Antisemitic Statements and Accusations Surge Across Iran

A photo taken during an anti-Israel protest in Iran. (Masoud Shahrestani via wikipedia)

The Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) has always insisted that it is anti-Zionist, not antisemitic. 

However, after the recent 12-day war between Israel and Iran, there has been an explosion in statements and articles attacking Jews by IRI officials and the regime-censored press. 

Explosion of antisemitism  

Eid al-Ghadr is an important holiday for the followers of Shia Islam. On this day, Shia Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad appointed his nephew Ali Ibn Ali Talib as his successor. 

This year, the festival coincided with the second day of the war between Israel and Iran. At a sermon commemorating this holiday, Hujatolislam Mir Bagheri used the opportunity to attack “the Jews,” calling them “the worst enemies of the faithful.” He justified his antisemitic accusation by stating that the “Jewish people view themselves as superior.” He claimed that “the Jews” have led to problems with following God’s prophets Muhammad, Imam Ali. 

He even accused “the Jews” of refusing to follow their own prophets. “Prophet Moses (Peace be Upon Him) intended to make them [The Jewish People] divine, but this nation did not even have mercy upon its own prophets and murdered them.” 

Hujatolislam Mir Bagheri is no ordinary cleric. He is a member of the Assembly of Experts, which is tasked with choosing Iran’s next supreme leader. He is also close to the powerful hardline factions that surround the Supreme Leader of the IRI, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.  

Another antisemitic public outburst occurred two days later. In an article published in the IRGC-affiliated site “Javan Online,” the writer, Mehdi Molayee, called Jews “the most cowardly and spineless nation in history.” 

The writer uses Quranic references to wars between Muslim and Jewish tribes in Saudi Arabia during ‌the early days of Islam to justify his description of Jews. “They have gradually reached the status of living in a cowardly state, because of their centuries of humiliation, living a disgraced life under the yoke of rulers and nations that attacked them, the loss of their people, and various experiences that brought them close to extinction. They fear for their lives and avoid direct warfare more than any other people or nations,” he added. 

Public attacks and threats against Jews continued immediately after the termination of the 12-day war. On July 3rd, the regime-controlled Islamic Republic of Iran (IRIB) broadcast a militaristic video, accompanied by a song. Its lyrics pledged allegiance to Supreme Leader Khamenei, while promising to “uproot the Jews with force.” In other words, to destroy Jews. 

Two days later, on July 5th, another outlandish and vicious attack was made against Jewish people. On that day, many Shi’a around the world commemorate ‘Ashura, which is the day the 3rd Shia Imam Hussein was martyred at the famous battle of Karbala, in Iraq. Hussein was killed by the army of Yazid I, the caliph of the Islamic Umayyad dynasty. Their war was over the leadership of Muslims after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. 

In a sermon commemorating the battle of ‘Ashura, using various references to the holy Quran, Hujjatolislam Aqa Amiri put the blame somewhere else. “Oh, the grievers of Imam Hussein, our Imam Hussein was killed by the Jews”, he proclaimed.  According to Aqa Amiri, behind the scenes, “the Jews” directed all the forces that were against Imam Hussein. This includes Shimr bin Ziljaushan, who struck the sword that killed Imam Hussein during the battle of Karbala. This sermon was broadcast on the regime-sponsored “Moalla” channel.  

Before the war, anti-Jewish rhetoric and accusations were rising

Almost a year before the war, on July 22, 2024, Mohammad Taqi Zahedi, who is a philosophy and history researcher, made several vile accusations against Jews. Using the Quran as a reference, he described Jews as being “liars, hypocrites, two-faced, slanderers.” He also described the most prominent characteristic of the Jewish people as being “greedy for worldly possessions.” His views were published as part of an exclusive interview with the Islamic Student News Agency (ISNA).

That interview is just an example of numerous antisemitic articles and statements in the IRI over the last number of years. 

However, their number and the ferocity of their attacks have increased substantially after the recent 12-day war. One of the major goals behind this campaign is to convince Iranians that Jews are and have always been the enemy of Muslims, especially Shia. The Khamenei regime wishes to convince Iranians that this is the main reason why Israel launched the 12-day war. 

This is a cynical manipulation of reality. The most important reason why Iran and Israel are at war is the IRI’s anti-Israel policies over the last 3 decades. A policy that included multi-billion dollar military and financial support for anti-Israel terror groups such as Hamas, its open praise for the October 7 killings, and continued support for the terror organization afterwards.

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Dr. Meir Javedanfar is an Iranian-Israeli lecturer, author, and commentator. He teaches various Iran-related courses at Reichman University in Herzliya, Israel. 

His X handle @Meirja.