Media mogul Harvey Weinstein said that he was 'very lucky ' to have never experienced anti-Semitism growing up - after making a rousing speech urging the Jewish community to 'get as organised as the mafia ' to tackle the problem . The Jewish studio executive , who co-founded film company Miramax before setting up The Weinstein Company , said he had been taught about the issue by his father who had served as a sergeant during World War II . He made the admission after he gave a passionate speech at the Simon Wiesenthal Center 's National Tribute Dinner , where he urged listeners to stand up to anti-Semites and 'kick these guys in the ass ' . Harvey Weinstein ( right ) was introduced by actor Christoph Waltz as he received the Humanitarian Award from the Simon Wiesenthal Center at the glitzy ceremony in Beverly Hills . In his acceptance speech he urged the Jewish community to get 'as organised as the mafia ' to tackle anti-Semitism - although said afterwards he had never personally experienced it . When asked by the New York Post whether he had experienced anti-Semitism he said : 'Personally , no ' , adding : ' I ’ m very lucky that way . 'My dad did , both in the Army and afterwards , so I can only identify and I feel strongly through him . I ’ ve had a charmed life that way , but I ’ m still outraged by what ’ s going on . 'And we need to know and let the people who are doing those things know they can ’ t get away with it . ' 'Charmed life ' : Harvey Weinstein pictured next to British actress Keira Knighley at the 18th Annual Hollywood Film Awards in November . His film company produced director Quentin Tarantino 's wartime movie Inglourious Basterds , set during the Second World War and The Reader . Jewish : Weinstein said his father , who served during the World War Two , taught their family about the problems faced by Jewish communities around the world . His father Max Weinstein had helped the Haganah , a Jewish paramilitary organisation based in the Middle East which later became the Israeli Defence Force , during the war . Weinstein , 63 , has produced films including The King 's Speech , Pulp Fiction and Inglorious Basterds set during the Second World War , and last week accepted the Humanitarian Award at the Simon Wiesenthal Center . Studies by the institute have shown that the number of attacks on Jewish communities around the world is at its highest since 1945 . The New Yorker used his acceptance speech to tell the audience : ' I think it 's time that we , as Jews , get together with the Muslims who are honorable and peaceful — but we [ also ] have to go and protect ourselves ' , The Hollywood Reporter wrote . 'Unfortunately , we [ Jews ] are gon na have to get as organised as the mafia . We just ca n't take it any more . We just ca n't take these things . There 's got ta be a way to fight back . ' 'While we must be understanding of our Arab brothers and our Islamic brothers , ' he added , 'we also have to understand that these crazy b******s [ Arab and Islamic extremists ] are also killing their own — they 're killing neighbours , they 're killing people from all sorts of different races . 'And , unlike World War II , when we did n't act right away and we paid the price , we better start acting now . Trust me , I 'm the last guy who wants to do anything about it , but I realize if we do n't , we will perish . '
Weinstein 's father , who served during WWII , taught him about the issue . New Yorker produced wartime films including Inglourious Basterds . Urged Jewish community to 'get organised like the mafia ' to tackle issue . ' Comment: