Australia to impose new sanctions on Iran 29 Jul 2010
In Canberra, the Australian government announced new restrictions on business dealings with Iran in the oil and gas sector. read more »
Following campaigns by the WJC and many other organisations, the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, found himself addressing a mostly empty UN debating chamber on 23 September 2009 as delegates either boycotted his speech entirely or walked out as he attacked the 'Zionist Regime' for committing genocide against Palestinians.
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Focus
Iran says nuclear reactor to be operational in September
The head of Iran's nuclear agency has said that it's first nuclear power plant will become operational in September. The Bushehr reactor, a joint venture with Russia, has been under development for 15 years. read more »
» Iran says it has now 17 kilos of higher enriched uranium
» Tehran bars two inspectors of UN nuclear watchdog from entering Iran
» Has the time come for military action against Iran's nuclear program? 
Ahmadinejad enacts boycott law against ‘Jewish’ corporations
Iran has banned ‘Zionist' companies , including non-Israeli ones, from doing business in Iran, Israel’s ‘Army Radio’ has reported. read more »
» Venezuela’s Chávez and Syria’s Assad lash out against Israel
» British trade union calls for boycott - Jerusalem Post, Israel
» Are the actions of the Iranian government a threat to peace and stability in the world?
Berlusconi fuels speculation about Israeli military strike against Iran
Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi reportedly said that he and fellow world leaders "believe absolutely" that Israel may decide to take military action against Iran to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. read more »
» US Congress passes stiff Iran sanctions
» OPINION - Ronald S. Lauder: Put more pressure on Iran - Financial Times Deutschland
» Has the time come for military action against Iran's nuclear program?
US Congress passes stiff Iran sanctions
In Washington, both houses of Congress on Thursday passed legislation imposing tough sanctions on companies and individuals linked to Iran’s nuclear program. read more »
» Iran says it has now 17 kilos of higher enriched uranium
» Tehran bars two inspectors of UN nuclear watchdog from entering Iran
» Has the time come for military action against Iran's nuclear program?
Agreement reached in US Congress on tough new measures against Iran
US lawmakers on Capitol Hill have reached agreement on a series of punitive measures against Iran which could be adopted by Congress as early as this week. Canada will also take additional measures against Tehran. read more »
» Tehran bars two inspectors of UN nuclear watchdog from entering Iran
» OPINION - Ronald S. Lauder: Put more pressure on Iran - Financial Times Deutschland
OPINION - Ronald S. Lauder: Put more pressure on Iran - Financial Times Deutschland
In an op-ed for the German newspaper 'Financial Times Deutschland', the president of the World Jewish Congress argues that the latest UN sanctions against Iran are only a first step and need to be followed up with further measures by the US and Europe. read more »
» Washington and Brussels adopt new Iran sanctions
» Iranian parliament speaker urges government to continue uranium enrichment
» Hard-line ayatollah says Iran must not give up right to build “special weapons”
» United Nations imposes fourth round of sanctions on Iran
» Has the time come for military action against Iran's nuclear program?
Hard-line ayatollah says Iran must not give up right to build “special weapons”
In a thinly veiled reference to nuclear arms, Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi – a hard-line Iranian cleric who is seen as spiritual mentor of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – has called for the production of those “special weapons’’ that were a monopoly of a few nations. read more »
» United Nations imposes fourth round of sanctions on Iran
» Are the actions of the Iranian government a threat to peace and stability in the world?
United Nations imposes fourth round of sanctions on Iran
By 12 out of 15 votes, the Security Council of the United Nations on Wednesday approved a fourth round of sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, which many fear is ultimately aimed at developing nuclear weapons. read more »
Ahmadinejad rules out further nuclear concessions; attacks Israel again
At a conference in Istanbul, Turkey, Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said his country would not give any more ground on its nuclear program. He also accused Israel of having committed “crimes that have been unprecedented in the history of mankind.” read more »
» Iran sanctions will come, says Russian president
» Iran has enough material to build two nuclear bombs, IAEA reports says
» Has the time come for military action against Iran's nuclear program?
Iran has enough material to build two nuclear bombs, IAEA reports says
A new report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna reveals that Iran has now amassed enough fissile material to build two nuclear bombs, if it chooses to enrich its uranium stockpile to a weapons-grade level. read more »
» Sanctions can and do hurt Iran. Financial Times
» Major powers agree on new package of sanctions against Iran
» Are the actions of the Iranian government a threat to peace and stability in the world?
