To all the accusers....other than this obvious gaffe, which she has admitted and apologized for for, please provide genuine evidence to support your allegations that Ms. Rehm is an anti-Semite.

I guess one could also defend those who believed Barack Obama was a Kenyan born Muslim because they read it on the internet.
I don't know that Rehm is anti-semitic, but it is quite disturbing that an experienced journalist/talk show host would be predisposed to accept lies posted on the internet about the loyalty of American Jews.

Here's what we can say about Ms. Rehm. No one has been able to produce any evidence that she is an anti-Semite. Outside of her sloppy research during the Sanders interview, no prior gaffes either. Should she ask a similar question or postulate a like-minded statement in the future, the calculus would change.

As for birthers, Kenyan/Muslim believers etc., those are different questions for other discussions.

I don't disagree with your first point -- I am unfamiliar with Rehm's show. As for your second point, the analogy holds. Rehm accepted a basically anonymous internet post about a well known member of Congress without question. She presented it as a fact. This was not a gaffe -- there was nothing unintentional or poorly phrased. If she had been interviewing President Obama and stated "Your a Kenyan-born Muslim, Mr. President.", would that have been a "gaffe"?

My problem with her apology was her weaselley attempt to take credit for "putting the rumor to rest", when, in fact, she did nothing of the kind.

exactly right !

Nope, your analogy doesn't work. All of us, me included, have spent too much time on too little of a story.

There is no accusation that Ms. Rehm is anti-Semitic. So that need not be debated at all. The problem is her incompetent preparation.

Brian Lehrer, who is the Diane Rehm of New York, has made the same kind of mistakes in the past, usually when he is trying to be "hard-hitting." He will ask a guest a question which presumes the guest said or did something nefarious, and it turns out Lehrer's preparation was faulty.

Please re-read the comments Jeff714.

Sorry, but I am accusing the self - identifying Diane Rhem "Arab Christian" (her Wiki bio) of anti Semitism. Take a look at my other comment (heard by me); and take a look at the Camera (followed by .org) July 22, 2014 article about her. She is either an anti-Semite or one who empathizes only with the Palestinian and has no regard for Jews.

According to Camera's standards anyone who tries to present a balanced presentation is an anti-Semite.

whenever you see the word "balanced" try unbalanced. Sorta like, "it 's not the money, it's the principal" --- it's the money.

I should have made my comment clearer: There is no accusation of Rehm being an anti-Semite in the article by Josh Nathan-Kazis. I realize some no-name commenters here casually make that charge. But that does not prove a thing. And if more and more people are casually charged with holding an anti-Jewish bias or even a hatred, the power of the accusation starts to lose all weight.

It's similar with charging anti-black bias. Anyone who does not agree with a Jesse Jackson or an Al Sharpton often gets called a "racist," even when that is not true. The more the "racism" charge gets brandished, the less potency the charge has.

Jeff, while I may be no - name (though Tony seems like a good name to me), these are not casual charges; while admittedly no one knows who I am, I think my posting are credible - and the citation to the Camera article charging her with anti-Semitic statements is certainly credible.

By your set of criteria, most American Jews are anti-Arab anti-Muslim racists. We tend to swallow whole any rumor or falsehood perpetrated about Arabs, particularly Palestinians.

Rehm failed on many levels. Does that make her an idiot?! What should one call you when you've erred?

An Idiotic anti-Semite....Her apology was a total crock,she did not really mean it..........Seriously who gives a rats whether she likes Jews or not,we don't like her anymore than she likes us...Never ruin an apology with an excuse..Benjamin Franklin

It's surprising that there is no mention of the presidential candidate who was, until last year, a dual citizen--Ted Cruz, born in Canada. Rehm's question demonstrates either extraordinary incompetence or an extremely unjournalistic willingness to suspend disbelief because of latent hostility to Israel.

Just curious. This was a brief exchange. Did anyone commenting here bother to listen to the rest of the interview?

What's really scary about this, is the extent to which the dregs of internet culture, the vile, hate-filled rumors and lies spread by fringe, conspiracy theory type groups, have begun to permeate some of the most powerful institutions in our society. Here is an otherwise well-respected, mainstream journalist who is giving credence to this malicious drek. It really is outrageous. These are the people we entrust to give us the objective, reliable news every day -- they are supposed to be smart enough to filter out the baseless rumors from the truth. Scary. This kind of thing just rewards and emboldens the haters, the antisemites, the racists etc., to spew out more of their lies. You throw enough crap up on the wall and some of it's going to stick.

