Clifford D May January 14 2019 Chairman Rose Ranking Member Walker distinguished members of the subcommittee on behalf of FDD thank you for the opportunity to testify I commend you for holding this hearing I am going to talk about international anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic terrorism and strongly suggest that these expressions of bigotry and violence are making a significant contribution to “the rise in anti-Semitic domestic terrorism ” Jew-hatred is as old as the Judean Hills pre-dating even the ancient rebellions of the Jewish nation against the Roman imperialists and colonialists who had conquered their lands Over the centuries Jews have been persecuted attacked and murdered based on their religion and what used to be called their race They have been despised for being rich and poor as capitalists and communists as rootless cosmopolitans and – in Israel – as nationalists Jew-haters may be white supremacists Islamic supremacists or self-proclaimed social justice warriors You cannot reason people out of anti-Semitism because no one was ever reasoned into it What should be apparent In the 20th century anti-Semitism culminated in the murder of the European Jew In the 21st century anti-Semitism is meant to culminate in the murder of the Jewish state Hamas Palestinian Islamic Jihad Hezbollah and the Islamic Republic of Iran – which supports all the terrorist groups I have just named – are candid about their genocidal intentions Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has called Israel a “malignant cancerous tumor” that must be “removed and eradicated ”1 Hassan Nasrallah Hezbollah’s leader has said “If Jews all gather in Israel it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide ”2 It is often forgotten – or ignored – that more than half the Jews in Israel descend from families that lived for centuries in Arab or Muslim lands in such formerly diverse cities as Alexandria Cairo Tripoli Beirut and Aleppo Bagdad circa 1945 was as much as one-third Jewish In the aftermath of World War II Jews were driven out – not because they supported Israel but because they were Jews You will hear people say “I’m not anti-Semitic I’m just anti-Zionist ” Prior to 1948 the Zionist mission was to reestablish a Jewish nation-state in part of the ancient Jewish homeland One could oppose that for many reasons Since 1948 however Zionism has come to mean support for Israel’s survival its right to exist Tamar Pileggi “Khamenei Israel a ‘cancerous tumor’ that ‘must be eradicated ’” The Times of Israel Israel June 4 2018 https www timesofisrael com khamenei-israel-a-cancerous-tumor-that-must-be-eradicated 2 Elena Lappin “The Enemy Within ” The New York Times May 23 2004 https www nytimes com 2004 05 23 books the-enemy-within html 1 Foundation for Defense of Democracies 2 www fdd org Clifford D May January 14 2019 So if you are an anti-Zionist today you are at best indifferent to the fate of the only viable Jewish community remaining in the Middle East In other words to an anti-Zionist Jewish lives don’t matter If anti-Semitism is a disease what we are experiencing today is a global epidemic Jew-hatred has become not just widely acceptable but edgy if not fashionable – even in lands where there are virtually no Jews One example Malaysia’s prime minister Mahathir Mohamad is outspokenly anti-Semitic Last October Columbia University held a “Global Leaders Forum” where he instructed the audience “When you say ‘you cannot be anti-Semitic ’ there is no free speech ” He added “Why can’t I say something about the Jews when people say nasty things about me and about Malaysia ”3 Would Columbia have honored as a “Global Leader” a Christian or a Jew who spoke similarly about Muslims Salvadorans or members of the LGBT community In France Sarah Halimi a retired physician and director of a nursery was stabbed and thrown to her death from her balcony by a neighbor screaming “Allahu Akbar ” A French court has now dismissed all charges against her killer on grounds that he was “not responsible” because he had been smoking marijuana 4 In Argentina five years ago Alberto Nisman a prosecutor investigating the bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires was shot in the head hours before he was to present evidence of a plot involving then-President Cristina Kirchner and officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran The current president says he has no idea what happened or who was responsible Will there be yet another cover up of an alleged cover up In Great Britain recently there was a serious chance that an anti-Semite would be elected prime minister I could go on But I want to take a moment to remind you that the United Nations is a veritable volcano of anti-Israeli rhetoric and resolutions The UN Human Rights Council is that organization’s most egregious and prolific enemy of the Jewish state American tax dollars support it Mainstreaming and in some instances condoning Jew-hatred both abroad and here at home may not cause “anti-Semitic domestic terrorism ” but it is self-evidently a major contributing factor The following testimony will offer additional information based on the research of FDD scholars and provide specific recommendations Clifford D May “Columbia University celebrates anti-Semitism ” The Washington Times October 1 2019 https www washingtontimes com news 2019 oct 1 columbia-university-celebrates-anti-semitism 4 “Paris Protest Rally and March for Sarah Halimi ‘Murder of Jews carries no judicial penalty when the perpetrator is high on narcotics ’” Simon Weisenthal Center January 6 2020 http www wiesenthal com about news parisprotest2 html 3 Foundation for Defense of Democracies 3 www fdd org Clifford D May January 14 2019 Background “Anti-Semitism” is a term coined in 1879 by Wilhelm Marr a German Jew-hater who wanted to make clear that even Jews who convert and or assimilate should be regarded as enemies conspiring against the German nation and the Aryan race In 1882 Leo Pinsker a Jewish physician in Poland came up with a different term Judeophobia which he called a “psychic aberration ” He added “It is hereditary and as a disease transmitted for two thousand years it is incurable ”5 In 1919 Hitler outlined “rational anti-Semitism ” a doctrine whose “final objective must unswervingly be the removal of the Jews altogether ”6 After coming to power in 1933 he initiated an economic boycott under the slogan “Don’t buy from Jews ”7 The cattle cars concentration camps gas chambers and ovens would come later Today we have