Headlines

France's Judicial System Struggles to Name Antisemitism in Court Cases
NYC Mayor Accused of "Architecting Antisemitism" Amidst Rhetoric Controversy
Online Surge: Antisemitic 9/11 Conspiracy Theories Reach Millions

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Transcript

You're listening to Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler.

We begin today by examining a systemic issue in France, where recent court cases highlight a recurring difficulty in legally naming antisemitism. According to reporting reviewed for this episode, French courts have struggled to recognize antisemitic motives in acts of violence or vandalism targeting Jewish individuals or symbols. Prosecutors have sometimes attributed such incidents to political disagreements rather than hostility based on Jewish identity. This is seen in cases like the assault on Jewish students who were called 'dirty Zionists' in Strasbourg, vandalism targeting a tree planted in memory of Ilan Halimi, and a nanny convicted for poisoning a Jewish family's food. In these instances, the antisemitic nature of the acts was not established in court, according to the reporting. This leads to concerns, as noted in the analysis, that when hatred is not named, it does not vanish, only its name does. This rigorous naming is crucial for public policy, judicial training, and a society's understanding of the violence occurring within it.

In New York City, a prominent rabbi has leveled a serious accusation against Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, stated that Mayor Mamdani is the 'architect of antisemitism in New York.' According to Rabbi Schneier, this accusation stems from Mamdani's repeated characterization of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the 'architect of genocide in Gaza.' Rabbi Schneier argues that Mamdani is attempting to bifurcate Israel from Judaism and brainwash future leaders, fixating on Israel while ignoring other global issues. He warned that Mamdani's rhetoric is dangerous and has already led to physical attacks on Jews in New York. Mamdani made these remarks during a CNN interview, referencing the International Criminal Court's arrest warrants. In response, Prime Minister Netanyahu sharply criticized Mamdani, accusing him of supporting Hamas and inciting hostility toward New York's Jewish community.

In Germany, the election victory of the Left Party, Die Linke, in Berlin has raised significant concerns among Jewish leaders and politicians about antisemitism within the party. Reporting indicates that while the party secured 25.7% of the vote, its history of anti-Jewish incidents and comments is a major worry. Following the win, a Left Party Member of Parliament, Ferat Kocak, was photographed with Ibrahim Ibrahim, described as a pro-Palestinian activist and supporter of the PFLP and Hamas, with Ibrahim having previously called Yahya Sinwar a 'martyr hero.' While Kocak distanced himself from statements praising violence, the party itself has faced accusations of systemic antisemitism. Investigations have revealed expressions like 'Israel, drop dead' and 'Israeli concentration camps' used within the party's youth organization, Linksjugend. The party's Palestine Solidarity working group has also been criticized for describing the October 7th Hamas massacre as an 'act of resistance.' Israel's ambassador to Germany warned that the party's strong performance gives antisemitism a 'new political dimension' and called it a 'system' where red lines are repeatedly crossed.

This past week, the Antisemitism Research Center, or ARC, tracked a surge in antisemitic conspiracy theories online, specifically targeting the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. Between September 11th and 13th, ARC examined 174 high-reach social media posts that generated over 56.5 million views. According to the ARC's analysis, these posts advanced notions portraying Jews and Israel as the hidden architects of 9/11, often focusing on Jewish American real estate developer Larry Silverstein. The posts also expanded into anti-American narratives, accusing U.S. officials of complicity in steering the country toward Middle East wars on behalf of the Jewish state. The ARC noted that these 9/11 conspiracy theories were frequently fused with unrelated libels targeting Jews.

We also turn to reports of antisemitic vandalism and violence. In Highland Park, Illinois, a swastika was found painted on a slide at Devonshire Park. Mayor Nancy Rotering called the act 'deeply painful' and an 'act of hate,' noting its occurrence as the Jewish community moved from the High Holy Days into preparations for Sukkot. This follows similar incidents of vandalism reported in California, where Nazi swastikas were found at two San Diego homes on Rosh Hashanah. Internationally, in Germany, a woman wearing a Star of David in Berlin was reportedly attacked with a broken bottle. In the United Kingdom, three Jewish schoolboys were assaulted on a bus in North London. Separately, German police are investigating a death threat made against Holocaust survivor and Jewish community leader Charlotte Knobloch.

On university campuses and in communities abroad, incidents continue to surface. In Canada, during Rosh Hashanah, mezuzahs were smashed on Jewish students' doors at Wilfrid Laurier University. In France, three Jewish students were reportedly beaten on a Strasbourg campus while being called 'dirty Zionists.' These incidents underscore the broader issue of how antisemitism is perceived and prosecuted in France, as discussed earlier. Also noted by the ARC is a guide published by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR, for Muslim K-12 students. This guide allocated over a quarter of its text to the situation in Gaza and Palestinian advocacy, while omitting any references to Hamas or October 7th.

In political and media spheres, we track ongoing rhetoric and commentary. In Georgia, David Alan Scheer II, the son-in-law of Republican candidate Mike Collins, reportedly posts antisemitic content from property Collins allowed him to build a home on. From the Middle East, Qatar's Emir delivered a speech accusing Israel of being 'war criminals' and stating that cries of 'anti-Semitism' are being used to deflect from actions in Gaza. On Capitol Hill, Nevada Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen underscored the pervasive threat of hate, stating, 'One thing we know for sure is hate may start with the Jews, but it never ends there.' And Elisha Wiesel, son of Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, recently discussed President Trump's UN General Assembly speech and the rise of antisemitism in the U.S.

Providing a broader statistical overview, the Antisemitism Research Center's latest Global Antisemitism Report monitored 105 new incidents worldwide in the past week. Broken down by ideological categories, the ARC found 43.8% of these incidents were Far-Left, 20.0% Islamist-Inspired, and 9.5% Far-Right, with the remaining 26.7% categorized as Unaffiliated or Other.

On a different note, we highlight efforts to combat antisemitism through innovative means. Archie Gottesman is noted for utilizing disruptive advertising principles, employing billboards to effectively communicate with the broader public and challenge antisemitism.

I'm Rachel Adler, thank you for listening to Antisemitism Watch.

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This report was generated with AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies. Please verify important details with primary sources.

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