Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - September 16, 2026, 09 PM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - September 16, 2026, 09 PM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

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  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler. Today, we
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  Speaker 1: begin in Italy, where reports indicate a worsening climate of
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  Speaker 1: anti-Israel hostility and rising antisemitism. Jews and Israelis are increasingly
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  Speaker 1: finding themselves targeted in public spaces. According to reporting reviewed
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  Speaker 1: for this episode, a 60-year-old rabbi was assaulted in Milan
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  Speaker 1: by three men who have since been arrested. The rabbi
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  Speaker 1: was kicked and punched, and his hat was ripped off. Separately,
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  Speaker 1: a group of Israeli tourists in Limon Sol Garda reported
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  Speaker 1: being subjected to antisemitic abuse and expelled from a restaurant
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  Speaker 1: after asking for a Wi-Fi password. Waiters allegedly told the group,
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  Speaker 1: you are animals, you are child murderers. The restaurant owners
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  Speaker 1: reportedly called police on the Israeli group. These incidents underscore
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  Speaker 1: growing concerns over safety and freedom. the CDEC Foundation has
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  Speaker 1: documented a record high of 963 formally classified antisemitic incidents
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  Speaker 1: in Italy last year, a significant increase from previous years.
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  Speaker 1: Pamphlets have also been distributed across Italy urging citizens to
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  Speaker 1: report the presence of Israelis and Zionists. Moving to the
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  Speaker 1: digital sphere, a report from the combat antisemitism movement highlights
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  Speaker 1: the alarming traction of antisemitic conspiracy theories blaming Jews or
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  Speaker 1: Israel for the 9-11 attacks. The report states these theories
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  Speaker 1: reached tens of millions of people on major social media
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  Speaker 1: platforms during commemorations for the event's 25th anniversary. Researchers reviewed
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  Speaker 1: posts collectively generating over 56 million views. These narratives often
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  Speaker 1: focus on American Jewish real estate developer Larry Silverstein to
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  Speaker 1: advance claims of secret orchestration or benefit from the attacks.
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  Speaker 1: The combat antisemitism movement notes these theories are appearing on
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  Speaker 1: mainstream platforms like X, Instagram, and TikTok, echoing the connection
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  Speaker 1: between online activity and real-world threats. FBI Director Kash Patel
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  Speaker 1: testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee that the cyber landscape
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  Speaker 1: and the ability to turn online activity into real-world violence
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  Speaker 1: is the most serious domestic threat facing the United States.
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  Speaker 1: Patel stressed this includes radicalization, planning, and coordination of violence,
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  Speaker 1: citing plots against elected officials and houses of worship. The
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  Speaker 1: FBI has previously highlighted incidents where the internet played a
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  Speaker 1: role in radicalization processes leading to attacks on synagogues. In
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  Speaker 1: the realm of music and commentary, controversy erupted following rapper
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  Speaker 1: Macklemore's removal from an NFL-backed tour. After Macklemore delivered a
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  Speaker 1: speech calling for a free Palestine and used terms like
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  Speaker 1: genocide and apartheid in relation to Israel, he was dropped
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  Speaker 1: from shows. Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, stated that,
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  Speaker 1: for years, McLemore has pushed anti-Semitic tropes and demonized Israel
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  Speaker 1: and Israelis. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft also commented,
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  Speaker 1: saying the rhetoric and imagery were deeply offensive and hurtful
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  Speaker 1: to the Jewish community. McLemore himself clarified that his criticism
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  Speaker 1: of Israel was not directed at Jewish people. This incident
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  Speaker 1: has highlighted debates about whether criticism of Israel constitutes antisemitism,
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  Speaker 1: a charge noted as highly contested in reporting reviewed for
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  Speaker 1: this episode. On the campus front, a federal court has
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  Speaker 1: revived an antisemitism lawsuit concerning ethnic studies at Lowe's Angels Unified.
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  Speaker 1: The lawsuit involves allegations of harassment by middle school students
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  Speaker 1: and antisemitic sentiments. In politics, Vice President J.D. Vance stated
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  Speaker 1: that U.S. foreign policy must not be subservient to Israel
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  Speaker 1: or NATO. advocating for a rational foreign policy prioritizing American
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  Speaker 1: national interests. According to World Israel News, Vance drew parallels
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  Speaker 1: with NATO partnerships, emphasizing that close alliances do not require
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  Speaker 1: surrendering control of strategic decisions. Meanwhile, a Democratic representative noted
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  Speaker 1: that Jewish lawmakers feel politically homeless amid a surge in antisemitism,
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  Speaker 1: citing community concerns for future generations and controversial candidates. Regarding
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  Speaker 1: case outcomes, Yehia Amin was sentenced to 90 days in
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  Speaker 1: jail for stalking Jewish individuals, making anti-Semitic threats including, Hamas
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  Speaker 1: should kill more of you and all Jews should die,
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  Speaker 1: and punching an Israeli tourist. Amin pleaded guilty to degree
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  Speaker 1: assault as a hate crime. However, reporting from the New
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  Speaker 1: York Jewish Community Judicial Watch Group noted criticism regarding the
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  Speaker 1: leniency of the sentence and Amin's defiant demeanor in court. Finally,
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  Speaker 1: in Community Response and Positive Developments, an article by Reuven
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  Speaker 1: Rosenfeld uses the metaphor of a silent shofar during Rosh
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  Speaker 1: Hashanah to call for Jews to actively confront rising antisemitism.
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  Speaker 1: It urges memory joined with responsibility to shape the future
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  Speaker 1: and encourages proactive engagement and pride, rejecting fear as a
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  Speaker 1: defining Jewish inheritance. Additionally, the Archdiocese of Miami has publicly
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  Speaker 1: condemned antisemitism as a sin and and urged solidarity with
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  Speaker 1: Jewish neighbors as they approach their holidays, reaffirming Catholic teachings
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  Speaker 1: against prejudice and affirming Israel's right to exist. I'm Rachel Adler,
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  Speaker 1: thank you for listening to Antisemitism Watch. Follow Antisemitism Watch
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  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.