the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions BDS campaign Its implicit slogan “Don’t buy from the Jewish state ” Its explicit goal to de-legitimize and demonize Israel to prepare the ground for Israel’s eventual annihilation If it also can damage Israel’s economy its proponents will be doubly pleased Many BDS advocates insist they only want Israel to change its policies in particular to withdraw from the “occupied territories ” But after Israelis withdrew from Gaza in 2005 – a territory seized from Egypt not Palestinians in the defensive war of 1967 – Hamas fought a civil war against its rival Fatah Once in power Hamas began attacking Israelis with missiles terrorist tunnels and incendiary kites Were Israel to withdraw from the West Bank – known as Judea and Samaria prior to the Jordanian conquest in 1948 and occupation till 1967 – without guarantees of peace and security Hamas almost certainly would take over there as well and launch more attacks from closer proximity than Gaza against Tel Aviv Jerusalem and Israel’s international airport Israelis would have no choice but to respond militarily In the battle that would ensue both Jews and Palestinians would be killed BDS advocates appear untroubled by that eventuality Another demand of BDS advocates is that Israel grant a “right of return” to the five million or so Palestinians who claim to be descended from refugees of Israel’s War of Independence and the Six-Day War of 1967 Were that to happen Jewish Israelis would become a minority Is it possible that they would enjoy equal rights in what would become an Arab- and Muslimmajority state “Texts Concerning Zionism ‘Auto-Emancipation’ by Leon Pinsker 1882 ” Jewish Virtual Library accessed January 13 2020 https www jewishvirtuallibrary org quot-auto-emancipation-quot-leon-pinsker 6 “Holocaust ” Encyclopedia Britannica accessed January 13 2020 https www britannica com event Holocaust#ref716460 7 Clifford D May “The anti-Israel lobby ” The Washington Times August 20 2019 https www washingtontimes com news 2019 aug 20 anti-israel-lobby 5 Foundation for Defense of Democracies 4 www fdd org Clifford D May January 14 2019 There are 22 states in the Arab League 57 states belong to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation In none of these countries do any minorities enjoy equal rights By contrast about 20 percent of Israel’s population are minorities The largest Israel’s Arab and Muslim communities They enjoy more freedom more rights than do Arabs and Muslims in any Arab- or Muslim-majority nation Worth noting The only growing Christian community in the Middle East is in Israel I mentioned above the case of Sarah Halimi whose killer was let off apparently because in France crimes against Jews are treated less seriously than crimes against others In this France is not alone In January 2017 a court in Wuppertal Germany upheld a lower court’s ruling in the sentencing of three Germans of Palestinian descent to probation for setting fire to a synagogue in July 2014 – the same synagogue the Nazis had burned during Kristallnacht the 1938 pogrom that presaged Hitler’s “final solution” for the Jews of Europe The court decided that since the perpetrators were incensed about Israel’s actions in the Middle East their act of arson did not constitute antiSemitism 8 In Belgium last year Mehdi Nemmouche identified by the BBC as a “French-born jihadist ” was found guilty of murdering an Israeli couple and two staffers at a Jewish museum in Brussels five years ago 9 His lawyer had claimed the attack was actually “a targeted execution” by agents of the Mossad Israel’s foreign intelligence agency He did not bother to present any evidence The BBC reported “At one point the defense even argued that Nemmouche could not be considered anti-Semitic because he wore Calvin Klein shoes – an apparent reference to Mr Klein's Jewish heritage ”10 Also in Belgium less than a year ago the annual Carnival parade included floats carrying oversize effigies of religious Jews snarling men with big noses sitting atop bags of money one with a rat perched atop his shoulder 11 Clifford D May and Tenzin Dorjee “My view Holocaust Remembrance Day Europe must fight anti-Semitism ” Deseret News January 27 2017 https www deseret com 2017 1 27 20604853 my-view-holocaust-remembranceday-europe-must-fight-anti-semitism 9 “Brussels Jewish Museum murders Mehdi Nemmouche guilty ” BBC UK March 7 2019 https www bbc com news world-europe-47490332 “The Latest Guilty verdict in Belgian Jewish museum killings ” Associated Press March 7 2019 https apnews com 473204c180004ad5a27c60096d45d2b6 10 “Brussels Jewish Museum murders Mehdi Nemmouche guilty ” BBC UK March 7 2019 https www bbc com news world-europe-47490332 11 Milan Schreuer “Jewish Caricatures at Belgian Carnival Set Off Charges of Anti-Semitism ” The New York Times March 8 2019 https www nytimes com 2019 03 08 world europe belgium-carnival-anti-semitism html 8 Foundation for Defense of Democracies 5 www fdd org Clifford D May January 14 2019 The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization or UNESCO an agency ostensibly devoted to “the intellectual and moral solidarity of humanity ” recognized the parade as a cultural heritage event and declined to offer criticism 12 In Ireland the parliament has passed legislation not yet enacted into law to criminalize a range of business transactions with Jews in the West Bank the Golan Heights and even the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem 13 In the following sections I will provide additional examples of international anti-Semitism antiZionism and anti-Israelism based on the research of FDD’s scholars I hope you will agree that this clearly establishes that ill winds from around the world are fanning the flames of the current “rise in anti-Semitic domestic terrorism ” Following that I will offer recommendations based on the conviction that while anti-Semitism cannot be cured it can be treated and its impact mitigated and managed Examples of International Anti-Semitism Turkey Since February 2017 Turkey’s state-funded broadcaster TRT has sponsored and aired “The Last Emperor ” an anti-Semitic revisionist historical series that reached its 100th episode last December The drama peddles anti-Semitic conspiracies and has been documented to trigger anti-Semitic hate speech and hate crimes This Turkish government-sanctioned anti-Semitic content is not only available in the United States via satellite but also available with English French Spanish Urdu and other subtitles on YouTube providing Turkey’s Islamist