The Coalition for Jewish Values, representing over 1,500 traditional, Orthodox rabbis in matters of public policy, castigated the ADL for once again avoiding a needed effort to address blatant anti-Semitism, and instead pursuing charges of “supremacy” for partisan purposes. ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt criticized the “Squad” in Congress for blocking funding for Israel’s defensive Iron Dome System as part of the budget reconciliation process, and celebrated passage of a standalone bill restoring that funding. But it was Fox News host Tucker Carlson whom Greenblatt insisted “must go.”
CJV President Rabbi Pesach Lerner issued the following statement:
In January, Greenblatt correctly stated that Tlaib’s depiction of Israel as “apartheid” was both “false and hateful.” But now, she restated that same false and anti-Semitic claim in order to demonize Israel’s self-defense, and joined her fellow “Squad” members to strip funding from a program designed to neutralize the war crimes of the Hamas terror organization.
Greenblatt was right to say that this “shameful act” by the “Squad” emboldens Hamas and Hezbollah, but why has he not called for consequences after yet another antisemitic fiasco from the “Squad”? Instead, he diverts our attention with another partisan fight against a conservative public figure who made controversial, debatable, but certainly not hateful remarks.
Just last month, the ADL refused to state categorically that singling out Israel for hateful boycotts was antisemitic. If the current leadership of the ADL is unwilling to call out real antisemitism in an unbiased fashion, the ADL must urgently find new leadership who will.
