New York, NY, October 1, 2014 … An Iranian conference devoted to promoting anti-Semitic propaganda – whose cancellation last year was attributed to the “more moderate” tone of the new government of President Hassan Rouhani – has gone on as planned this year, drawing a who’s who of Holocaust deniers and international anti-Semites to Tehran.
The New Horizon Conference, currently taking place in Tehran as part of its 13th International Resistance Film Festival, has also drawn some high-profile American anti-Israel activists such as Medea Benjamin of “CODEPINK,” revealing a disturbing collusion between those activists and Iranian purveyors of anti-Semitic agitprop, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
“This conference provides yet another example of how the Iranian government facilitates the spread of global anti-Semitism,” said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. “Participation by an international assortment of Holocaust deniers and anti-Semites is de rigueur for these types of events. A disturbing new element in this anti-Jewish gathering is the appearance on the guest list of a few high visibility U.S. antiwar and anti-Israel activists who claim their positions are not motivated by anti-Semitism. It will be harder for them to make that claim now, given their open collusion with this event and its Iranian government sponsors.”
The Tehran conference materials claim the meeting is devoted to focusing on a range of topics, including “Similarities [between] Nazism and Zionism, America and the Zionist crimes in the world, Hollywood and the Israel lobby….”
The conference opened with a statement from Mohsen Ghomi, official advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who said, “Our source of power is just our words which are the biggest threat to Zionists,” and that, “American officials are puppets of the Zionist lobby who are taking advantage of American ignorance.”
Several American and international anti-Semites and Holocaust deniers are in attendance in Tehran, as are various anti-Israel and antiwar activists. Among the attendees being promoted on the conference’s official website are:
- U.S. - Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of CODEPINK, a feminist antiwar organization that frequently takes part in anti-Israel activity.
- France - Maria Poumier, a conspiracy theorist and Holocaust denier.
- Italy - Claudio Moffa, a conspiracy theorist and Holocaust denier.
- U.S. - Kevin Barrett, an anti-Semitic conspiracy theorist and frequent contributor to Iran’s English-language propaganda news network, Press TV.
- U.S. - Garth Porter, anti-Israel journalist.
- U.S. - Art Olivier, former elected official and 9/11 conspiracy theorist
- Brazil – Pepe Escobar, anti-Israel journalist
Iranian news agencies are reporting that a number of other individuals were scheduled to attend the conference, including:
- U.S. - Alison Weir, director of If Americans Knew and the Council for the National Interest, two grassroots anti-Israel organizations.
- U.K. - Ken O’Keefe, anti-Semitic, anti-Zionist former United States Marine and a contributor to Press TV.
- U.S. - Wayne Madsen, anti-Semitic conspiracy theorist.
- U.S. - Cyrus McGoldrick, former Civil Rights Manager for the New York Council on American-Islamic Relations.
- France - Dieudonne M’bala M’bala, anti-Semitic comedian and the creator of the anti-Semitic “quenelle” gesture.
- U.S.- Mark Siljander, former U.S. Representative (R-MI) who was found guilty in 2010 of two federal charges relating to his ties to an Islamic charity alleged to have funded terrorist groups.
Updated: January 01, 1970
Details Emerge on Anti-Semitic Gathering in Tehran (10/2/14):
New information is emerging about attendees at Iran's 2nd New Horizon Conference >> Read More