Maral Salmassi and the ZERA Institute:
Statement on a Politically Motivated
Press Campaign
Since November, Maral Salmassi, founder of the ZERA Institute, has been the target of an orchestrated media campaign.
The reporting on her and the ZERA Institute does not constitute critical journalism, but instead follows a clearly political-activist pattern: selective framing, systematic omissions, suggestive distortion, and unsubstantiated claims.
Particularly concerning is the treatment of our female staff members in Der SPIEGEL’s reporting. Research associates, social media staff, and analysts were portrayed in a manner that not only calls their professional competence into question, but also seeks to discredit them personally—at times with a distinctly sexist undertone. Qualifications were ignored, biographies distorted, and images selectively used to undermine credibility. This was not critical scrutiny—it was delegitimization.
At the same time, the work of Maral Salmassi and the ZERA Institute was systematically misrepresented. Key achievements—research, formats, expert networks, and publications—were omitted. Instead, a scandal narrative was constructed from fragments that bears little resemblance to the institute’s actual work.
Maral Salmassi has addressed the allegation that she referred to George Soros as a “parasite.” The statement was made. It was a mistake, and it was acknowledged and corrected by her from the outset.
The remark was made in the context of a pointed critique of political and financial influence structures within funding and discourse networks. The term chosen was inappropriate for that purpose.
It carries historical baggage and is not appropriate in this context.
However, the continued focus on this single, already contextualized remark stands in striking contrast to the systematic disregard of actual anti-Semitic narratives in public discourse.
It is notable who is driving this outrage: actors who have for years relativized or normalized forms of hostility toward Israel and who reject the classification of movements such as BDS as anti-Semitic.
This selective outrage reflects no consistent standard—but rather political expediency.
The intensity of this campaign cannot be explained by any alleged misconduct. It reflects the fact that Maral Salmassi and the ZERA Institute address anti-Semitism not only at the political margins, but where it is most prevalent today: in Israel-related anti-Semitism—including within left-wing and Islamist milieus.
ZERA operates on the basis of the IHRA definition. The institute’s work is publicly accessible, verifiable, and methodologically transparent.
Those wishing to form an opinion based on facts can consult the following:
An interview with Maral Salmassi in DIE WELT (Alexander Dinger), a commentary by Alan Posener, and a guest column in the Jerusalem Post offer an assessment grounded in substance—not in constructed narratives.
