Simon Wiesenthal Center

Iran's influence campaigns didn't begin with social media. According to new research from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the infrastructure behind them has been developing for more than 30 years. In The War for Western Minds, SWC examines how the Iranian regime has used antisemitic conspiracy theories to reach audiences across the political spectrum, adapting its messaging to exploit different grievances and divisions. Among the report's key findings: 1. Iran's influence efforts predate today's digital platforms, drawing on decades of relationships, conferences, and state-backed media. 2. Antisemitic narratives can appeal to groups on opposite ends of the political spectrum, even when those groups disagree on nearly everything else. 3. Once these narratives take hold, they can continue circulating without direct involvement from their original promoters. Explore the findings and see how Iran uses antisemitic lies and conspiracy theories to spread hate and weaken democracies around the world. Read the full report here: https://wiesenthal.org/research/iran-report

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Yesterday, SWC Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees Marc Utay, Executive Vice President, East Barbara Birch, Head of Advocacy, Northeast Madison Mounty, and Northeast Regional Advisory Council member Gregg Greenberg stood alongside UJA, JCRC, the greater Jewish community, and fellow New Yorkers to send a clear message to world leaders: No more excuses when it comes to antisemitism. As the United Nations General Assembly convenes in New York, our community came together to demand decisive action against rising antisemitism worldwide. Words matter, but actions matter even more. The Simon Wiesenthal Center is proud to stand with our partners and community members in raising our collective voice. Confronting antisemitism requires leadership, accountability, and action at every level.

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In 1977, Rabbi Marvin Hier saw a need for Holocaust education in Los Angeles and founded the Simon Wiesenthal Center. In 1993, he broadened that vision with the opening of the Museum of Tolerance. Over the decades that followed, millions of visitors have experienced the institutions he built, while Rabbi Hier’s filmmaking work earned two Academy Awards. He retired in 2024, but his extraordinary life and legacy are captured in the award-winning documentary The Hollywood Rabbi. The film, which tells the story of a “good man doing great things,” won the Audience Award for Best Film at the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival in May and has been screening across North America this summer. From October 2-8, The Hollywood Rabbi returns to Los Angeles for a limited theatrical run at the Laemmle Town Center. Special guests will join select screenings for post-film discussions. Visit the links below for the full schedule, guest appearances, and ticket information. For audiences outside Los Angeles, The Hollywood Rabbi will premiere exclusively on Netflix beginning early October. https://www.thehollywoodrabbi.com/ https://www.laemmle.com/film/hollywood-rabbi

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As Yom Kippur begins, the Simon Wiesenthal Center joins Jewish communities around the world in observing the holiest day of the Jewish year, a time for prayer, reflection, repentance and renewal. As we reflect on the year behind us and look toward the one ahead, we are reminded of the enduring strength of the Jewish people, the importance of standing together and our shared responsibility to build a more just and compassionate world. From all of us at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, we wish those observing a meaningful fast. G’mar Chatima Tova. May you be sealed in the Book of Life.

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Today, we mark the yahrzeit of Simon Wiesenthal and reflect on the enduring legacy of the man whose name the Simon Wiesenthal Center proudly carries. After surviving Nazi persecution and liberation from Mauthausen in 1945, Wiesenthal dedicated the decades that followed to documenting Nazi crimes and helping bring perpetrators to justice. His persistence provided critical leads in cases involving Adolf Eichmann, Franz Stangl, Karl Silberbauer and others. His work demonstrated the importance of persistence, documentation and accountability in confronting hatred and preserving the truth of the Holocaust. That legacy remains at the heart of the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s work today. Our ongoing efforts surrounding the Credit Suisse case and its historical connections to Nazi-linked accounts and assets reflect the same determination to uncover the truth and pursue accountability, no matter how much time has passed. It is a reminder of a principle that continues to guide our work: justice has no expiration date. As we remember Simon Wiesenthal, we recommit ourselves to carrying forward the pursuit of justice that defined his life and to standing against antisemitism and all forms of hate.