Ahmadinejad agrees "in principle" to mediated talks with West
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has agreed "in principle" to new talks with the major powers, mediated by Brazil, on the exchange of nuclear fuel for uranium. read more »
» Many UN members walk out after yet another Ahmadinejad diatribe
» Top Iranian official rules out uranium enrichment deal with West
» Has the time come for military action against Iran's nuclear program?
Many UN members walk out after yet another Ahmadinejad diatribe
Iran’s hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad again triggered a walkout by Western countries at the United Nations following a blistering attack against the United States and Israel at a nuclear non-proliferation conference in New York. read more »
» World Jewish Congress calls on UN members to walk out on Ahmadinejad
» Should Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Barack Obama should meet to discuss the nuclear issue?
World Jewish Congress calls on UN members to walk out on Ahmadinejad
The World Jewish Congress and other Jewish organizations have called on United Nations representatives to walk out on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad when he addresses a conference on nuclear non-proliferation in New York. read more »
» Top Iranian official rules out uranium enrichment deal with West
» Chávez denies US claim that Iranian forces have a presence in Venezuela
Chávez denies US claim that Iranian forces have a presence in Venezuela
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has denied an American report that members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard were present in his country. read more »
» Two major accounting firms cut ties with Iran
» Are the actions of the Iranian government a threat to peace and stability in the world?
Ahmadinejad calls Obama “inexperienced amateur”
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has issued a strong personal attack against US President Barack Obama, calling him a “cowboy” who was quick to threaten to use nuclear weapons against America’s enemies. read more »
» Obama limits reasons for use of US nuclear weapons
» Obama, Sarkozy want new Iran sanctions in place “within weeks”
» Should Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Barack Obama should meet to discuss the nuclear issue?
Obama, Sarkozy want new Iran sanctions in place “within weeks”
US President Barack Obama and his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy have said they wanted tough new sanctions against Iran adopted at the United Nations within weeks. In a reversal of its stance, China has agreed to take part in talks on new UN measures against Tehran. read more »
» Has the time come for military action against Iran's nuclear program?
Ahmadinejad calls Israelis “the most criminal people in the world”
In a speech to supporters in southern Iran, the Iranian president launched yet another diatribe against Israel and predicted it would be annihilated soon. read more »
» Op-Ed by Meital Nir on the United Nations Human Rights Council and Iran
Diplomatic battle for new UN sanctions against Iran heating up
Whilst the United States and Europe are pushing for new sanctions against Iran, countries such as Brazil and China expressed reservations. The Iranian human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi warned of sanctions punishing the people and not the regime. read more »
» German minister says Iranian membership of UN Human Rights Council would be an “affront”
» Iran attacks Western “lewdness” at UN Human Rights Council meeting
» Has the time come for military action against Iran's nuclear program?
New IAEA chief says that Iran is 'not co-operating'
The new head of the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has said that Iran is not co-operating with the agency 's investigation into the country's nuclear program. read more »
» EU draws up list of stiff sanctions against Iran
» Iran says it will build two new uranium enrichment sites this year
» Are the actions of the Iranian government a threat to peace and stability in the world?
EU draws up list of stiff sanctions against Iran
European Union officials have drawn up an extensive list of new sanctions against Iran sanctions which if implemented would affect the entire economy of the Islamic republic and target the financial and oil sectors in particular. read more »
» Iran says it will build two new uranium enrichment sites this year
» Should Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Barack Obama should meet to discuss the nuclear issue?
Massive human rights abuses in Iran highlighted at UN debate in Geneva
The Human Rights Council of the United Nations has begun a debate on the human rights record of Iran. read more »
Obama promises “significant” new Iran sanctions soon
President Barack Obama has pledged that the United States and its allies would soon deliver a "significant regime of sanctions" against Iran for its nuclear program. read more »
» Pro-government protestors attack Italian Embassy in Tehran
» Has the time come for military action against Iran's nuclear program?
Ahmadinejad: Iran to immediately begin producing higher-grade uranium
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has shocked the international community with his announcement that his country would immediately start producing 20-percent-enriched uranium in Iran for use in its nuclear reactor in Tehran. read more »
» Why uranium enrichment is so important - CNN, USA
» Seven people linked to US-backed radio station arrested in Iran
» Prof. David Menashri, Head of Centre for Iranian Studies, Tel Aviv University 
Leaders highlight Iranian threat at Holocaust commemorations
Speaking on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Israel’s President Peres, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and World Jewish Congress President Lauder highlighted the danger posed by the Iranian regime. In Tehran, Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei predicted the day would come when Israel would be destroyed. read more »
» Address by Benjamin Netanyahu at ceremony marking 65 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz
» Are the actions of the Iranian government a threat to peace and stability in the world?