If you browse the Internet looking for Diane Rehm's unspecified list, you'll find that most lists of supposed dual citizens of the US and Israel are just lists of Jewish members of Congress and of previous presidential administrations (they haven't yet caught up to the Obama administration). Those who produced these lists presumably believe that every American Jew is also an Israeli citizen. Is this what passes for fact-checking at NPR?

And why is the ethnicity or faith of any other US politician or senior administrator not questioned? Some people have a clear anti Jewish agenda here.

Rehm went on to attribute the question to “a list we have gotten.” That is the most Joe McCarthyesque statement that I have heard in a long time. By all means, Diane, let's report suggestion and innuendo as fact. I wonder if the arab part of her heritage may have had any influence in this attempted character assassination.

What's more "interesting" is that that question is never asked of people who acually do have dual citizenship - like Rahm Emanuel. This just shows how so many journaists are cheap shot artists who can only aim their cheap shots, however, at a select group of candiates, virtually all of whom are not clearly establishmentarian. And how wise to trust what you read on the internet, ahem.

Bernie Sanders spent time in his youth in Israel, which does claim to be the homeland of all Jewish people. In a country where half the people cannot locate the United States on a map, and who believe Israel to be the homeland of American Jews (as opposed to Eastern Europe, for example),it's a reasonable question that should be seen as an opportunity to educate an ignorant and semi literate people.

The USA is the "homeland" of Americans Jews.
And many Ashkenazi Jews came from WESTERN Europe not just eastern Europe...
ISRAEL is the ANCIENT homeland of the Jewish people.

Israel is the ancient homeland of the Jewish people according to religious mythology. Interesting that so many "non religious Jews" embrace this myth, but no other religious myth.

The history of the Jewish people is pretty well documented. It's not a myth. Of course present-day Jews have very complicated ancestries, because of the extraordinary history of Jewish migration, expulsion, assimilation, etc. But the dispersion of Jews from Roman-dominated Palestine happened in "historical" time and is part of history.

The website "The Scientist" in an article dated October 8, 2013 reports on a study published on that day that the matrilineal ancestors of most Ashkenazi Jews were indigenous European women who converted to Judaism in Europe 2000 years ago and more recently. Look it up.

Yes. The early Jewish communities in Europe were founded by migrants from Palestine, and those groups were mainly men. It's probable that local women married them and joined the Jewish communities. So there is a well-documented cultural continuity. It's not complete "racial" of course, and that's why "race" is not a good description of the Jews as a group. But the starting point in Palestine is not really in question. This is from the article you cite:

Historical evidence indicates that Jewish communities began to spread into Europe during classical antiquity and migrated north during the first millennium CE, arriving in the Rhineland by the 12th century. Local European women could have begun to join the Jewish population around 2,000 years ago or earlier, Richards and colleagues suggest, and the Ashkenazis may have continued to recruit additional women as they headed north.

Of course the Jewish migration to Europe was not completely voluntary. An important date in this development is the destruction of the Second Temple, in 70CE, commemorated by the holiday tisha b'av. . Many Jews were taken prisoner and brought to Rome. This is pictured on the Spoils of Jerusalem panels of the Arch of Titus in Rome. It is likely that Jewish prisoners and refugees eventually joined existing Roman Jewish communities. All of this is history, not myth.

By the time of the Second Temple more followers of Yahweh lived outside Palestine than inside, is voluntarily migrants, polygamist slave merchants who married several converts each and so on down the line till.you have descendants of Charlemagne claiming special rights in Palestinian lands.

Weixel, the reports I've read all say that Sanders total time in Israel occurred over a couple of trips there - not that it's even relevant, but would you like to post a source for your statement, or are you another anti Semitic propagandist spewing more Muslim BDS anti Semitic bile?

New York Magazine Dec. 28, 2014: Sanders lived for six months on a kibbutz during 1963, when it was still unusual for an American Jewish youth to go to Israel. Actually I support Senator Sanders's run for President over the others in the race. He boycotted Netanyahu's speech to congress and therefore upheld the dignity of the United States.

Eugene, you're right, your article does say that Sanders was borne and bred in NY, and did spend 6 months on a Kibbutz - still don't understand why that is relevant to Rehm's claiming him to be an Israeli citizen. And of course you support Sanders: he represents the worst of the Jewish community - he's an old time socialist (probably in his heart a communist but is afraid to say it) - those Jews who couldn't make it, hated the successful, probably hated being Jewish, wrapped themselves in the flag of either socialism or communism, supported Stalin even when it became well know he was killing Jews (even supported Hitler during the time Stalin allied himself with Hitler since they blindly followed Communist Party orders) - they and their offspring are the true fringe 1% of Jews. Sanders, Ben & Jerry - what a group.