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What happens when a foreign influence campaign no longer needs direct involvement from its original source to keep spreading? That's one of the questions examined in the Simon Wiesenthal Center's new report, The War for Western Minds: Iran's Thirty-Year Campaign to Divide the West. The research identifies three important patterns in Iran's influence efforts: an infrastructure built over decades, the use of antisemitic conspiracy theories to reach audiences across ideological divides, and the continued circulation of narratives through networks that may operate independently of Tehran. The report's analysis of more than 340 influencers, media outlets, organizations, and affiliated entities offers a closer look at how these narratives travel, gain traction, and persist. Explore the findings and see how Iran uses antisemitic lies and conspiracy theories to spread hate and weaken democracies around the world at the link in the comments.

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Eight years ago, on October 27, 2018, the Jewish community of Pittsburgh experienced the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history when a gunman opened fire inside the Tree of Life synagogue building, murdering 11 innocent worshippers and wounding six others. What should have been a peaceful Shabbat morning became a day of unimaginable tragedy, forever changing the lives of the victims' families, survivors, and the entire Jewish community. Today, the Simon Wiesenthal Center honors the memory of the 11 lives stolen by hatred and stands in solidarity with the Pittsburgh community. Their memory serves as a solemn reminder of the devastating consequences of antisemitism and the urgent responsibility we share to confront it wherever it emerges. Eight years later, we remember. We mourn. And we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to combating antisemitism and ensuring that Jewish communities can worship and live without fear. May their memories forever be a blessing.

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For decades, the Iranian regime has sought to influence American public opinion, spread antisemitism, and deepen divisions across the political spectrum. The Simon Wiesenthal Center's Erik Simon joined FOX 11 Los Angeles - KTTV to discuss our new groundbreaking report, The War for Western Minds, which exposes the Iranian regime's use of disinformation and influence operations to manipulate public discourse and undermine American society from within. The interview examines how these tactics have evolved over time, the antisemitic narratives being amplified, and why understanding the scope of this campaign is critical to recognizing and confronting its influence today. Thank you to FOX 11 Los Angeles for spotlighting this important research and bringing greater attention to the threats identified in our report. Watch the full FOX 11 segment here: https://lnkd.in/egyP3wSY And download the full report for yourself here: https://lnkd.in/eQxHdRvi

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Iran’s campaign of influence is not confined to the Middle East. It is reaching into the heart of American society. Our new groundbreaking report, The War on Western Minds, exposes how the Iranian regime has spent three decades spreading antisemitism, manipulating public opinion, and exploiting divisions within the United States. The findings are now getting national attention. In JNS (Jerusalem News Syndicate), Aaron Bandler speaks with our Head of North American Advocacy, Vlad Khaykin, about how Tehran uses “asymmetric warfare,” including propaganda networks, alternative media, and online influencers, to cast Jews as a scapegoat and sow division. On KNX News, Emily Valdez reports on Iran’s decades-long effort to divide America from within. And in the latest episode of Christians United For Israel (CUFI) Weekly, Kasim examines how Iran’s influence operations seek to infiltrate public discourse, amplify antisemitic narratives, and undermine American society. We thank JNS, KNX News, and CUFI Weekly for helping to bring attention to our findings. The threat demands awareness, vigilance, and action. Read, listen, and watch at the links in the comments below, and download the full report here: https://lnkd.in/eQxHdRvi

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Foreign influence campaigns are increasingly sophisticated, but their success often depends on exploiting divisions that already exist. The Jerusalem Post examines findings from the Simon Wiesenthal Center's new report, The War for Western Minds, which traces how Iran has spent more than three decades using antisemitic conspiracy theories to influence audiences across ideological lines and undermine confidence in democratic institutions. The research details how these efforts have evolved from state-backed media and ideological networks to fabricated news websites, false online personas, and coordinated digital campaigns. The findings underscore a national security challenge that extends beyond the Jewish community: Foreign adversaries can exploit antisemitism to weaken public trust, amplify polarization, and threaten the foundations of democratic societies. Read the full article at the link in the comments.

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For more than three decades, Iran has built and adapted an influence infrastructure designed to exploit divisions within the United States and its allies. Today, the Simon Wiesenthal Center is releasing The War for Western Minds: Iran’s Thirty-Year Campaign to Divide America, a groundbreaking new investigation into how that campaign developed, how antisemitism became one of its most effective tools and how new technologies are allowing these narratives to spread faster and further. Understanding how these influence operations work is essential to confronting them. This report is part of SWC’s ongoing mission to expose antisemitism wherever it originates, defend democratic institutions and give leaders, journalists and the public the tools to recognize threats before they take hold. Read the full report at the link in the comments.

