiment in the United States.
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  Speaker 1: The poll, conducted between August 25 and September 3, 2026,
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  Speaker 1: also found 61% hold an unfavorable view of Netanyahu and
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  Speaker 1: 60% want him replaced, while the survey indicates American Jews
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  Speaker 1: remain overwhelmingly pro-Israel. These findings highlight deep divisions and concerns
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  Speaker 1: within the community regarding leadership. and the broader impact on
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  Speaker 1: the antisemitism landscape. That's all for today's Antisemitism Watch. I'm
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  Speaker 1: Rachel Adler. Follow Antisemitism Watch in your podcast app so
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  Speaker 1: you don't miss the next update. This report was generated
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  Speaker 1: with AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies. Please verify important
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  Speaker 1: details with primary sources.