Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - September 16, 2026, 01 PM Eastern

Transcript

Antisemitism Watch - September 16, 2026, 01 PM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

• 0:06
  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler. Today, we're
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: tracking a serious assault on Jewish teens in London, widespread
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: online conspiracy theories, and crucial policy shifts regarding how antisemitism
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: is defined and addressed. We begin with a disturbing incident
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: on a North London bus last week. On September 10,
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: three 14-year-old Jewish boys were allegedly assaulted and subjected to
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: hate speech. The Metropolitan Police is investigating the incident as
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: an antisemitic hate crime, with Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams stating,
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: The Met will not tolerate antisemitism in any form, and
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: we will respond robustly to any and all offences that occur.
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: Police are actively seeking a suspect. The Community Security Trust
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: and the Board of Deputies of British Jews have condemned
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: the attack, and the Met has increased patrols ahead of
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: the high holidays to provide reassurance. This follows a spate
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: of antisemitic arson attacks across London between March and May
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: of this year, which Jewish security leaders warned exposed a
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: broader security crisis. Mark Gardner, CEO of the Community Security Trust,
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: noted that the randomness of the attacks initially confused police,
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: who found the only common link was that the targets
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: were Jewish or, as the alleged perpetrators stated, Zionist. Gardner
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: told the London Assembly that the breadth of targets including
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: Jewish businesses and ambulances, led to the entire community feeling
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: at risk. In California, two homes in Imperial Beach were
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: vandalized with swastikas and anti-Semitic graffiti during Rosh Hashanah. The
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: San Diego County Sheriff's Office is investigating these incidents, which
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: involved markings made with a black permanent marker on the
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: exterior of one home and on a window of a
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: second property. In politics and media, Controversy is mounting around
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: elected officials' responses to rhetoric concerning Israel and Palestine. U.S.
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: Representative Pramila Jayapal faced criticism for defending rapper Macklemore after
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: he was removed from a tour for what was described
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: as antisemitic behavior and speech about Palestine. Jayapal called his
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: removal incredibly disappointing and stated, We should all be outraged
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: that powerful people are more upset about what an artist
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: says than the displacement, starvation, and killing of innocent Palestinian
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: children and families. This statement drew sharp condemnation, with critics
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: noting her minimal statement regarding the 9-11 anniversary compared to
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: her comments on Macklemore, and accusing her of defending a
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: rapper accused of antisemitism while being indifferent to her Jewish constituents. Simultaneously,
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hamoud offered Macklemore a free, city-sponsored concert
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: after the rapper's pro-Palestinian remarks led to his tour removal.
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: Hamoud stated, We stand with you and for a free Palestine.
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: ADL Michigan called the mayor's offer deeply concerning, citing Macklemore's
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: history of antisemitic rhetoric and warning that the offer risks
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: further alienating Jewish residents. Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium,
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: also opposed Macklemore's participation in shows at his venue. citing
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: the rapper's remarks and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: and imagery. Meanwhile, U.S., Representative Jared Moskovitz has launched a
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: campaign ad for his upcoming election that uses his family's
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: Holocaust history to combat antisemitism. The ad features somber music
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: and black-and-white photos from a concentration camp, with Moskovitz stating,
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: In every generation, they rise against us. My great-grandparents were
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: murdered in Auschwitz. He links this to contemporary threats, referencing
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: the Parkland shooter who had swastikas carved into his gun.
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: The ad also highlights Moskowitz's bipartisan work to fight antisemitism.
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: A significant policy development comes from the European Parliament, where
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: the Patriots for Europe faction, the third largest group, is
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: formally adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism. The faction stated
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: that attacks on the State of Israel can constitute expressions
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: of modern antisemitism. signaling a clear European position in response
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: to rising antisemitism across the continent. Online, analysis by the
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: Combat Antisemitism Movement reveals a surge in antisemitic conspiracy theories
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: blaming Jews and Israel for the September 11th attacks, garnering
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: tens of millions of views on social media around the
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: 25th anniversary of 9-11. The ADL warns that artificial intelligence
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: is being used to produce synthetic proofs to support these
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: baseless claims. On campuses, a federal investigation has been launched
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: into an Inland Empire school district due to allegations of antisemitism.
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: This stems from reports of persistent antisemitic taunting and harassment
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: experienced by middle school students. In a separate campus development,
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: the Pratt Institute has disciplined a student who harassed a
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: Jewish professor on social media, calling him a Jewish supremacist
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: and urging students to boycott his classes. The Louis D.
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law stated that the
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: students' disciplinary probation sends a clear message that targeting Jewish
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: members of any academic community will have consequences. In institutional responses, U.S.
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: Senator Jackie Rosen called for expanding federal security funding for
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: religious institutions, warning of unprecedented threats. She cited data showing
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: 2025 as the third highest year on record for antisemitic
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: incidents in the U.S., with physical assaults against Jewish individuals
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: reaching historic highs. FBI data indicates Jewish Americans were targets
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: of nearly 70% of religiously motivated hate crimes in the U.S.
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: in 2025. Senator Rosen is co-sponsoring legislation to nearly triple
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: funding for the nonprofit security grant program. Emory University has
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: launched the Emory Policy Institute on Countering Antisemitism, or EPICA,
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: led by Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt. This new academic center aims
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: to develop practical, government-level strategies against rising antisemitism by bridging
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: rigorous academic scholarship with public policy. Finally, the ongoing need
• 6:26
  Speaker 1: for security is underscored as Jewish communities face increasing threats,
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: with the ability for synagogues to hire armed security guards
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: highlighted as critical, and security expenses consuming a significant portion
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: of communal budgets. I'm Rachel Adler, thank you for listening
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: to Antisemitism Watch. Follow Antisemitism Watch in your podcast app
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: so you don't miss the next update. This report was
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: generated with AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies. Please verify
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: important details with primary sources.