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Three years after the October 7 terrorist attacks, members of the Chicago-area Jewish community gathered in Deerfield, Illinois, to remember the victims, honor those taken hostage and reaffirm their commitment to remembrance and solidarity.   The Simon Wiesenthal Center's Midwest Regional Director, Alison Pure-Slovin, joined community leaders for the commemoration, which featured “Unbroken: Israeli Sports in Times of War,” an exhibition sharing the experiences of Israeli athletes and sports fans affected by the attacks and the war that followed.   We thank our partners at StandWithUs and the Consul General of Israel to the Midwest, Elad Strohmayer, for their participation and continued partnership.   As we mark three years since October 7, SWC remains committed to preserving the memory of those murdered, standing with Jewish communities and confronting antisemitism wherever it appears.

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On Oct. 6, 1973, as Israelis observed Yom Kippur, Egyptian and Syrian forces launched a coordinated surprise attack against Israel, beginning what became known as the Yom Kippur War. The conflict unfolded primarily along the Sinai Peninsula and Golan Heights and continued through late October. Thousands of lives were lost, families were forever changed, and the war became a defining moment in Israel’s history, reshaping the political landscape of the Middle East. More than five decades later, the anniversary remains a solemn occasion to remember those who lost their lives and all who lived through the conflict. For the Simon Wiesenthal Center, preserving history is essential to ensuring that future generations understand the events that shaped Israel and the Jewish people. As we reflect on October 1973, we honor the lives lost, remember the experiences of those who endured the war, and recognize an impact that continues to be felt today.

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Statement from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Daniel Schuster, Simon Wiesenthal Center European Regional Director "The British Green Party’s decision to formally classify Zionism as a form of racism is absurd, not based on any logical basis, and is itself racist. And the timing, just days before the third anniversary of the October 7 terrorist Hamas attacks, is designed to inflict pain on a deeply solemn occasion. Three years ago, Israelis were murdered, kidnapped, and terrorized in the deadliest attack against Jews since the Holocaust. As Jewish communities prepare to remember those victims and the families and communities forever changed by that day, a major British political party has chosen this moment to declare that the national movement at the heart of modern Jewish self-determination is itself racist. At its core, Zionism affirms something fundamental: the Jewish people, like other peoples, have the right to self-determination and a homeland. The consequences of this resolution extend far beyond political theory. At a time of heightened antisemitism, and on the eve of an anniversary when Jews around the world are remembering the consequences of October 7, political leaders should be building bridges between communities, not creating new tests for which expressions of Jewish identity are considered acceptable. Branding Zionism itself as racism crosses a profoundly consequential line. It takes a movement for Jewish national self-determination and transforms it into something for which Jews are expected to apologize. We will not. We support Israel. We support Jewish self-determination. And we will not accept the premise that those convictions are racist. As Jews around the world prepare to remember October 7, hear our message with absolute clarity.”

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Protecting the security and future of our local, national, and global Jewish community is central to our mission.   Over the past several months, Vlad Khaykin and the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s advocacy team have been working in Sacramento, meeting with legislators and their staff, building coalitions, helping shape legislation, and making sure the concerns of Jewish communities are heard where decisions are made.   That work, alongside our partners at Jewish California (formerly JPAC) and its coalition, has helped deliver meaningful results.   Six bills we advocated for are now California law, including measures that will recognize Jewish identity as an ethnicity in state demographic data, strengthen protections around houses of worship and community gatherings, protect religious observance for students and help prevent major school and public events from conflicting with religious holidays.   Fighting antisemitism requires more than responding after an incident occurs. It requires sustained advocacy that can translate what communities are experiencing into public policy and the relationships, expertise, and persistence necessary to help turn those ideas into law.   That work happens long before the cameras arrive and continues long after they leave.