Latest News
Turkish and German foreign ministers discuss Iran, Middle East policy 28 Jul 2010
A day after British Prime Minister David Cameron publicly sided with Turkey in the Gaza flotilla row, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle was in Istanbul and praised the government of Turkey for mediating in the dispute over Iran's nuclear program. read more »
EU and Canada adopt tough new Iran sanctions 27 Jul 2010
Canada and the 27 member countries of the European Union have adopted economic restrictions against Tehran, targeting Iran's energy sector and banks. Russia called these steps "unacceptable" because they went beyond the UN sanctions. read more »
EU set to adopt sanctions aimed at curbing European trade with Iran 22 Jul 2010
European Union member states are set to approve further sanctions against Iran over its uranium enrichment program, targeting the country's energy, financial and transport sectors. read more »
German to investigate Iranian-owned bank for busting sanctions 19 Jul 2010
Following a report by the ‘Wall Street Journal’, Germany will investigate an Iranian bank based in Hamburg which was blacklisted by the US government last month for evading Iran sanctions. read more »
Returned Iranian nuclear scientist claims he was abducted and tortured by CIA 15 Jul 2010
On his return to Tehran from the US, Iranian nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri has claimed that he had suffered extreme mental and physical torture at the hands of US interrogators, and that Israeli agents participated in interrogations with the CIA. read more »
Russian President says Iran “moving closer” to nuclear weapons 13 Jul 2010
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said that Iran is "moving closer" to having nuclear weapons capability. read more »
Iran says nuclear reactor to be operational in September 08 Jul 2010
The head of Iran's nuclear agency has said that it's first nuclear power plant will become operational in September. The Bushehr reactor, a joint venture with Russia, has been under development for 15 years. read more »
Ahmadinejad enacts boycott law against ‘Jewish’ corporations 01 Jul 2010
Iran has banned ‘Zionist' companies , including non-Israeli ones, from doing business in Iran, Israel’s ‘Army Radio’ has reported. read more »
Berlusconi fuels speculation about Israeli military strike against Iran 28 Jun 2010
Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi reportedly said that he and fellow world leaders "believe absolutely" that Israel may decide to take military action against Iran to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. read more »
US Congress passes stiff Iran sanctions 25 Jun 2010
In Washington, both houses of Congress on Thursday passed legislation imposing tough sanctions on companies and individuals linked to Iran’s nuclear program. read more »
Iran says it has now 17 kilos of higher enriched uranium 24 Jun 2010
The head of Iran’s nuclear program has said that his country had succeeded in enriching 17 kilos of uranium to 20-percent purity grade, bringing it closer to the weapons-grade level. read more »
Agreement reached in US Congress on tough new measures against Iran 22 Jun 2010
US lawmakers on Capitol Hill have reached agreement on a series of punitive measures against Iran which could be adopted by Congress as early as this week. Canada will also take additional measures against Tehran. read more »
Tehran bars two inspectors of UN nuclear watchdog from entering Iran 21 Jun 2010
Iran has barred two inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency from entering the country, claiming they had filed a "false" report about Tehran's nuclear program. read more »
Washington and Brussels adopt new Iran sanctions 17 Jun 2010
The US government and the European Union are adopting new sanctions against Iran that go beyond the scope of restrictions passed by the UN Security Council last week. read more »
OPINION - Ronald S. Lauder: Put more pressure on Iran - Financial Times Deutschland 17 Jun 2010
In an op-ed for the German newspaper 'Financial Times Deutschland', the president of the World Jewish Congress argues that the latest UN sanctions against Iran are only a first step and need to be followed up with further measures by the US and Europe. read more »
Iranian parliament speaker urges government to continue uranium enrichment 16 Jun 2010
Ali Larijani, the speaker of the Mahlis, the Iranian parliament, has called on Iran's government to forge ahead with its controversial program to enrich uranium to 20 percent, in spite of the latest round of UN sanctions against the country. read more »
UN Human Rights Council condemns Iran for 2009 clampdown on protestors 16 Jun 2010
Nearly a year after the violent post election clampdown against opposition protesters, the Human Rights Council in Geneva has formally condemned Iran. read more »
Hard-line ayatollah says Iran must not give up right to build “special weapons” 15 Jun 2010
In a thinly veiled reference to nuclear arms, Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi – a hard-line Iranian cleric who is seen as spiritual mentor of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – has called for the production of those “special weapons’’ that were a monopoly of a few nations. read more »