strongman Recep Tayyip Erdogan with the capacity to disseminate anti-Semitic content and incite diaspora communities in the United States 14 In commenting about the conspiracy theories propagated in the series Erdogan said “The same schemes are carried out today in the exact same manner … What the West does to us is the same just the era and actors are different ”15 Qatar and Al Jazeera Since its founding Al Jazeera the Doha-based satellite television network has consistently given airtime to anti-Semitic perspectives The network which is funded by Qatar’s royal United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization “UNESCO in brief - Mission and Mandate ” accessed January 13 2020 https en unesco org about-us introducing-unesco 13 Clifford D May “Ireland’s surprise attack ” The Washington Times January 29 2019 https www washingtontimes com news 2019 jan 29 new-irish-legislation-threatens-israelis-palestini 14 Aykan Erdemir and Oren Kessler “A Turkish TV blockbuster reveals Erdogan’s conspiratorial anti-Semitic worldview” The Washington Post May 15 2017 https www washingtonpost com news democracypost wp 2017 05 15 a-turkish-tv-blockbuster-reveals-erdogans-conspiratorial-anti-semitic-worldview 15 “Erdoğan değerlendirdi Diriliş mi Payitaht mı Erdogan Evaluates Dirilis or Payitaht ” Yeni Akit Turkey April 14 2017 https www yeniakit com tr video erdogan-degerlendirdi-dirilis-mi-payitaht-mi-17715 html 12 Foundation for Defense of Democracies 6 www fdd org Clifford D May January 14 2019 family 16 has disseminated anti-Semitic material on its Arabic-language television channel as well as on AJ its online channel which is available on Twitter Instagram YouTube and Facebook 17 One of the channel’s best-known promulgators of anti-Semitism is Yusuf al-Qaradawi an Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood ideologue widely considered the spiritual guide of Hamas the Palestinian branch of the Brotherhood 18 In 1996 Al Jazeera gave Qaradawi a longtime resident of Doha and a citizen of Qatar 19 a weekly show titled Religion and Life on its Arabic-language channel which Qaradawi used to amplify his anti-Semitic messages Indeed Jeffrey Goldberg editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine has suggested Qaradawi as “a role model for the new generation of Jew-haters ”20 In 2009 for example Qaradawi delivered a sermon broadcasted on Al Jazeera in which he claimed “Allah has imposed upon the Jews people who would punish them for their corruption The last punishment was carried out by Hitler By means of all the things he did to them — even though they exaggerated this issue — he managed to put them in their place ”21 Qaradawi concluded that “this was divine punishment ”22 Qaradawi also has used his TV platform to incite violence In an April 2004 episode of the show he praised God for giving Palestinians “human bombs ”23 In a January 2009 sermon broadcasted by Al Jazeera he called upon Allah to “take this oppressive Jewish Zionist band of people … do not spare a single one of them Oh Allah count their numbers and kill them down to the very last one ”24 Qaradawi’s program ran until 2013 and reached an estimated 60 million viewers worldwide 25 Qaradawi was not confined to Al Jazeera’s airwaves In 1999 – the same year he was banned from entering the United States – Qaradawi launched his website IslamOnline with backing Jonathan Schanzer and Varsha Koduvayur “Qatar’s Soft Power Experiment” in Digital Dictators Media Authoritarianism and America’s New Challenge Ed Ilan Berman Lanham MD Rowman Littlefield November 2018 page 5 17 “AJ ” AJ accessed January 10 2020 https www ajplus net 18 Jonathan Schanzer and Varsha Koduvayur “Qatar’s Soft Power Experiment” in Digital Dictators Media Authoritarianism and America’s New Challenge Ed Ilan Berman Lanham MD Rowman Littlefield November 2018 page 5 19 “Professor Yousef A Al-Qaradawi ” King Faisal Prize accessed January 10 2020 https kingfaisalprize org professor-yousef-a-al-qaradawi 20 Jeffrey Goldberg “New Chapter Old Story ” The New York Times October 11 2013 https www nytimes com 2013 10 13 books review daniel-jonah-goldhagens-devil-that-never-dies html 21 Ibid 22 Ibid 23 “Sheik Yusuf al-Qaradawi Theologian of Terror ” Anti-Defamation League May 3 2013 https www adl org sites default files documents assets pdf anti-semitism arab-world Sheik-Yusuf-al-Qaradawi2013-5-3-v1 pdf 24 P David Hornik “The Ten Worst Purveyors of Antisemitism Worldwide #2 Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi ” PJ Media November 24 2013 https pjmedia com lifestyle 2013 11 24 the-ten-worst-purveyors-of-antisemitismworldwide-2-sheikh-yusuf-al-qaradawi 1 25 “Yusuf al-Qaradawi ” Counter Extremism Project accessed on January 10 2020 https www counterextremism com extremists yusuf-al-qaradawi 16 Foundation for Defense of Democracies 7 www fdd org Clifford D May January 14 2019 from the Qatari royal family 26 As the Anti-Defamation League notes the website “enabled Qaradawi to reach the American public despite being banned from the country ”27 IslamOnline ran several news stories that described Zionism as a “cancer ” and also featured fatwas from Qaradawi that endorsed violence 28 While Qaradawi serves as a particularly notable case of Al Jazeera’s purveying of anti-Semitism he is unfortunately not the only one In May 2019 the network came under fire for airing a Holocaust-denying video on AJ Arabic which Haaretz describes as Al Jazeera’s “youthfocused online current-events channel ”29 The video titled “How Did Israel Benefit from the Holocaust ” claimed that Israel was the “biggest winner” and that the estimation that six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust was overblown and had been “adopted by the Zionist movement ”30 In the seven-minute-long video the narrator Muna Hawwa agrees that the Holocaust happened but was “different from how the Jews tell it ”31 Hawwa goes on to question why “does the world focus so much on Jews ” when the Nazis also killed “Gypsies Roma the disabled homosexuals and Arabs and Christians too ”32 The other claims made in the video are similarly horrific – as is the way AJ marketed the video on its Arabic social media platforms using the caption “gas ovens killed millions of Jews … so goes the narrative What is the truth behind the #Holocaust and how did the Zionist movement benefit from it ”33 AJ pulled the video from its platforms 34 but it had already garnered 1 1 million views on Twitter and Facebook Al Jazeera also suspended two journalists an action it never took in relation to Qaradawi’s