New York, NY, July 11, 2012 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today reacted to the results of an Iranian cartoon contest, in which the winning entry depicts three religious Jews praying in front of a representation of the Western Wall in Jerusalem labeled "New York Wall Street." 

"Once again, Iran takes the prize for promoting anti-Semitism," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director.  "The winning cartoon takes the most sacred site in Judaism and perverts it into a shrine of greed.  It is offensive on so many levels."

The virulently anti-Semitic cartoon was declared the winner of Iran's first annual "International Wall Street Downfall Cartoon Festival," co-sponsored by the Iranian media outlet Fars News.  According to reports, the contest's jury consisted of seven judges from Iran, Turkey, Poland and Romania who judged more than 1,600 cartoons.  The winning artist, Mohammad Tabrizi, was awarded 5,000 euros for his image of Jews praying in front of "Wall Street."

Mr. Foxman said:  "Here's the anti-Semitic notion of Jews and their love for money, the canard that Jews 'control' Wall Street, and a cynical perversion of the Western Wall, the holiest site in Judaism.  This contest not only puts virulent anti-Semitism on a pedestal, but in posting the images online and involving judges from other countries, helps promote classical anti-Semitic notions before a global audience of potentially millions."

In 2006, the Iranian government notoriously sponsored a Holocaust cartoon contest in which the winning entries derided Jews and mocked and belittled the death of six million Jews and millions of others in the Holocaust.