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Statement from Jim Berk, CEO of the Simon Wiesenthal Center “The Simon Wiesenthal Center welcomes several concrete commitments in Mayor Mamdani’s Strategy to Combat Antisemitism, including increased resources for hate-crime prevention, security for vulnerable Jewish institutions, Holocaust and Jewish-history education, and greater coordination among city agencies. The need for action is clear. As the administration’s own report acknowledges, Jewish New Yorkers make up approximately 12 percent of the city’s population but account for roughly half of reported hate-crime victims. But safety requires more than locks, cameras and investigations after a crime has occurred. Prevention matters, too. That means recognizing antisemitism when it appears and confronting the rhetoric and ideas that can fuel it before they turn into harassment or violence. The administration’s strategy discusses several prominent definitions of antisemitism but explicitly declines to adopt one. A strategy to combat antisemitism has to be able to state plainly what is being combatted. Without that clarity, an important question remains: What standard will New York City use to determine when rhetoric or conduct crosses into antisemitism, particularly when ‘Zionist’ becomes a proxy for Jew or when Jewish New Yorkers are targeted because of their connection to Israel? This matters because Zionism and a connection to Israel are deeply connected to Jewish identity, history and peoplehood for many Jews. Mayor Mamdani’s own record makes this question particularly important. Earlier this year, he chose not to attend Israel Day on Fifth, breaking with a longstanding tradition for New York City mayors. While his administration provided security for the parade, he said his decision not to attend reflected his previously stated views on the Israeli government. The administration’s own report says there is ‘no single way to be Jewish,’ promises to engage Jewish New Yorkers across the ideological spectrum and says Jewish New Yorkers should be able to live openly and authentically in this city. We take Mayor Mamdani at his word. Now comes the test. That promise must apply equally to the observant Jew walking to synagogue, the student wearing a Star of David and the Jewish New Yorker whose Zionism or connection to Israel is part of their Jewish identity. Security grants protect doors and windows. Police investigate crimes after they occur. But the first responsibility of leadership should be to prevent hatred from escalating in the first place. That means confronting antisemitic rhetoric and ideas before someone picks up a rock, paints a swastika or attacks a Jew. The administration has said Jewish New Yorkers should be able to ‘see and feel’ whether this strategy is working and has committed to providing updates on its progress. We intend to hold the administration to that standard.* *Continued in the comments

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Our global advocacy team is working to combat antisemitism around the world, and institutions need the tools to recognize it and the willingness to act alongside us. In a new JNS (Jerusalem News Syndicate) op-ed, Simon Wiesenthal Center Latin America Director Ariel Gelblung and Assistant Director Dario Pendzik examine Argentina’s recent removal of federal judge Alfredo López after antisemitic content he shared on social media came to light. The case also reflects years of work to strengthen Argentina’s institutional framework for recognizing and confronting antisemitism. Ariel testified twice as an expert witness in the proceedings, addressing the antisemitic tropes invoked in López’s statements and the international standards used to identify hate speech and discrimination. Their central argument: Statements of concern have value, but they cannot substitute for infrastructure. Fighting discrimination requires clear standards, education, training, and institutions prepared to enforce the principles they adopt. Read the full op-ed at the link in the comments.

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Yesterday, SWC Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees Marc Utay, Executive Vice President, East Barbara Birch, Head of Advocacy, Northeast Madison Mounty and Northeast Regional Advisory Council member Gregg Greenberg stood alongside UJA, JCRC, the greater Jewish community and fellow New Yorkers to send a clear message to world leaders: No more excuses when it comes to antisemitism. As the United Nations General Assembly convenes in New York, our community came together to demand decisive action against rising antisemitism worldwide. Words matter, but actions matter even more. The Simon Wiesenthal Center is proud to stand with our partners and community members in raising our collective voice. Confronting antisemitism requires leadership, accountability and action at every level.

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In 1977, Rabbi Marvin Hier saw a need for Holocaust education in Los Angeles and founded the Simon Wiesenthal Center. In 1993, he expanded that vision with the opening of the Museum of Tolerance. Over the decades that followed, millions of visitors have experienced the institutions he built, while Rabbi Hier’s filmmaking work earned two Academy Awards. He retired in 2024, but his extraordinary life, work and legacy are now captured in the award-winning documentary The Hollywood Rabbi. The film, which tells the story of a “good man doing great things,” won the Audience Award for Best Film at the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival in May and has been screening across North America this summer. From October 2-8, The Hollywood Rabbi returns to Los Angeles for a limited theatrical run at the Laemmle Town Center, with special guests joining select screenings for post-film discussions. For audiences outside Los Angeles, The Hollywood Rabbi will premiere exclusively on Netflix beginning early October. Visit the links in the comments below for the full theatrical schedule, special guest appearances and ticket information.

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