anti-Semitism and claimed that the video had been “produced without due oversight ”35 In Europe and other markets outside the Arab world Al Jazeera reaches much of its audience via Al Jazeera English which claimed in 2013 to reach over 270 million households in over 140 countries 36 Since it seeks a broader audience Al Jazeera English generally avoids the excesses of its Arabic progenitor Mohammed Fahmy a former Al Jazeera employee describes Al “Sheik Yusuf al-Qaradawi Theologian of Terror ” Anti-Defamation League May 3 2013 https www adl org sites default files documents assets pdf anti-semitism arab-world Sheik-Yusuf-al-Qaradawi2013-5-3-v1 pdf 27 Ibid 28 Ibid 29 “Al Jazeera Pulls Video Claiming Holocaust Was 'Different From How the Jews Tell It ’” Haaretz Israel May 19 2019 https www haaretz com middle-east-news al-jazeera-pulls-video-claiming-holocaust-was-differentfrom-how-the-jews-tell-it-1 7255111 30 “Al Jazeera suspends journalists for Holocaust denial video ” BBC News UK May 20 2019 https www bbc com news world-middle-east-48335169 31 “Al Jazeera Pulls Video Claiming Holocaust Was 'Different From How the Jews Tell It ’” Haaretz Israel May 19 2019 https www haaretz com middle-east-news al-jazeera-pulls-video-claiming-holocaust-was-differentfrom-how-the-jews-tell-it-1 7255111 32 Ibid 33 Ibid 34 Ibid 35 “Al Jazeera suspends journalists for Holocaust denial video ” BBC News UK May 20 2019 https www bbc com news world-middle-east-48335169 36 “Al Jazeera English ” Al Jazeera accessed on January 10 2020 https www aljazeera com 26 Foundation for Defense of Democracies 8 www fdd org Clifford D May January 14 2019 Jazeera’s Arabic and English channels as “entirely different animals ” since the Arabic channel serves as a “mouthpiece for the Qatari government which owns Al Jazeera 100 percent ”37 Yet the politics and ideology behind the Arabic channel sometimes become visible as became clear in June 2017 when the Twitter account of Al Jazeera English was caught sharing an antiSemitic meme Known as the “Happy Merchant ” the meme shows “a hook-nosed Jew in a yarmulke rubbing his hands together ”38 Al Jazeera’s post featured the caption “my global warming uh I mean climate change scam is working out perfectly for our long term Talmudic plan of world domination ”39 Al Jazeera English quickly deleted the meme and claimed that the image was not an Al Jazeera English original “but a reply to an old thread that was mistakenly linked ”40 The Islamic Republic of Iran When I was foreign correspondent covering the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979 the 3 000year-old Jewish community in that nation numbered about 100 000 I recall visiting Iran’s chief rabbi Above his desk he had a portrait of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini whom he praised – effusively though by no means convincingly Over the years since Iran’s Jewish population has dwindled Today it is estimated at under 10 000 Under the Islamist regime they are and will remain – at best – second-class citizens Other minorities including Christians and especially Baha’i suffer even more brutal persecution Anti-Semitism constitutes a defining feature of Tehran’s radical Islamist ideology The clerical regime routinely calls for Israel’s destruction with the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei regularly leading crowds in chants of “Death to Israel ” And while the regime often attempts to draw a distinction between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism claiming that it opposes Israel but not Jews 41 its rhetoric and behavior tell a different story The regime embraces classic antiSemitic conspiracy theories demonizes Jews in official state media and promotes Holocaust denial 42 On the eve of the 1979 Islamic Revolution Iran’s Jewish population numbered 80 000 to 100 000 Today estimates of Iran’s Jewish population range from 5 000 to 10 000 43 Mohammed Fahmy The Marriott Cell An Epic Journey from Cairo’s Scorpion Prison to Freedom Toronto Random House Canada 2016 page 115 38 Sam Kestenbaum “Al Jazeera Sorry For ‘Mistakenly’ Tweeting Anti-Semitic Meme ” Forward June 1 2017 https forward com fast-forward 373513 al-jazeera-sorry-for-mistakenly-tweeting-anti-semitic-meme 39 Ibid 40 Ibid 41 “‘Not anti-Semitic’ Khamenei defines Iran’s goal of ‘wiping out Israel ’” The Times of Israel Israel November 15 2019 https www timesofisrael com khamenei-when-iran-speaks-of-wiping-out-israel-it-refers-to-regime-notjews “Iran rejects anti-Semitism allegation by Pence ” Reuters February 16 2019 https www reuters com article us-usa-eu-iran iran-rejects-anti-semitism-allegation-by-pence-idUSKCN1Q50IA 42 “Holocaust Denial and Distortion from Iranian Government and Official Media Sources 1998–2016 ” United States Holocaust Memorial Museum accessed January 9 2020 https www ushmm org antisemitism holocaustdenial-and-distortion holocaust-denial-antisemitism-iran 2016-holocaust-cartoon-contests-in-iran timeline 43 Karmel Melamed “40 years after Iranian Revolution LA’s Persian Jews are still feeling the pain ” The Times of Israel Israel March 1 2019 https www timesofisrael com 40-years-after-iranian-revolution-las-persian-jews37 Foundation for Defense of Democracies 9 www fdd org Clifford D May January 14 2019 Iran’s view of Israel and Jews resembles the thesis of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion the infamous anti-Semitic forgery published in the early 20th century According to the Islamist regime Israel and Jews not only seek to dominate their neighbors but also lie at the root of all the problems facing the Muslim world Jews in this conspiratorial view secretly control Western governments spurring them to advance policies that weaken the Muslim world and corrupt it with anti-Islamic ideas Last year for instance a state-run Iranian television station broadcasted a music video portraying the Statue of Liberty with a Jewish menorah in place of its torch the singer described it as “a flame straight from hell ”44 Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the Trump administration’s harsh rhetoric against Tehran was “written by Zionists word for word ”45 A headline in the staterun Press TV declared “The Zionists Tighten Their Stranglehold on British Politics” the story proceeded to argue that Britain “is unable to assert an independent foreign policy in respect to major foreign policy issues notably with regards to Iran ”46 Iran’s state-run media broadcast and disseminate worldwide reaching millions of viewers in Persian Arabic English and Spanish The anti-Semitism