BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – VOICES – STORIES
Raping girls for being Jewish, killing Israeli Olympic athletes and bombing a Jewish community center provide vicious evidence of hate-driven, high-profile attacks around the world against Jews. The 1972 Munich Olympics and the 1994 Buenos Aires bombing are major historical atrocities, but the recent rape of a Jewish girl in Paris and of many Jewish girls in Israel on 10/7 show how the normalization of antisemitic hatred provides illicit license for individuals to carry out horrifying acts of violence. Looking ahead to this summer’s Olympic Games brings a tragic reminder of the 11 Israeli athletes and coaches killed by Palestinian terrorists at the Munich Games. The rapidly increasing hate speech and attacks are forcing Jews to fear for their safety and wonder how this ends.
Iranian Octopus: ‘Iran funding protests in America’
Iran wields its power and influence around the world through proxy terrorist groups, political alliances, economic ties, religious ties and cyber-crimes. This broad network is a root system of evil that gives life to Iran’s agenda: to destroy Israel and kill Jews. Iran’s tentacles are everywhere, especially the regime’s support for Hamas in its current war against the Jewish state.
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines recently warned that Iran is funding and emboldening anti-Israel protests in America to sow discord: “Actors are posing as activists online, seeking to encourage protests and even providing financial support to protesters to promote their narratives.” Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, praised American student protesters only a few weeks prior. Numerous protests singled out Jewish students, restricted their access to certain parts of campus and created a hostile environment for learning. Too many Jewish students fear returning to campus in the Fall.
The 1979 Iranian Revolution transformed a secular country into the Islamic Republic of Iran. Contrary to recent headlines describing Iran’s new president as a “moderate,” the Ayatollah controls the country and Iran is dangerously close to perfecting a launch-ready nuclear bomb. After the revolution, Iran aligned itself with groups sharing its ideology, including Lebanon-based Hezbollah – literally “Party of God” – an Islamist terrorist organization. Its name was chosen by Iran’s first supreme leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, who ordered American embassy personnel to be held hostage for 444 days. Hezbollah continues to bombard northern Israel with deadly drones, rockets and missiles, recently killing an Israeli soldier and striking civilian buildings.
30th Anniversary Bombing of Argentina Jewish Center: ‘Islamist Party of God’
An Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist drove a van loaded with 600 pounds of fertilizer and oil into a Jewish community center killing 85 people. The 30th anniversary of this July attack against a Jewish hub in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is a depressing reminder that terror attacks against Jews have a long history.
Hezbollah has significant terrorist and financial operations in South America. Evidence proves the militants carried out the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish Community Center, as directed by Iran. A day later, a suicide attacker detonated a bomb on a Panamanian plane that killed all 21 passengers, including 12 Jews. Iran also orchestrated the 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy in Argentina, killing 29 and injuring 250.
Argentina’s highest criminal court determined in April that Iran and Hezbollah unequivocally perpetrated the community center bombing – a “crime against humanity” – and the deadliest attack in the country’s history. Argentina recently became the first Latin American country to designate another Iranian proxy, Hamas, as a terrorist organization.
Cartoon by Barry Hunau
Paris Olympics: ‘Israelis and Jews in terrorist crosshairs’
The Olympic Games are a constant safety concern for Israel’s Olympic delegation after Palestinian terrorists murdered 11 Israeli athletes and coaches at the 1972 Games after being held hostage. Security threats this year force the memorial for the massacre to be held in secret.
A man was charged in May for plotting an Islamist terror attack against soccer fans at the Olympics. Israel’s soccer team is competing in Paris. An Israeli diplomat warned that “at any given moment there are efforts around the world to attack Israelis and Jews. The major concern is jihadists who have Israelis and Jews in their crosshairs.” Iran has increased its efforts abroad, leading to arrests in several countries.
The diplomat cautioned against speaking Hebrew and gathering in crowded places in France. At May’s Eurovision song contest in Sweden, Israeli singer Eden Golan was forced to wear a disguise to conceal her identity. Eden recently revealed that she wore a wig outside of her hotel after receiving threats from anti-Israel activists: “Initially, I thought it was funny, but didn’t realize how scary and dangerous it really was.”
