Antisemitism Watch

Montana Man Pleads Not Guilty to Antisemitic Death Threats Against Hawaii Governor
German Far-Right AfD Poised for Gains Amid Jewish Community Warnings
Politicians Evade Disavowing Antisemitic Associates; Media Mock 'Blood Libel' Trope

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Antisemitism Watch

Antisemitism Watch is a daily monitoring and analysis program tracking antisemitism worldwide — incidents, rhetoric, policy, and institutional responses — r

📝 Transcript

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

We begin with a serious threat targeting a state leader. A Montana man, Eric Lee Boltz, 51, has pleaded not guilty in Honolulu federal court to charges including cyberstalking and transmitting antisemitic death threats to Hawaii Governor Josh Green and his family. According to HawaiiNewsNow, court records indicate Boltz allegedly left nine voicemails in December, threatening to kill the governor and harm his family. He has been detained without bail pending trial. This incident occurs against a backdrop of rising antisemitism in Hawaii, including swastika graffiti and bomb threats, and a history of similar antisemitic incidents across Montana.

Turning to Germany, the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, party is projected to perform strongly in the upcoming Saxony-Anhalt elections, with polls predicting around 40% of the vote. This has raised alarms due to the potential for the AfD to place the first far-right head of a German state government in the postwar era. As reported by The Times of Israel, the party's leading candidate in the state, Ulrich Siegmund, has adopted the Simson moped—a product of a company originally founded by a Jewish family and expropriated by the Nazis—as a symbol of his campaign. Dennis Baum, an heir to the Simson family, has described the AfD as 'antisemitic' and finds any association with the party 'repulsive.' Jewish organizations in Germany have long warned about the AfD's danger, and Germany's domestic intelligence service has classified the party as right-wing extremist.

In American politics, a pattern is emerging regarding how public figures handle accusations of antisemitism against their associates. The Times of Israel reports that Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed and Vice President JD Vance employ similar tactics to avoid disavowing individuals who have made antisemitic remarks. El-Sayed has maintained ties with streamer Hasan Piker, who has claimed Jews 'make antisemitism worse' and warned of potential 'action' against them, while Vance has declined to disavow his friend Tucker Carlson, known for his antisemitic commentary and interviews with Holocaust deniers. Meanwhile, commentary from figures in the media landscape also drew criticism. According to Fox News Network, 'Pod Save America' hosts Jon Favreau and Jon Lovett mocked Vice President JD Vance's use of the term 'blood libel,' subsequently offering conflicting and incorrect definitions of the historical antisemitic trope. Seth Mandel, senior editor at Commentary, criticized the exchange, stating the hosts dismissed antisemitism while misunderstanding its history. Separately, Complex reports that musician Kid Cudi defended his recent reconciliation with Kanye West, referring to him as his 'brother,' despite West's well-documented history of antisemitic statements, Holocaust denial, and the sale of swastika merchandise.

In discussions around anti-Zionist rhetoric, California Post News highlights actor Mark Ruffalo's reliance on signatories from the group Jewish Voice for Peace, or JVP, to defend him against claims of antisemitism. JVP is described as a radical anti-Zionist organization whose statements are viewed as potentially IHRA-qualifying. The article notes that JVP blamed 'Israeli apartheid and occupation' for the October 7th violence and accused Israel of a 'genocidal war.' The piece frames Ruffalo's defense as a mobilization of an established anti-Israel activist network, many of whom have deep ties to JVP and BDS advocacy, rather than an organic community uprising.

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.

📚 Sources

Sources:
- facebook.com: https://www.facebook.com/HawaiiNewsNow/posts/a-montana-man-accused-of-sending-antisemitic-death-threats-to-gov-josh-green-and/1594350776057970/
- the-independent.com: https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/the-box-review-gary-lineker-itv-b3044233.html
- noticias.foxnews.com: https://noticias.foxnews.com/media/pod-save-america-hosts-mock-jd-vance-blood-libel-definition-botching
- complex.com: https://www.complex.com/music/a/jaelaniturnerwilliams/kid-cudi-kanye-west-forgiveness-peter-rosenberg
- timesofisrael.com: https://www.timesofisrael.com/el-sayed-and-vance-call-each-other-evil-while-both-handling-antisemitism-the-same-way/
- youtube.com: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAUpMdmNgeI
- yahoo.com: https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/radical-group-mark-ruffalo-relying-203328966.html
- timesofisrael.com: https://www.timesofisrael.com/german-far-right-afd-partys-projected-win-puts-jews-between-the-left-and-a-hard-place/
- hawaiinewsnow.com: https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/09/05/montana-man-pleads-not-guilty-threatening-gov-green-family/