Anti-Semitism ‘massively supported’ by Iran in Europe, says Berlin intelligence agency

“Anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel were also massively promoted by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” said the Berlin domestic intelligence agency.

By Josh Plank, World Israel News

Iran is a leading promoter of anti-Semitism in Europe, according to a report published Thursday by the Berlin Office for the Protection of the Constitution, one of Germany’s state-level domestic intelligence agencies.

“Anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel were also massively promoted by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the report said.

“The leader of the Iranian revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini, already described Israel as the ‘little Satan’ and openly called for the destruction of Israel. Anti-Semitism has been part of Iran’s state ideology ever since and is regularly fueled by statements by state representatives.”

Various anti-Semitic ideologies and movements, both historic and modern, are outlined in the 49-page report, which concluded that “Israel-related anti-Semitism is the most prevalent form of anti-Semitism today.”

The report said, “The development of modern anti-Semitism is also associated with the strengthening of Islamist movements. From the 1970s onwards, Islamist thinking became particularly attractive, particularly in the Arab nation-states.”

The Berlin report said that “the strengthening of Islamist movements was also promoted by the Iranian revolution in 1979, as a result of which Iran established itself as a state carrier of Islamist ideology.”

According to the report, followers of Islamist ideologies have spread dramatically across Europe since the end of the 20th century. More than 25,000 people in Germany and 2,000 in Berlin are supporters of terrorist networks and organizations such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Muslim Brotherhood.

“They all share not only the rejection of fundamental values of our democratic system, but also a firmly anchored anti-Semitism and the rejection of the State of Israel,” the report said.

The report pointed to the observation of al-Quds Day in Germany. Initiated by Iran’s former Supreme Leader Khomeini in 1979, al-Quds Day demonstrations call for the liberation of the city of al-Quds (Jerusalem) from the “Zionist occupation.”

“In Germany, the annual al-Quds Day is currently dominated by Iranians who are loyal to the regime, supporters of Hezbollah and Palestinians, and by individual representatives of German left-wing extremist groups,” the report said.

The report also noted that Udo Voight of the National Democratic Party, which has been described as a neo-Nazi organization, “regularly showed solidarity with the Iranian regime.”