of Iran’s rulers and state-run media has a long history In his landmark book Islamic Government Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini the regime’s founding father and first supreme leader wrote “From the very beginning the historical movement of Islam has had to contend with the Jews for it was they who first established anti-Islamic propaganda ”47 Ayatollah Ali Khamenei the current supreme leader has repeatedly described Israel as a “cancerous tumor” as well as the Middle East’s biggest problem 48 This view he said constitutes a theological imperative “Palestine is not a strategic but a belief issue ” he contended “It is about a heart connection It is a religious issue ”49 Israel he said constitutes “a painful wound on the body of Islamic society” that “is annoying the heart of the prophet The heart and soul of the prophet in paradise is full of sadness What is the solution then Jihad is the solution ”50 are-still-feeling-the-pain Roya Hakakian “Why They Stay ” Tablet January 14 2019 https www tabletmag com jewish-news-and-politics 278355 iranian-revolution-jews 44 David Andrew Weinberg “Tehran Spreads More Anti-Semitism as Military Tensions Increase ” Anti-Defamation League August 21 2019 https www adl org blog tehran-spreads-more-anti-semitism-as-military-tensionsincrease 45 “‘Zionists’ Writing White House Speeches on Iran ‘Word for Word ’ Rouhani Alleges ” Algemeiner May 23 2019 https www algemeiner com 2019 05 23 zionists-writing-white-house-speeches-on-iran-word-for-wordrouhani-alleges 46 “The Zionists Tighten Their Stranglehold on British Politics ” Press TV Iran July 13 2019 https www presstv com Detail 2019 07 13 600825 UK-Israel-Stranglehold-on-British-Politics 47 Imam Khomeini Islamic Government Tehran The Institute for Compilation and Publication of Imam Khomeini’s Works 1991 page 7 https kyleorton1991 files wordpress com 2017 11 ruhollah-khomeini-1970islamic-government-governance-of-the-jurist pdf 48 Tamas Pileggi “Khamenei Israel a ‘cancerous tumor’ that ‘must be eradicated ’” The Times of Israel Israel June 4 2018 https www timesofisrael com khamenei-israel-a-cancerous-tumor-that-must-be-eradicated Greg Tepper “Israel a ‘cancerous tumor’ and Middle East’s biggest problem Iranian supreme leader says ” The Times of Israel Israel August 19 2012 https www timesofisrael com khamenei-israeli-a-malignant-zionist-tumor 49 Ben Cohen “Global Anti-Semitism Now Has a Leader ” The Tower September 2015 http www thetower org article global-anti-semitism-now-has-a-leader 50 Ibid Foundation for Defense of Democracies 10 www fdd org Clifford D May January 14 2019 Holocaust denial also features prominently in the regime’s rhetoric Last month Khamenei tweeted his support for the late French philosopher Roger Garaudy whose book denying the Holocaust was banned in France 51 The regime has also held multiple Holocaust denial cartoon contests as well as Holocaust denial conferences 52 This conduct stems in part from its goal of delegitimizing the State of Israel Europe The extraordinary spike in lethal Jew-hatred and in contemporary antisemitism targeting Israel has led to intensified security new tracking methods resolutions executive orders and legislation to combat “the oldest hatred ” Hezbollah Proxy of the Islamic Republic of Iran In December Germany’s Bundestag passed a resolution urging Chancellor Angela Merkel’s administration to ban Hezbollah’s activities in the Federal Republic Merkel has declined to authorize her interior ministry to enact a ban however The 1 050 Hezbollah operatives in Germany spread a lethal anti-Semitic ideology and promote the BDS campaign against Israel Over the years U S Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell Secretary of State of Mike Pompeo the Israeli government and Germany’s nearly 100 000-member Jewish community have appealed to Merkel to outlaw Hezbollah The United Kingdom proscribed Hezbollah’s entire organization as a terrorist entity in February 2019 53 In doing so it joined the Netherlands as the second European country to ban Hezbollah in its entirely After Hezbollah operatives blew up an Israeli tour bus in 2012 in Burgas Bulgaria the European Union classified Hezbollah’s “military wing” as a terrorist organization in 2013 The bombing killed five Israeli tourists and their Bulgarian Muslim bus driver The notion of a split between Hezbollah’s alleged military and political wings is risible The organization itself denies any distinction but the fiction serves a political purpose for the European Union 54 Anti-Semitic Murders in Germany After a right-wing extremist sought to massacre Jews praying in a synagogue in the eastern German city of Halle on Yom Kippur in October 2019 the state of Saxony-Anhalt where Halle Rachel Wolf “Iran’s Khamenei praises French Holocaust-denier ” The Jerusalem Post Israel December 17 2019 https www jpost com Middle-East Iranian-Ayatollah-Ali-Khamenei-praises-French-Holocaust-denier611189 52 “Holocaust Denial and Distortion from Iranian Government and Official Media Sources 1998–2016 ” United States Holocaust Memorial Museum accessed January 10 2020 https www ushmm org antisemitism holocaustdenial-and-distortion holocaust-denial-antisemitism-iran 2016-holocaust-cartoon-contests-in-iran timeline 53 “Hezbollah to be added to UK list of terrorist organisations ” BBC News UK February 25 2019 https www bbc com news uk-47359502 54 Mark Dubowitz and Benjamin Weinthal “Europe’s Delusions on Hezbollah ” New York Post March 11 2019 https www fdd org analysis op_eds 2019 03 11 europes-delusions-on-hezbollah 51 Foundation for Defense of Democracies 11 www fdd org Clifford D May January 14 2019 is located posted armed officers outside synagogues during times of prayer 55 The 27-year-old neo-Nazi Stephan Balliet after failing to breach the synagogue’s door murdered two non-Jews nearby before he was arrested In addition to Balliet’s right-wing anti-Semitism including Holocaust denial he was wedded to a contemporary anti-Semitic worldview including the idea of a “Zionist-occupied government” controlling Germany In short he desired to end Israel’s existence and rid the world of Zionism 56 In the aftermath of the Halle attack the German state of Hesse will provide police at every synagogue and Jewish institution during Jewish holidays Germany’s Interior Minister Horst Seehofer who has declined to ban Hezbollah said the authorities will “take a closer look at the gamers’ scene ” because Balliet was heavy user of online gaming platforms 57 Bundestag Resolutions and City Council Laws against