Iran, Hamas and the BBC topped the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Global Antisemitism 2021 top 10 list published on Tuesday.
The top three were followed by anti-vax conspiracy theorists, Jewish Voices for Peace, social media giants, Germany, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Sunrise movement, the president of the University of Southern California, and Unilever.
1. SWC #TopTenAntiSemitic2021 - #Iran : "We will not back off from the annihilation of #Israel, even one millimeter. We want to destroy #Zionism in the world," Iranian Brigadier General Abolfazi Shekarchihttps://t.co/fPiz891zMr pic.twitter.com/k0uvYKZkpY
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) December 28, 2021
“There is no greater existential threat to the Jewish people than the growing nuclear threat from the antisemitic, Holocaust-denying, terrorist-sponsoring, human rights-abusing Iranian regime,” wrote the center in the list.
The list referred to a bill in the Iranian parliament obliging Iran to “destroy” Israel by 2041.
The list also referred to the publication of a threat to bombard all of Israel with missiles published in the Tehran Times headlined “Just One Wrong Move!”
2. SWC #TopTenAntiSemitic2021 - #Hamas: May 2021 conflict between #Israel + terrorist Hamas also played out across cities + on social media in Europe + North America. Hamas’ violent vitriol targeting Jews was exported to Germany, UK, and in US + Canada.https://t.co/fPiz891zMr pic.twitter.com/NLuIBmuiAY
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) December 28, 2021
Concerning Hamas, the center referred to a string of antisemitic attacks and statements made by Hamas supporters around the world during Operation Guardian of the Walls, including a caravan of cars that flew Palestinian flags and chanting “F*** the Jews and rape their daughters” while driving through London’s largely Jewish Golder’s Green neighborhood.
3. SWC #TopTenAntiSemitic2021 - @BBC + UK. As #Antisemitism soars in the UK, BBC slanders Jews."Hitler was right...Zionists can't get enough of our blood." BBC reporter #TalaHalawahttps://t.co/fPiz891zMr pic.twitter.com/YtLJfWN5Zg
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) December 28, 2021
The center criticized the BBC for falsely reporting that Jews attacked in London had made anti-Muslim slurs, and for hiring reporters who tweeted antisemitic posts. BBC reporter Tala Halawa was mentioned specifically for tweeting “Hitler was right.”
4. SWC #TopTenAntiSemitic2021 - COVID's latest deviant strains. “The Jews, as they dominate the fiscal world, bought and have the vaccines they wanted. I won’t say anything else before the Zionist ‘bulldogs’ jump.” –Rodrigo Sousa e Castro, Lisbon lawmaker https://t.co/fPiz891zMr pic.twitter.com/4sNsOkvhyW
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) December 28, 2021
Concerning anti-vaxxers, the organization pointed to widespread use of antisemitic conspiracy theories among COVID skeptic groups and neo-Nazi websites. The center additionally pointed to the use of the yellow Star of David that European Jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust, in protests against vaccine mandates and COVID restrictions.
5. SWC #TopTenAntiSemitic2021 - @jvplive Finally, a “Jewish” group #Hamas can love. https://t.co/fPiz891zMr pic.twitter.com/TXgAevMfcX
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) December 28, 2021
Continuing down the list, center described Jewish Voices for Peace as “a ‘Jewish’ group Hamas can love,” saying that while the group “believes it is immune from being labeled and treated as antisemites,” it is wrong.
“Anyone seeking or enabling the destruction of Israel, home to the world’s largest Jewish community – over six million Jews – is an antisemite, whatever their religion or creed,” said the center.
6. SWC #TopTenAntiSemitic2021 - Social Media Giants - Platforms mass marketing bigotry and extremism 24/7 @Twitter @telegram @tiktok_us @facebookapp @Meta https://t.co/fPiz891zMr pic.twitter.com/NCMMzL6wNT
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) December 28, 2021
Concerning social media giants, the center expressed criticism for their lack of action concerning removing antisemitism and racism from their platforms. Specifically concerning Twitter, the center criticized the appointment of Fadah Jassem as its Middle East and North African news curator. Jassem has posted tweets praising Louis Farrakhan and has declared that Israel was “not born” but “dropped like a bomb” in the Middle East.
7. SWC #TopTenAntiSemitic2021 - A German #antiSemitism Commissioner who “likes” social media comparisons of Israel to Nazis. https://t.co/fPiz891zMr pic.twitter.com/mGLBnZHrXj
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) December 28, 2021
Concerning Germany, the center stressed that the country has not succeeded in curbing antisemitic attacks from the far Right and Islamists and demonization of Israel from the Left, pointing to the 2,275 antisemitic hate crimes committed in 2020.
The center criticized Michael Blume, commissioner against antisemitism for the German state of Baden-Württemberg, for liking a Facebook post comparing Zionists to Nazis.
The center also pointed to antisemitic comments by members of Deutche Welle’s Arabic service, including one post calling the Holocaust an “artificial product.”
8. SWC #TopTenAntiSemitic2021 - @CAIRNational & @sunrisemvmt Unleashing pollution of #antiSemitism into America’s mainstreamhttps://t.co/fPiz891zMr pic.twitter.com/FIxSP8gkaA
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) December 28, 2021
Concerning CAIR and the Sunrise movement, the center pointed to anti-Israel comments and stances, including Sunrise’s decision to pull out of a rally due to the participation of “a number of Zionist organizations.” The center also pointed to statements by Zahra Billoo, the executive director of CAIR’s San Francisco Bay Area affiliate, saying “Zionist organizations” are “enemies” and warning of “Zionist synagogues.”
9. SWC #TopTenAntiSemitic2021 - @USC President gets an “F” for failing to hold vile Jew-hater accountable."I want to kill every motherf***ing Zionist...curse the Jews." #YasmeenMashayekh https://t.co/fPiz891zMr pic.twitter.com/c2QN93M9cM
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) December 29, 2021
The center also criticized the president of USC for failing to act effectively against antisemitism at the campus, including the fact that Yasmeen Mashayekh, who serves as one of the school’s diversity, equity and inclusion senators, has made such statements as “I want to kill every motherf***ing Zionist,” and still serves as one of the senators.
10. SWC #TopTenAntiSemitic2021 “...It is about @benandjerrys ice cream company’s profits being leveraged by an activist #antiSemite who hates Israel + defends Hamas + the corporate executives at @Unilever letting it stand.” https://t.co/fPiz891zMr pic.twitter.com/eFHXBJHGf6
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) December 29, 2021
Ending the list was Unilever, the company that owns Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, which announced that it would end sales in east Jerusalem and the West Bank earlier this year. The center warned that the decision gives legitimacy to anti-Israel BDS campaigns.