Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) President Morton Klein released the following statement:
A year and a half ago, ZOA criticized the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for signing a joint letter together with virulent anti-Israel and radical Islamist groups. (See “ZOA Criticizes ADL, AJC, Reform, for Joining Anti-Israel CAIR, MPAC, Presby. in Letter Supporting Syrian Refugees,” Dec. 8, 2015.) Unfortunately, ADL, which is supposed to fight anti Israel groups, has done it again. On June 8, 2017, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) signed 29 joint letters to mayors of major cities opposing “ACT for America”’s march against Sharia law. (The letter thus in effect supports Sharia law. Sharia is anti-woman, anti-Semitic and anti-gay.) The joint letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio (which is identical to the letters to other mayors) can be viewed here.
We were surprised to see ADL chief Jonathan Greenblatt now claim that this collaboration with radical Islamists and Israel haters was “unintentional.” (See “ADL Chief Duped by Radical Anti-Israel Groups,” by Ben Cohen, from Algemeiner, June 13, 2017.) It is hard to believe that ADL chief Jonathan Greenblatt was “duped” into signing 29 joint letters with radical Islamist and anti-Israel groups – when ADL has done this before. Didn’t they ask who was on the letter before signing a joint letter? As the famous expression says: “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”
Moreover, ADL is still bragging on its website that “ADL joined with over 100 groups” to sign the joint letters. ADL’s website also links to the “Muslim Advocates” website that contains the 29 joint letters. It’s difficult to believe that ADL did not know who co-signed its 29 joint letters, when ADL’s own website provides the links to the site where all 29 letters and their 129 signatories are posted.
It is also troubling and shocking that ADL has joined radical Islamists/Israel haters in condemning ACT for America. ACT for America is an organization that seeks to protect Americans from radical Islamist terrorism and is very pro-Israel! Its founder, Lebanese-born Brigitte Gabriel, was injured when Islamists attacked her childhood home and neighborhood. Ms. Gabriel’s family was rescued by Israelis, and she frequently praises Israel’s care and humanity towards all. Yet ADL’s joint letter viciously attacks Ms. Gabriel and her pro-Israel organization.
Many of ADL’s 128 co-signers are radical Islamist and anti-Israel groups, including:
- Four “Jewish Voice for Peace” (JVP) groups: JVP is virulently anti-Israel, “fully endorsed” the Black Lives Matter platform that libelously accusing Israel of genocide, and is a major promoter of anti-Israel Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions (“BDS”). Co-signer JVP is so extreme that it is even named on ADL’s own 2013 list of top 10 anti-Israel organizations. (In the pre-Jonathan Greenblatt days, ADL published such lists.)
- Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC): MPAC is also so extreme that it is named on ADL’s own 2013 list of top 10 anti-Israel organizations. MPAC supported Israel’s destruction and ran editorials supporting Holocaust deniers. MPAC called Israelis “the worst terrorists in the world,” defends Hezbollah and says that Israel should be suspected for perpetrating 9/11. Also see the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT)’s report on MPAC.
- National Iranian American Council (NIAC): NIAC is reportedly an arm of and lobbyist for the virulently anti-Israel Iranian regime.
- CAIR-MN (the Council on American-Islamic Relations: CAIR is an unindicted conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation trial against groups that funneled funds to the terrorist group Hamas.
- American Friends Service Committee (AFSC): AFSC has been hostile to Israel for decades and is a major promoter of anti-Israel BDS.
- Presbyterian Church USA: boycotts and divested from companies that do business with Israel and is the most anti-Israel church in America.
- Bend the Arc: Early this month, Bend the Arc held a fundraiser for anti-Semite and BDS advocate Linda Sarsour, who also said that Zionists can’t be feminists; that “there’s nothing creepier than Zionism”; and that she wished she could take the vaginas away from FGM victim Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Brigitte Gabriel.
- Islamic Society of North America (ISNA): ISNA is also an unindicted conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation Trial against groups that funneled funds to the terrorist group Hamas.
ZOA hopes that ADL will never again give legitimacy to such despicable Israel hating groups by co-signing a letter with them. And, we hope ADL will cease attacking pro-Israel anti-radical Islam groups like ACT for America. We also urge ADL to stop promoting Black Lives Matter and J Street and stop supporting people like Israel basher Linda Sarsour to be commencement speaker at CUNY, and to prioritize fighting anti-Semitism and Jew-hating, Western-hating Islamist terrorism over fighting the far lesser problem of Islamophobia.