Zionist Organization of America(ZOA) President Morton A. Klein released the following statement:

The ZOA commends the ADL and ADL Director Jonathan Greenblatt for finally reversing course and stating (on Dec. 1, 2016) that Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair candidate Congressman Keith Ellison’s statements were “deeply disturbing and disqualifying” to chair the DNC.  ZOA had criticized ADL/Jonathan Greenblatt for shockingly praising Ellison after weeks of silence on Nov. 22, 2016 as “a man of good character,” and an “important ally in the fight against anti-Semitism “ and “on record in support of Israel.”   (See “The ADL’s Praise of Keith Ellison Betrays Its Mission to Combat Antisemitism,” by Morton A. Klein, Algemeiner, Nov. 23, 2016.)

Ellison was involved as a spokesperson and activist with Louis Farrakhan’s virulently anti-Semitic Israel-hating Nation of Islam for a decade.   Ellison repeatedly defended Louis Farrakhan and cop killers.  In Congress, Ellison was one of only 8 Congresspersons who voted in 2014 against Iron Dome funding (which would have left innocent Israeli civilians at the mercy of Hamas rockets).  Ellison spearheaded anti-Israel Congressional initiatives, including the infamous “Gaza 54” letter in 2010 urging President Obama to pressure Israel to lift its weapons blockade (thereby allowing Hamas to import more weapons into Gaza to use against Israeli innocent civilians); and 2015 letter urging that Netanyahu should not be permitted to speak to Congress until after a deadline, when his speech would have been useless.  

In 2016, Ellison sent tweets accusing Israel of expropriation and apartheid; attempted to purge the 2016 Democratic national platform of pro-Israel planks; and tried to add anti-Israel planks to the 2016 Democratic platform.   Ellison also repeatedly defended radical Islamist groups connected to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood on the House floor, and spoke at those groups’ conferences and fundraisers, and received funds from those groups’ members.   (See, e.g., “ZOA: Don’t Appoint Israel-Basher Cong. Keith Ellison Chair of the Democratic National Committee,” Nov. 18, 2016.)  Ellison also called for an optional separate country for Black Americans under his “Keith Hakim” pseudonym during his “Nation of Islam” years.  (See “ZOA: More Reasons to Reject Ellison For DNC Chair – Called for Separate Black Country in US,” Dec. 2, 2016.)   And on tape in 2010, Ellison claimed that Israel controlled U.S. policy, “treated us like their ATM,” proclaimed US shouldn’t provide Israel  any financial aid while they’re colonizing and building in eastern Jerusalem. He also states his refusal to reject the anti-Israel fraudulent Goldstone Report, and praised vicious anti-Israel Muslim leaders as his “beloved brother.”(See “IPT Exclusive: In Private Fundraiser, Ellison Blasted Israeli Influence Over U.S. Policy,” by Steven Emerson, IPT News, Nov. 29, 2016.)

ZOA is pleased that ADL/Greenblatt have finally joined the ZOA and numerous others in calling for Ellison’s disqualification as DNC Chair, after weeks of silence, shockingly followed by wrongly praising Ellison.   We hope that ADL/Greenblatt will follow up by reversing and correcting other dangerous and deeply troubling ADL/Greenblatt positions. 

ZOA thus urges ADL/Greenblatt to discontinue Greenblatt’s speeches and ADL’s lesson plans promoting and praising the anti-Semitic, Israel-bashing BDS-supporting Black Lives Matter movement (the ADL lessons encourage young people to join Black Lives Matter demonstrations – the same demonstrations that condemn Israel).  ZOA also urges ADL/Greenblatt to stop legitimizing the false Palestinian-Arab “narrative” by demanding that “Both sides need to acknowledge the legitimacy of the other’s narrative”; and to stop demanding that “We must . . . acknowledge the role and responsibility of both sides.”   It is the Palestinian-Arabs who are to blame for the lack of peace – not Israel. ZOA also urges that ADL and Jonathan Greenblatt stop praising the extremist, Soros-funded, far left-wing J Street. And finally take a position against BDS of products and services in eastern Jerusalem and Judea/Samaria.

For further information on these concerns, see “ADL Speech to J St. Wrongly Casts “Equal” Blame on Israel, Promotes Pro-BDS “Black Lives Matter; Complains about Jewish “Islamophobia“,” May 13, 2016; “Candidly Speaking: The ADL’s moral equivalence: Israelis and Palestinians,” by Isi Leibler, The Jerusalem Post, May 18, 2016; “ZOA: ADL Supports/Promotes the Anti-Israel, Pro-BDS #BlackLivesMatter Group ADL Should Stop Promoting/Whitewashing “#BlackLivesMatter” to J Street and Schools,” June 28, 2016; “The ADL and #BlackLivesMatter,” by Morton A. Klein, Algemeiner, July 10, 2016; “ZOA: BlackLivesMatter Platform Falsely Accuses Israel of Genocide, etc. – Yet ADL Still Promotes BLM; Jabotinsky: Jews Supporting Anti-Jewish Movements Due to Perverted Sense of Higher “Sacred Cause” are “Political Simpletons,” August 9, 2016;  “NY Jewish Week ZOA letter on ADL Promoting Israel-Bashing BlackLivesMatter,” July 21, 2016; and “Candidly Speaking: Has the ADL lost the plot?,” by Isi Leibler, Jerusalem Post, July 19, 2016.