BDS The German parliament passed a non-binding anti-BDS resolution in May declaring BDS to be anti-Semitic 58 The resolution noted that the BDS campaign recalls the Nazi-era economic boycott against German Jews that is considered a precursor to the Holocaust Merkel’s administration has declined to implement the Bundestag’s anti-BDS resolution In contrast the German cities of Frankfurt Berlin and Munich have either city council laws or executive orders barring the use of public space and funds for BDS activities 59 Visa Restrictions for Visitors from the Disputed Territories In January Andreas Geisel Berlin’s senator for the interior – the city’s equivalent of an interior minister – travelled to Israel to receive briefings on counter-terrorism and exchange information with Israel’s public security minister Geisel went to the German consulate office in Ramallah to sensitize the staff about issuing visas to Palestinians who promote terrorism and lethal Jewhatred The Ramallah consulate had greenlighted visas for Palestinians to visit Berlin who glorify terrorism against Jews and Israel 60 France and Lethal Anti-Semitism and Anti-Zionism Cnaan Liphshiz “How Germany is rethinking security for its Jewish community following the Yom Kippur synagogue attack ” Jewish Telegraphic Agency October 18 2019 https www jta org 2019 10 18 global howgermany-is-rethinking-security-for-its-jewish-community-following-the-yom-kippur-synagogue-attack 56 Benjamin Weinthal “Germany Yom Kippur shooting didn’t come out of nowhere – analysis ” The Jerusalem Post Israel October 10 2019 https www jpost com Diaspora Germany-shooting-didnt-come-out-of-nowhere604262 57 Cnaan Liphshiz “How Germany is rethinking security for its Jewish community following the Yom Kippur synagogue attack ” Jewish Telegraphic Agency October 18 2019 https www jta org 2019 10 18 global howgermany-is-rethinking-security-for-its-jewish-community-following-the-yom-kippur-synagogue-attack 58 Katrin Bennhold “German Parliament Deems B D S Movement Anti-Semitic ” The New York Times May 17 2019 https www nytimes com 2019 05 17 world europe germany-bds-anti-semitic html 59 Orit Arfa “Confronting Germany’s mixed record on tackling BDS ” Jewish News Syndicate July 31 2018 https www jns org confronting-germanys-mixed-record-on-tackling-bds 60 Andreas Geisal “Berlin's senator wants to make entry more difficult for anti-Semitic agitators ” Berliner Zeitung Germany January 1 2020 https www berliner-zeitung de mensch-metropole berlins-innensenator-willantisemitischen-hetzern-die-einreise-erschweren-li 4702 55 Foundation for Defense of Democracies 12 www fdd org Clifford D May January 14 2019 The French government finances the security of Jewish institutions at the cost of $1 2 million a day 61 The intensified French security measures followed the Islamic State’s deadly attacks in Paris in 2015 on Charlie Hebdo magazine cartoonists and four Jews at a kosher supermarket The enhanced security according to French observers has turned Jewish organizations and institutions into fortresses In December 2019 France’s National Assembly passed a resolution largely equating antiZionism with anti-Semitism The resolution also endorsed the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism and urged other nations to accept it 62 Argentina Five years ago this week Alberto Nisman an Argentine prosecutor investigating an act of terrorism against Argentine Jews was shot in the head The murder came hours before he was slated to present evidence of a plot between major figures in the Argentine government and Iranian representatives to provide immunity to Iran for its role in the terrorist attack Those involved in Nisman’s murder have never been brought to justice though at least one has been indicted Argentina’s newly elected president once said he believed Nisman could not have committed suicide Indeed the country’s Gendarmerie found Nisman had been subdued and assassinated But now the new president says – no doubt swayed by current Vice President Cristina Kirchner who was president at the time of Nisman’s murder and was the author of the alleged plot to cover up Iran’s role in the original terrorist attack – that there is no evidence of an assassination He is in a bind because if there were an assassination of an innocent man investigating a plot to cover up the anti-Semitic terrorist act someone would have to be held accountable It is increasingly looking like that may not happen in Argentina under the new government The BDS Campaign Non-Governmental Organizations and the United Nations BDS is one expression of anti-Semitism Activists at the Durban NGO Forum in 2001 a precursor to the BDS campaign distributed pro-Nazi and overtly anti-Semitic literature signaling BDS’s future direction 63 BDS is both a form of economic warfare and a means to malign and de-legitimize the Jewish state Among its methods fabricating magnifying and distorting Israeli policies actions and perceived abuses According to a 2016 report by the Amcha Initiative a non-profit dedicated to investigating and combating anti-Semitism in American higher education institutions “The consideration of anti-Israel divestment resolutions Cnaan Liphshiz “How Germany is rethinking security for its Jewish community following the Yom Kippur synagogue attack ” Jewish Telegraphic Agency October 18 2019 https www jta org 2019 10 18 global howgermany-is-rethinking-security-for-its-jewish-community-following-the-yom-kippur-synagogue-attack 62 Ariel Kahana and Dam Lavie “‘Anti-Zionism is akin to anti-Semitism ’ French Parliament rules ” Israel Hayom Israel April 12 2019 https www israelhayom com 2019 12 04 french-parliament-rules-anti-zionism-is-akin-toanti-semitism 63 Harris Schoenberg “Demonization in Durban The World Conference Against Racism ” City University of London October 8 2001 http www staff city ac uk p willetts NGOS WCAR SCHOENBG PDF “Durban Watch Photos from the 2001 UN World Conference Against Racism Durban South Africa ” Human Rights Voices accessed January 10 2020 http www humanrightsvoices org EYEontheUN antisemitism durban l 36 p 350 61 Foundation for Defense of Democracies 13 www fdd org Clifford D May January 14 2019 in student government or by the student body was strongly linked to a surge in anti-Semitic activity ”64 Many of the BDS campaign’s charges against Israel seem familiar because they are modern manifestations of centuries-old attacks against Jews BDS activists have claimed that Israelis harvest Palestinian organs kill babies poison Palestinian wells and as recently as this