Israeli singer Eden Golan performed at the 2024 Eurovision song contest and wore a disguise while outside of her hotel in Malmo, Sweden. What will happen to Israeli athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics? (Eden Golan, Instagram)
Alarming Attacks Around the World: ‘Dehumanizing Holocaust victims’
Anger and fear reached alarming heights after young boys recently gang-raped a 12-year-old French girl because she was Jewish. The sickening attack brought attention to the harsh reality facing many Jews around the world.
Even before the 10/7 attack, a staggering 96% of European Jews reported in 2023 having experienced antisemitism. Half were worried about their family’s safety, about 50% emigrated or considered leaving and move than 70% occasionally hid their Jewish identity. Recently, an Anne Frank monument in the Netherlands was vandalized with red graffiti in support of Gaza. World Jewish Congress: “This will further normalize antisemitism and dehumanize victims of the Holocaust.”
These struggles are echoed by Australian Jews who cope with harassment and isolation – and wonder what happened to their country. In front of the iconic Sydney Opera House, anti-Israel protestors either chanted “Gas the Jews,” or, “Where’s the Jews?” Recently, a ‘Sanction Israel’ banner was held across the entrance to Sydney’s Great Synagogue. In the UK, a chapter of the virulently anti-Israel Students for Justice in Palestine called for the cancellation of the Maccabi Youth Games, a venerable sporting competition for young Jews.
Anti-Israel protestors blocked the entrance to the Great Synagogue in Sydney, Australia, and vandalized an Anne Frank statue in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. (NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, Netherlands Center for Information and Documentation Israel)
Iran-Backed Hamas Continues to Destroy Lives, Including Palestinians
Iran’s spiritual, financial and military backing of Hamas allowed the Gaza-based Palestinian terror group to carry out its vicious and shocking slaughter on 10/7. The barbarism of the attackers and the hostage takers is still being revealed.
An in-depth investigation chronicling the sophisticated tactics of how Hamas hides among its own citizens was recently published by The New York Times. “They hide under residential neighborhoods, storing their weapons in miles of tunnels and in houses, mosques, sofas – even a child’s bedroom – blurring the boundary between civilians and combatants,” The Times reported. “They emerge from hiding in plainclothes, sometimes wearing sandals or tracksuits before firing rockets from launchers in civilian areas. They rig abandoned homes with explosives and tripwires.” The conclusions prove the accuracy and legitimacy of Israeli Defense Force claims. Much of the civilian death and destruction in Gaza was caused by Hamas ploys to lure and kill Israeli soldiers.
The IDF recently uncovered a Hamas operation center in a UN headquarters in Gaza city. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is solely dedicated to helping Palestinians. The organization is known for helping spread anti-Jewish propaganda in its schools and employing hundreds of Palestinian terrorists, including some who took part in the 10/7 attack. Israel recently identified 108 UNRWA employees who doubled as Iran-backed Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists. At the UNRWA complex, the IDF found Hamas and PIJ war rooms, tactical drones, rockets and machine guns.
An Arabic-Hebrew language guide provided to Hamas terrorists on 10/7 included translations for, “Take your clothes off,” “Take off your pants,” and “I will kill you.” A note in the pocket of a terrorist: “This enemy of yours is a disease that has no cure other than cutting off heads and cutting out hearts and livers.”
The IDF discovered tactical drones, rockets and machine guns used by Iran-backed Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists at a UN Palestinian agency headquarters in Gaza City. (Israel Defense Forces)
President Biden recently reiterated that he is a Zionist: “If there weren’t an Israel, every Jew in the world would be at risk. There’s a need for it to be strong, and there’s a need after World War II for Jews to have a place that was their own.”
1. Radicalism and violence against Jews has become all too common, even accepted
Attacks against Jews and tolerance for hate are increasing at an alarming rate and becoming more accepted around the world. American Jews are being attacked on the street in broad daylight without any response from passers-by. Nearly every Jew in Europe experienced antisemitism in the past year, and that was before 10/7. Since then, Hamas supporters have marched on city streets from America to Australia chanting for the destruction of the Jewish state. And they have attacked their own Jewish neighbors. Children are being bullied at school, students intimidated at universities and professionals ostracized at work. This is the new normal and it should not be this way.
2. Iran’s mission: the destruction of Israel and the Jewish people
The Iranian regime’s hostile rhetoric and aggressive actions towards Jews are evident in its support for terrorist groups and its direct involvement in plots to kill Jews and threaten Jewish communities. The Islamic Republic is the puppeteer and leading state sponsor of terrorism – from Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza and the West Bank to Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and militias in Iraq. Iran and its proxies also operate terrorist networks in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa. They are dedicated to destroying the Jewish state and killing Jews. If Iran becomes a nuclear power, nowhere will be safe.
