Since 1977 the Center has received many millions from taxpayers.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center’s stated purpose is “confronting anti-Semitism, hate and terrorism, promoting human rights and dignity, standing with Israel, defending the safety of Jews worldwide, and teaching the lessons of the Holocaust.” Rabbi Marvin Hier established the Center as a tax-exempt foundation in 1977 with a major grant from Canadian financier Samuel Belzberg and arranged with Simon Wiesenthal to have the famous Austrian Nazi-hunter’s name put on the project.
Hier’s foundation flourished, and by 1993 enough new money was raised to build an imposing Museum of Tolerance, dedicated to fighting “bigotry and racism.” The museum became the Wiesenthal Center’s public face and educational arm. Los Angeles had proven to be an excellent spot to solicit public and private contributions, and it afforded Hier many opportunities to work with the movie industry. When the Wiesenthal Center comes to Israel’s defense, any pretenseof “promoting human rights” and “tolerance” or fighting “bigotry andracism” is immediately put aside. The organization’s mission statementis partially suspended. Hier uses the Holocaust and charges ofanti-Semitism to attempt to silence any criticism of Israel, thusmaking the Center a collaborator with Israeli invasions, occupations,and human rights abuses. Nazi genocide is transformed into a veryeffective political weapon and powerful fund-raising tool. As SamuelBelzberg noted, “Jewish education and all the other familiarbuzzwords no longer serve to rally Jews behind the community. TheHolocaust, though, works every time.”