Casual Comments, Vandalism, And Violence: A Rabbi Talks About Antisemitism In America

Longtime watchdogs of hate speech say there’s nothing new about the kinds of antisemitic comments that rapper Ye (Kanye West) and others have made recently. But what has struck some experts is how blatant the comments about Jewish people are at a time when incidents of antisemitic attacks have been at their highest levels in decades. “Sometimes it’s casual comments that people make; sometimes it’s vandalism; sometimes it’s violence like we saw in Charlottesville and so many other places,” says Rabbi Rachel Schmelkin. She says she has witnessed – and experienced – antisemitism ever since she was a child. Civil Rights leader Reverend Markel Hutchins says the recent antisemitic comments made by Ye on social media are concerning but states that he is only “a symptom of the problem.” “What we have seen across this country over the last several years is a rise in visceral animus directed at people who are anything different than what we are,” says Reverend Hutchins. “We see it in our politics. We see it in our entertainment; we see it in our culture overall. That is the central issue that we’ve got to address.” Hear more from Rabbi Schmelkin and Reverend Hutchins in the video above. This episode of Dr. Phil, “The Renewed Hate That Kanye Created.” airs Tuesday. And later, Dr. Phil and his guests talk about what can be done to stop the spread of antisemitism. Check your local listing for airtimes. WATCH: Jewish Writer Says He Was Targeted With Hate Speech After Kanye West’s Antisemitic Social Media Posts TELL DR. PHIL YOUR STORY: Strong opinion you want to share?