3. Iran’s tentacles are spreading around the world
The Islamic Republic worked aggressively to build a proxy network across the globe, even using illicit drug money to fund its operations. The regime has progressed to interfering with American democracy, inciting young people worldwide and fostering more chaos and hate – efforts which must be exposed and derailed. Funding from foreign donors – especially Iran and Qatar – influences how some individuals and organizations view attacks against Israel and Jews. They consciously ignore the Hamas 10/7 atrocities and Iran’s horrific human rights record.
4. The time to stop persecution of Jews is NOW
Expulsions, the Inquisition, pogroms, the Holocaust, Hamas, the prospect of Iranian nukes. History has shown that ignoring or downplaying violent acts against Jews leads to severe consequences – not only to Jews, but to Christians, Muslims and minority groups alike. It is never too late to prevent the next atrocity. Immediate and decisive action is required to counter this growing threat and protect Jewish communities. Governments, organizations and individuals must work together to enforce laws, educate against bigotry and promote tolerance. By acting now, we can ensure a safer, more inclusive future for Jews and all others who face discrimination.
A. Stand up to and call out radicalism
Speak out against anti-Jewish comments and actions in your community and online. Report hate speech and acts of violence to authorities. Attend or organize local events and rallies that promote tolerance and solidarity with Jewish communities. Advocate for stronger hate crime legislation and support organizations that work to combat antisemitism. Educate yourself and others about Jewish history and culture to counter ignorance and prejudice. By actively opposing anti-Jewish radicalism, you can help create a safer, more inclusive society for everyone.
B. Promote interfaith and intercultural dialogue
Engage in and promote interfaith dialogue to build bridges between different religious and cultural communities. Organize or attend interfaith events that bring together people of various faiths to discuss common values, address misconceptions and work collaboratively against hatred and extremism. Encourage local religious and cultural leaders to participate and to speak out against anti-Jewish hatred and other forms of prejudice.
Interview with rescued Israeli hostage Andrey Kozlov. (The Daily Mail screenshot)
Rescued Israeli Hostage: ‘The whole world went upside down’
Hamas is believed to still hold 116 hostages, including 42 bodies of those who died on 10/7 or in captivity. One of the remaining hostages is American Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, 35, whose wife gave birth to their third child during his captivity. His father Jonathan described his home: “This was a place of joy until Oct. 7, of joy, of the gift of togetherness, of giving, of love. Now, it’s not just a war zone, but a place of massacre.”
Freed hostages continue to describe the horrific conditions they faced in captivity. Andrey Kozlov, 27, was rescued in a daring Israeli Defense Forces operation. He recently recounted his traumatic eight-month ordeal in Hamas captivity. He was freed in a daring Israeli Defense Forces operation. This is his story:
It’s like I have come out of another planet, another universe. It is like being on the other side of the mirror – on October 7 the whole world went upside down.
For the first two days of captivity we were tied with hands behind our backs. Then for two months we were tied up in chains. You go to the toilet like that, you sleep like that. The chains are noisy.
Every day you feel that your life is almost over. You never know what they were going to do to you. Maybe they will kill you. Maybe they will do something else. Maybe you will be their slave.
They threatened us. One of them had a big stick knife. I can’t talk about it.
One guy in particular was terrible. One of the hardest punishments that I had was to be covered with really thick blankets in the middle of May. I couldn’t move and you couldn’t make space to breathe fresh air. You’re sweating over it. You were not allowed to shower because you had to smell your smell. I just tried not to show any emotions.
One of them was very crazy, shouting: ‘Don’t look at me. Sit on the mattress.’ I know I am not a dog, but I did what he wanted.
I cried almost every day. Every day you think you’re going to die. The worst thing about captivity is not knowing when it’s going to end. You know nothing about the next minute, your future, emptiness, it’s terrible. I don’t have the words.
Click here for Andrey’s detailed story.
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This content is developed by The Focus Project in partnership with Mercaz USA. The Focus Project distributes weekly news and talking points on timely issues concerning Israel and the Jewish people, including antisemitism, anti-Zionism and the delegitimization of Israel. It represents a consensus view across a spectrum of major American Jewish organizations. Mercaz USA recognizes and respects the diversity of views on these issues among its readers and the community at large.