Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt speaks at the group’s 2018 National Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. (Michael Brochstein\/SOPA Images\/LightRocket via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The effort, called Drop The ADL, criticizes the ADL\u2019s work with police forces across the country as well as its support of Israel. Spearheaded by a coalition of pro-Palestinian and left-wing groups that disapprove of the ADL\u2019s ties to law enforcement, the campaign follows earlier left-wing pushes against the Jewish anti-bigotry group.<\/p>\n
The campaign comes on the heels of a high-profile ad boycott of Facebook spearheaded by the ADL, NAACP and other civil rights groups. The boycott recruited more than 1,000 companies, including a range of marquee brand names, to pause advertising on the social media giant for at least a month to protest its inaction on hate speech.<\/p>\n
The signatories to the anti-ADL campaign say that kind of effort, as well as local anti-bias work that the ADL supports, should not cause progressives to forgive more problematic aspects of the group\u2019s record. <\/p>\n
\u201cEven though the ADL is integrated into community work on a range of issues, it has a history and ongoing pattern of attacking social justice movements led by communities of color, queer people, immigrants, Muslims, Arabs, and other marginalized groups, while aligning itself with police, right-wing leaders, and perpetrators of state violence,\u201d the open letter says. \u201cMore disturbing, it has often conducted those attacks under the banner of \u2018civil rights.’\u201d<\/p>\n
The list of 100 signatories includes an array of progressive groups, such as the Democratic Socialists of America, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, the Movement for Black Lives, Jewish Voice for Peace and Jews for Racial and Economic Justice. Some have previously criticized the ADL, while others are joining in after a summer in which criticism of racial injustice in law enforcement has taken center stage.<\/p>\n
Multiple civil rights groups that have worked with the ADL have not commented on the boycott campaign, including the NAACP, which partnered on the Facebook boycott but has not responded to a request for comment. UnidosUS, an American Latino advocacy group that announced a partnership last year with the ADL on reporting hate crimes, also declined to comment.<\/p>\n
But liberal Jewish organizations that have worked with the ADL are publicly defending its record as a Jewish civil rights organization with a long track record of standing up for marginalized communities. A coalition of Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist Jewish organizations put out a joint statement Tuesday evening pushing back on the criticism. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe vehemently reject efforts to silence or shun the ADL,\u201d the statement read. \u201cMany of the criticisms that have been made are unjust or distort ADL\u2019s long record of commitment to civil rights and its successful efforts in legislatures, courts, schools, and communities to fight discrimination and hate. We remain committed to working in our vital coalitions in close partnership with the ADL on our shared desire to fight bigotry, wherever it may be found.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark Hetfield, CEO of the Jewish refugee aid group HIAS, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, \u201cThis smear campaign takes us in the opposite direction of where we need to go.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cHIAS has been closely working with ADL for over 100 years and we look forward to working with them for the next 100 years fighting hate and welcoming refugees,\u201d Hetfield wrote. \u201cADL has long been one of HIAS\u2019 closest and most valued partners and allies in the United States as well as Israel. HIAS stands with ADL.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of the liberal Israel lobby J Street, also came out against the boycott campaign. <\/p>\n
\u201cOne can disagree with @ADL over Israel policy \u2014 and I often do \u2014 esp. labeling critics of Israeli policy antisemitic, yet appreciate their stand on travel ban and refugees + track record on civil rights,\u201d Ben-Ami tweeted Monday. \u201cI favor engaging not boycotting those with whom we disagree.\u201d<\/p>\n
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