United Nations imposes fourth round of sanctions on Iran 10 Jun 2010
By 12 out of 15 votes, the Security Council of the United Nations on Wednesday approved a fourth round of sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, which many fear is ultimately aimed at developing nuclear weapons. read more »
Materials
PM Netanyahu's address to the Jewish Agency Board of Governors 22 Feb 2010
Iran: Excerpt from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to the Jewish Agency Board of Governors download »
“The Intransigent Israeli?” A Document from the Archives of the British Foreign Office (FCO/17 1554) by Shmuel Bar
The following document is a candid report to the British Foreign Office by its then- ambassador in Tel Aviv, Sir Ernest John Ward Barnes (John Barnes). Barnes served in Israel between 1972–1975—a period spanning the efforts to promote a ceasefire to the War of Attrition, the Rogers Plan, the Yom Kippur War and the subsequent Disengagement Agreement. download »
"Iranian Antisemitism: Stepchild of German National Socialism" by Matthias Küntzel
Many Iranians—including those in exile—claim that currently there is not any antisemitism in Iran. They point to the fact that the Jews of Iran today constitute the largest Jewish community in any Muslim country, which is true, and that even Mahmoud Ahmadinejad does not attack “the Jews,” but rather “the Zionists.” download »
Israel’s response to the IAEA resolution regarding Iran
Israel commends the resolution by the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding Iran. download »
Resolution adopted by the IAEA Board of Governors
Implementation of the NPT safeguards agreement and relevant provisions of Security Council resolutions 1737 (2006), 1747 (2007), 1803 (2008) and 1835 (2008) in the Islamic Republic of Iran download »
WJC & The Iranian Threat
Iran’s nuclear ambitions pose a threat to its neighbours, Israel and the wider world. Some countries do not yet publicly acknowledge that Iranian claims that its nuclear programme is only intended for peaceful uses are not credible. Others feel that the threat of massive retaliation, if Iran makes a nuclear attack, is sufficiently prohibitive not to press Iran to the wall on this issue. However, the latter ignore the danger that Iran might build a small-scale collateral nuclear instrument and pass it on to a terrorist organization.
Iran continues to defy key demands of the IAEA and the UN Security Council. Three rounds of sanctions have already been imposed on Iran by the UN, including: travel bans on Iranian officials; the freezing of foreign assets of Iranian companies and officials; and bans on the sale of dual-use items to Iran. A recent UN resolution also urges governments to withdraw financial backing from firms trading with Iran, inspect cargo going into and out of the country, and monitor the activities of two Iranian banks.
The development of Iran's nuclear programme coincides with an intensification of its calls for the destruction of Israel, and thus poses an existential threat to Israel and the Jewish people. It threatens to advance its influence in the Middle East, and to ultimately impose Shiite hegemony in the region. It poses a threat to the entire continent of Europe.
All efforts must continue to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions and press it to comply with the UN Security Council and the IAEA demands.
Iran must be pressured to cease all nuclear enrichment and reprocessing activities and heavy water-related projects until it is conclusively proven that it is only intended for civilian power generation purposes.
The sanctions regime needs to be strengthened in order to bring to the attention of its populous the heavy price it is paying for Ahmadinejad's foreign adventures.
The sanctions regime should include key Iranian industries such as oil and natural gas (including obstructing Iran’s capacity to import refined oil products). It should include industrial machinery, farm equipment and spare parts for its ageing agricultural and transportation infrastructures.
The international community needs to be united to confront the Iranian threat.
Other, more drastic, action against Iranian nuclear installations should only be considered as a last resort if all diplomatic avenues have been exhausted and if the sanctions regime fails to deliver any tangible results.
Governments should be pressed to provide umbrella assurances that, in the event that all efforts fail to curb Iran, retaliation against a nuclear attack on Israel will be definitive, devastating and final.
Alliances of convenience should be encouraged with those Arab neighbours who also fear the spreading influence of Iran into their territory, including those countries that do not yet have diplomatic relations with Israel.
The recent election fraud resulting in significant protests on Iran's streets has created new opportunities to encourage internal actions against the regime. The general population should be encouraged by the outside world to demand more from its leaders in human rights and religious tolerance. The recent political upheavals and the apparent rifts within the religious establishment provide significant longer term opportunities for internally driven regime change.
