Anti-Defamation League

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), originally known as the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith ("B'nai B'rith" meaning "Order of the Covenant" or "Order of the Cut", referring to circumcision) became in recent years a left-wing Jewish organization founded in 1913 that seeks to fight anti-Semitism. Its stated mission is described as:

“

The immediate object of the League is to stop, by appeals to reason and conscience and, if necessary, by appeals to law, the defamation of the Jewish people. Its ultimate purpose is to secure justice and fair treatment to all citizens alike and to put an end forever to unjust and unfair discrimination against and ridicule of any sect or body of citizen.

”

It also claims to fight against many other forms of discrimination, while monitoring extremist groups and their rhetoric with regard to the immigration debate. In addition, it has been known to attack mainstream conservatives.

Its general stance on prayer in secular schools is that it is "unconstitutional." The ADL also has a record of supporting gay rights, the separation of church and state, hate crimes legislation, abortion and partial-birth abortion. There is also evidence to suggest that the founders may have been Fabian socialists.

Sabotaging the AJCongress's anti-Nazi boycott on behalf of Anglo-Hitlerites, 1933–38

The Anti-Defamation League, in the years preceding World War II, was aligned with the reactionary efforts by its parent organization B'nai B'rith—as well as the American Jewish Committee—to undermine the economic boycott against Nazi Germany organized by the American Jewish Congress and the Non-Sectarian Anti-Nazi League. According to Jewish historian Anton Chaitkin, whose father worked as the legal counsel to the AJCongress:

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The AJC and B'nai B'rith/ADL worked to block the boycott against Nazi Germany led by the non-British controlled American Jewish Congress. For years, the Congress movement, led by Rabbi Stephen Wise and Nahum Goldmann, fought to overcome the sabotage of the British-sponsored AJC-B'nai B'rith combination. Only when Britain did an about-face in 1937-39 and began to officially oppose Hitler, did Britain's American Jewish faction 'support the boycott.'

”

On March 31, 1933, a joint statement was issued by B'nai B'rith and the AJC, "that no American boycott against Germany be encouraged."

Post 2016

Journalist Glenn Greenwald noted:

"Like so many institutions of authority in the United States after 2016, which entailed the dual traumas of the UK's departure from the EU, and then the far more traumatic defeat of Hillary Clinton by Donald Trump, the ADL has now radically transformed into something much, much different. Indeed, in many ways, it has become an utterly fraudulent organization. Its work now has very little to do with combating antisemitism. That's just the marketing costume or the pretext it uses to wield power. The real mission of the ADL could not be clearer. It's to advance the interests of the Democratic Party to ensure the empowerment of Democratic Party leaders and to protect and preserve the dominant ideology that the establishment wings of both political parties are devoted to – in particular, to protect the status quo ideology from meaningful dissent and populist anger."

Criticism

The League has been criticized for attacking politically conservative Jews such as Dr. Laura Schlessinger. The Jewish World Review stated that the League was "demonizing exponents of Jewish values", while the National Prayer Network held that the ADL's past legislative involvement "empowered synagogue to mix with state by authorizing itself to teach the US Justice Department, FBI and all local police about hate crimes."

In addition, it, or at least the former head Abraham Foxman, was also accused of being heavily biased regarding Judaism, especially when they failed to call out controversy for the anti-Catholic film 40 Days and 40 Nights, yet were willing to call out controversy regarding Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ for alleged anti-Semitism. In spite of claiming it is against anti-Semitism, the ADL under Foxman allows Muslims to spread anti-Semitic rhetoric as well as allowing inter-faith audiences with Muslim groups (to the extent of demanding that "Sharia myth makers" be silenced), and not only covered up the Armenian Genocide, but Foxman even fired Andrew Tarsy for breaking ranks on this issue, and has even condemned Pope Benedict XVI for siding with Israel against Radical Islam. In one case, he even awarded a known anti-Semite, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the "Courage to Care Award." In addition, the ADL under Foxman was responsible for getting Marc Rich pardoned by Bill Clinton in the latter's infamous last minute pardons due to being paid by Rich $250,000 beforehand. The ADL under Foxman also promoted Obama's pro-Palestinian policies since 2011, even demanding that congressmen who were expressing concerns about Islamic lobbying stop engaging in "anti-Islamic conspiracy theories", and even advocated for J Street to be included among major Jewish organizations despite their siding with John Kerry's reference to Israel as "Apartheid".

The ADL used to be a noble force on fighting anti-Semitism, focused. Greenblatt, has immersed himself in wokenesss among other things which is outside this realm and its sad. It still does important work. But this politics-driven is harming it.

External links

• Anti-Defamation League official site