Simon Wiesenthal Center

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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