Iran is a leading sponsor of terrorism, via radical Islamic groups in other countries. The Iranian regime is providing support to Hamas and Hezbollah, amongst others. Hamas and Hezbollah pose a very real and active threat to Israel and a danger to the moderate faction among the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples. The capacity of Hamas to harass and disrupt Israel’s border towns were enhanced immediately prior to Israel’s defensive military initiative in Gaza.
Iran's involvement in the financing of Hezbollah is directly contributing to the internal instability in Lebanon, which in turn has negative implications for the region and is a continuing threat to the residents of Northern Israel.
Iran was directly involved in the planning of the terrorist attacks against the Israeli embassy and the AMIA centre in Buenos Aires in 1992 & 1994. It refuses to cooperate with Interpol, which has issued ‘Red Alert’ notices against several Iranian citizens. Iran has appointed Ahmad Vahidi, one of the masterminds of the AMIA attack, as its new Minister of Defence.
Iranian emissaries continue to infiltrate Muslim communities worldwide in order to spread hatred and to advocate violence against Israel and the Jewish people. Iran has established a gateway to Latin America for its activities, through Venezuela and Bolivia and is actively engaged in cultivating relationships with States in Central America.
International organisations and governments must take measures against the proliferation of weapons and funds from Iran to Hamas and Hezbollah.
Links between Iran and radical terrorist groups need to be exposed and publicised.
Those involved in the promotion of such terrorist activity should be prosecuted and brought to justice.
Almost all countries – the USA and Israel being the exceptions – have diplomatic relations with Iran. Many European countries also have sizeable business interests in Iran, notably in the oil and gas sectors. Some of the energy companies doing business in Iran are state-owned.
Governments should refrain from encouraging or supporting companies seeking new business contracts in Iran, and above all not with state-owned Iranian companies.
Unless key industries such as oil and gas are affected, UN sanctions are unlikely to be effective or to cause an affected local populous to press its government to desist from its nuclear ambitions and to focus instead on indigenous economic problems.
Governments should not help companies in their respective countries to clinch deals with Iranian firms.
Existing contracts with Iran should be suspended until the regime in Tehran accepts all UN demands on its nuclear program.
Business deals with Iran which contravene the spirit or letter of the UN sanctions regime need to be exposed.
Iran’s current leaders, above all President Ahmadinejad, have repeatedly questioned the dimension of the Holocaust, or used the Shoah to criticize Israel. In December 2005, Iran’s Foreign Ministry hosted a conference of Holocaust deniers. Iran’s regime uses the Holocaust as a political weapon.
Iran propagates the denial of the Holocaust as a means to delegitimize and demonize Israel. Denial of the Holocaust denigrates the memory of those who died and shows the true state of mind of Iran’s leadership.
Holocaust denial or trivialisation needs to be condemned and discredited wherever possible.
Perpetrators must be prosecuted wherever legislation permits.
Education about the Holocaust should be enhanced wherever possible, especially among the young, including non-Jewish children.
Governments should be encouraged to introduce Holocaust education into school curricula.
Comments
Priority Issues
WJC & The Iranian Threat
Iran's nuclear ambitions pose a threat to its neighbors and the world. Iran is a leading sponsor of terrorism. Iranian leaders, above all President Ahmadinejad, repeatedly question or deny the Holocaust and threaten Israel. read more »
WJC & Combating anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism is still a deeply-rooted phenomenon in many democracies, despite efforts by governments and NGOs to tackle it. In addition to 'traditional' anti-Semitism, new forms and expressions of anti-Semitism are being manifested around the world. read more »
WJC & Fighting terrorism
Jews, and Jewish sites, are often the main targets of terrorists. The WJC works to fight terrorism by advocating a halt in arms proliferation to terrorist groups, better international cooperation, and the protection of Jewish institutions. read more »
WJC & Supporting Israel
Around the world, Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state is constantly questioned. The WJC and its affiliates actively defend the legitimacy of Israel on all levels and support the state against unfair and biased attacks. read more »
WJC & the Legacy of the Holocaust
Seven decades after the Shoah, some countries still have not returned stolen Jewish property. The WJC defends the rights of the victims and their heirs. It also strives to ensure that the greatest crime in the history of mankind is not denied or trivialized. read more »
WJC & Jews from Arab Lands
The plight and concerns of Jews who fled from,or still live in, Arab lands after 1948 are not well-known. The WJC is committed to raising this issue with governments and international organizations. read more »
WJC & Promoting Inter-Faith Dialogue
The WJC has always spearheaded dialogue between the three Abrahamic religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Inter-faith cooperation can make an important contribution to peace around the world and to better understanding between communities in our societies. read more »
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