month intentionally flood Gaza BDS activists also have alleged that Israel and its supporters control foreign governments 65 Not surprisingly BDS has found a receptive audience among neo-Nazis and others who are openly anti-Semitic 66 While portraying itself as a social justice movement aimed at changing Israeli policies it should be obvious that BDS seeks the destruction of – a “final solution” for – the Jewish state BDS leader Omar Barghouti has stated that the BDS campaign “oppose s a Jewish State in any part of Palestine ” He added “No Palestinian no rational Palestinian not a sell-out Palestinian will ever accept a Jewish state in Palestine ”67 The claim that the Jewish state can be annihilated through peaceful means is unserious The more than six million Jews living in Israel would not pack up and move they would fight The war would be bloody More than half of Israel’s Jewish population descends from refugees from Arab countries Does anyone really think they’d be welcomed to return to Baghdad Cairo or Aleppo 68 In other words BDS is implicitly promoting a second Jewish genocide within the span of less than a hundred years A network of non-government organizations NGOs promotes BDS through research funding and organizing Human Rights Watch HRW is one of several groups whose research reflects BDS priorities and informs BDS initiatives In 2015 HRW pressured the UN secretary-general to place Israel on a blacklist of violators of children’s rights in armed conflict a list that includes the Islamic State and Boko Haram 69 Bernardine Dohrn the vice chairwoman of HRW’s “Report on Anti-Semitic Activity During the First Half of 2016 ” AMCHA Initiative 2016 https www amchainitiative org wp-content uploads 2016 07 Report-on-Antisemitic-Activity-During-the-FirstHalf-of-2016 pdf 65 State of Israel Ministry of Strategic Affairs “Behind the Mask The Antisemitic Nature of BDS Exposed ” September 2019 https 4il org il wp-content uploads 2019 09 MSA-report-Behind-the-Mask pdf 66 “The New Anti-Semites ” Zachor Legal Institute and Stopantisemitism org December 2019 https static1 squarespace com static 5cc20f51ca525b73bdd50e3a t 5e035aaff6f8a13316601016 1577278302733 T he New Anti-Semites pdf 67 “Omar Barghouti – Strategies for change ” Vimeo September 23 2013 https vimeo com 75201955 Barghouti response Omar Barghouti “Why Americans Should Support BDS ” The Nation July 29 2019 https www thenation com article bds-house-resolution-trump-squad-omar-aoc 68 “About ” Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa accessed January 10 2020 https www jimena org about-jimena 69 Human Rights Watch Letter “Ensure Consistency in Children and Armed Conflict Report ” Human Rights Watch April 27 2015 https www hrw org news 2015 06 04 ensure-consistency-children-and-armed-conflictreport 64 Foundation for Defense of Democracies 14 www fdd org Clifford D May January 14 2019 children’s rights advisory committee 70 is a former leader of the domestic terrorist group Weather Underground 71 Once listed among the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Dohrn is now a BDS activist 72 In January 2016 HRW advanced its pro-BDS advocacy with a report titled “Occupation Inc ” Arguing that businesses operating in Israeli settlements contribute to human rights abuses the report urged these companies to boycott the settlements 73 HRW then released a pair of reports in 2017 and 2018 calling on banks to boycott Israeli settlements 74 HRW also began pressing Airbnb the online property rental service to delist properties located in Israeli settlements At the same time HRW was preparing a report on Airbnb’s settlement-based listings that described them as contributing to human rights violations Seeking to avoid bad press Airbnb announced one day before HRW released its report that the company would remove all settlement listings though the company later reversed its decision 75 In conjunction with HRW the United Nations has aided anti-Israel activism The United Nations constantly isolates Israel and treats it as a whipping boy – the Jew among nations one might say The body holds the Jewish state to a standard not expected of other countries The following are examples of the United Nations’ political anti-Semitism In 2019 the UN General Assembly continued its trend of singling out the Jewish state by passing 18 resolutions targeting Israel compared to only seven country-specific condemnations for the rest of the world 76 The UN Human Rights Council since its founding in 2006 has passed about as many resolutions condemning Israel as those against the rest of the world combined In 2016 the council passed a resolution calling for a blacklist of all companies operating in Israeli settlements This resolution emerged through the council’s structural anti-Semitic flaw – a permanent agenda item dedicated to Israel guaranteeing an exaggerated focus on the Jewish state There is no permanent agenda item for any other country 77 “Children’s Rights Division ” Human Rights Watch accessed December 6 2019 https www hrw org about people advisory-committee childrens-rights-division 71 Nathaniel Sheppard Jr “Chicago Home of a Friend Was Refuge for Miss Dohrn Charges Dropped in 1979 A Private Neighborhood Neighbors Were Unaware ” The New York Times December 5 1980 https www nytimes com 1980 12 05 archives chicago-home-of-a-friend-was-refuge-for-miss-dohrn-chargesdropped html 72 Federal Bureau of Investigation “314 Bernardine Rae Dohrn ” accessed January 10 2020 https www fbi gov wanted topten topten-history hires_images FBI-314-BernardineRaeDohrn jpg view 73 “Occupation Inc ” Human Rights Watch accessed January 10 2020 https www hrw org report 2016 01 19 occupation-inc how-settlement-businesses-contribute-israelsviolations-palestinian 74 “Bankrolling Abuse ” Human Rights Watch accessed January 10 2020 https www hrw org report 2018 05 29 bankrolling-abuse israeli-banks-west-bank-settlements 75 Nazish Dholakia and Omar Shakir “Interview Airbnb Checks Out of West Bank Settlements ” Human Rights Watch December 4 2018 https www hrw org news 2018 12 04 interview-airbnb-checks-out-west-banksettlements “Listings in Disputed Regions ” Airbnb November 19 2018 https press airbnb com listings-indisputed-regions “Bed and Breakfast on Stolen Land ” Human Rights Watch accessed January 10 2020 https www hrw org report 2018 11 20 bed-and-breakfast-stolen-land tourist-rental-listings-west-bank-settlements 76 “2019 UN General Assembly Resolutions Singling Out Israel – Texts Votes Analysis ” UN Watch accessed January 10 2020 https unwatch org 