Do you feel better now?

This comment is probably not worth refuting, but perhaps there are some readers who are not familiar with these matters. In the immigrant jewish community in the early 20th century, socialists may have been the majority. It was, of course, socialists who founded the Forward, and it became the largest-circulation non-English publication in the United States. Those "old-time socialists" made a tremendous contribution to the American labor movement, and helped created the prosperous America of mid-20th century. Those "old-time socialists" were also among the first to understand the true nature of Soviet Communism, and waged a long struggle against it. Finally those "old-time socialists" played a central role in the creation of the State of Israel.
Yes, Bernie Sanders does come from that background, the world of his fathers and grandfathers. And I think most educated Americans understand this, and find Sanders a refreshing and valuable addition to the presidential debate.

Dianne is a well known anti-Semite - I'm now about to quote her 100% correctly, following an NPR conversation with a person who was pointing out the cost of the Middle East wars on all the parties, her summation was "oh, those poor Palestinians". Empathy for the Palestinians only is a window into her soul.

Empathy for the Palestinians makes her anti-Semitic? Got it.

Jeff, I guess you suffer from an inability to read: I said Empathy for the Palestinians ONLY - note the ONLY - shows what she really is. Next time you misquote, be smart enough not to do it when the misquoted material is right above your misquote.

How often do you and.your friends commiserate with Palestinian kids bombed by Israel?

Here's the problem i have with Ms.Rehm.First she said she found someone posting it on Facebook then she said she received a list of Congress People who have dual U.S. Israeli Citizenship.Maybe she could enlighten us of these dual citizens.From TPM

Earlier on Wednesday, Rehm's interview with Sanders went off the
rails when she repeatedly asked whether he, or any other members of
Congress, "have dual citizenship with Israel."

"Well, no I do not have dual citizenship with Israel," Sanders, who
is Jewish, replied. "I'm an American. I don't know where that question
came from. I am an American citizen, and I have visited Israel on a
couple of occasions. I'm an American citizen, period."

Rehm cited "a list we have gotten" at NPR.

Reading far, far right blogs, those designed for the consumption of miscreants, who frequently charge that any Jew in government is a dual Israel-American citizen. Thus, they brand this administration as the ZOG, Zionist Occupied Government. When asked to name those who hold such dual citizenship, who's currently working in the Obama administration, there's never a response. Perhaps, those enlightened, beautiful people of NPR enjoy their Kool-Aid, too? After all, Ms. Rehm said that she got her "list" from NPR.

Anyone who accepts anything on the internet without verification is a fool. A reporter who accepts it without verification is incompetent. A reporter who uses invalid information from the internet as gospel truth should be fired.

While she might not be anti-semitic in the sense that she is defacing Jewish graves... the fact that she would believe what she read regarding Sanders, points to a prejudice.

Just as people might innocently say something insulting about a Black person, Asian person, etc... it is a deep seated prejudice that just rolls off the tongue.

No one has asked if Rick Santorum, Jeb Bush, or Marco Rubio's allegiance lies with the pope rather than the US... but because he is a Jew, it seems it is ok to ask.

NPR is a Palestinian mouthpiece and has been for quite some time. Diane Rehm is just following the party line. or she is a lazy piece of dung. no other explanation

Bernie grew up in Brooklyn, NY; went to Madison High - as did former Senator Norm Coleman, current Senator Chuck Schumer, and a short lawyer-lady who married a short tax lawyer and then became a supreme court justice - RB Ginzburg

The only thing Israeli about Bernie Sanders is that he likes Hummus-flavor Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream

Not too important, but you misspelled Justice Ginsburg's married name.

More importantly, James Madison HS has also produced four winners of the Nobel Prize: Gary Becker, Stanley Cohen, Martin Lewis Perl and Robert Solow.

And he spent six months on a kibbutz during the year 1963 when it was still unusual for an American Jewish youth to go to Israel. Oh, and that as a Jewish person he has an unconditional right to "return" with assistance from the Jewish National Fund and claim Israeli citizenship. As a young man he could have waited for Israel to conscript him, confer citizenship without applying for it and therefore hold dual US Israeli citizenship. Such people do exist. Prominent American Jewish leader Sheldon Adelson is on video regretting that the uniform he once wore was American and not Israeli, and he raised his kids to be Israeli soldiers. Ditto David Brooks of the New York Times.

I thought Adelson was a gangster