2019-un-general-assembly-resolutions-singling-out-israel-texts-votesanalysis 77 David May “How to fix the UN’s anti-Israel club of dictators ” The Hill March 31 2018 https thehill com opinion international 381061-how-to-fix-the-uns-anti-israel-club-of-dictators 70 Foundation for Defense of Democracies 15 www fdd org Clifford D May January 14 2019 The UN infrastructure dedicated to the Palestinians and used to castigate Israel is extensive The United Nations maintains a separate refugee agency dedicated to the Palestinians known as the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East or UNRWA Due to deep and pervasive corruption its director was recently forced to resign But in its very design UNRWA is corrupt Its goal is not to solve but to perpetuate the Palestinian refugee problem and reinforce the Palestinian claim to any and all Israeli land including by maintaining a definition of refugees that is more expansive than that for any other refugees 78 The United Nations also has a Division of Palestinian Rights DPR under the secretariat the only division dedicated to a specific people The division oversees the Committee for the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People which frequently commissions antiIsrael reports and hosts anti-Israel conferences 79 DPR also oversees UNISPAL a UN-funded anti-Israel propaganda machine 80 There is also the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices which makes no attempt to hide its singular focus on Israel Extreme anti-Israel bias is pervasive throughout the UN system including at UNESCO the UN cultural agency and at ESCWA the Middle East regional group which excludes Israel 81 The UN maintains its extreme policies on Israel the only Middle Eastern country ranked “free” by Freedom House while brutal dictatorships with deplorable human rights records are overlooked 82 But then anti-Semites have always used Jew and Jewish communities as distractions and scapegoats Recommendations Law Enforcement   Federal grant funding should be increased for local police departments and prosecutors for hate crime response training Some big cities do a good job but smaller towns lack necessary resources There should be a review of city and state laws that put perpetrators of anti-Semitic and other hate crimes back on the streets within hours New York City is the prime example of this right now 78 Ibid “The United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People ” AntiDefamation League July 2009 https www adl org sites default files documents israel-international uninternational-organizations c CEIRPP-FINAL-REPORT-2009 pdf 80 United Nations Department for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs “Palestinian Rights ” accessed January 10 2020 https dppa un org en palestinian-rights United Nations Information System on the Question of Palestine “Question of Palestine ” accessed January 10 2020 https www un org unispal data-collection 81 “The United Nations and its Agencies Unequal Financial Allocations Mistreatment of Israel and Straying from its Mandates ” Kohelet Policy Forum January 2019 https en kohelet org il wpcontent uploads 2019 01 KPF089_UN_030119_web_R pdf 82 “Israel ” Freedom House accessed January 10 2020 https freedomhouse org report freedomworld 2019 israel 79 Foundation for Defense of Democracies 16 www fdd org Clifford D May January 14 2019  A system should be set up for monitoring and reporting on anti-Semitism and other hateful ideologies being spread in America’s prison systems  Extremist and or anti-Semitic foreign imams in the U S illegally should be deported expeditiously Extremist and or anti-Semitic foreign imams here legally should not receive visa extensions Foreign Policy  U S taxpayer contributions to the United Nations that end up funding the UN Human Rights Council should be cut  The current U S ambassador to the United Nations should be encouraged to call out antiSemitism and anti-Israelism in that organization as Ambassador Nikki Haley so effectively did  The office of the State Department’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat AntiSemitism should be given additional responsibilities and fully funded  The Islamic Republic of Iran should be recognized and condemned as the world’s leading state sponsor of anti-Semitism  France’s judiciary should be condemned for its travesty of justice in the Sarah Halimi case mentioned above  It would be useful to propose and support an executive order extending current antiboycott laws initiated by U S state governments to boycotts of Israel put forward by international governmental organizations such as the United Nations or European Union  Foreign laws requiring special labeling for Israeli-made products and other initiatives pushed by the BDS movement are designed solely to stigmatize the world’s only Jewish state Countries that adopt such initiatives should find themselves on the list of countries of concern for violations of religious freedom  The National Security Council and the Domestic Policy Council should each have a dedicated staff member with responsibility for coordinating interagency efforts to combat anti-Semitism Policy planning on anti-Semitism should be institutional across all departments and agencies and have a dedicated position to convene the interagency for both domestic and foreign anti-Semitism issues to have a lasting impact Education and Religious Freedom  Imams and mosques preaching anti-Semitism and other expressions of hate and bigotry e g toward Christians or the LGBT community should be denounced by local state and federal authorities very much including members of Congress Foundation for Defense of Democracies 17 www fdd org Clifford D May January 14 2019  Religious freedom means being free to exercise your religion free of state control Initiatives to ban circumcision are anti-Semitic and should be condemned  There should be a review of state Holocaust education requirements and curriculum to ensure that the next generation is being adequately educated Many states have Holocaust education laws but they are vague and not well implemented The Simon Wiesenthal Center U S Holocaust Memorial Museum and others have published excellent digital content for teachers – but too few school districts and state boards of education know enough to offer these opportunities There should be a review of foreign textbooks in the United States Many textbooks originating in the Middle East indoctrinate children to hate of Jews Christians and other non-Muslims Foundation for Defense of Democracies 18 www fdd org