At a time when America is still reeling from the murder of Charlie Kirk, and anti-Jew and anti-Israel hatred is peaking, the Anti-Defamation League decided to put Kirk’s Turning Point USA in its crosshairs.
Specifically, the ADL included Turning Point in its “glossary of extremism,” which, under pressure, they later deleted on Oct. 1. The glossary was used by law-enforcement agencies across the United States and beyond to track potential hate-group violence.
Did the ADL think that would somehow reduce antisemitism? It seems likely that it did just the opposite. As egregious and upsetting as that ADL action was, it was another horrific misstep in the last decade of its misguided cultural crusades that have nothing to do with its core mission: protecting the Jewish people.
The ADL was established in 1913 by B’nai B’rith to focus on protecting Jews and stopping discrimination against Jews. The mission creep, given the intent of its founders, has been mind-blowing in its expansiveness.
It has spent considerable legal and media resources trying to stop church organizations that want to encourage adoption, where those churches limit their efforts to parents of the same faith. Huh? Does a young woman who wants to give up her baby for adoption have the right to specify in what faith she would prefer the baby be raised?
How about the ADL’s recent initiative to support transgender rights in the military or any number of LGBTQ advocacy efforts? What do these issues have to do with protecting Jews? If truth be told, for those Jews who are more than genetically Jewish, the Torah is a particularly strong opponent of the LGBTQ movement.
The ADL “name-calls” its opponents on every one of these issues with the same two adjectives: “shameful and immoral.” It may want to look in the mirror. All of these and others are clearly issues that most religious Jews would oppose, and more importantly, have no connection to the foundational core mission of the ADL.
How critical is the mission today? We are watching survey data of international hatred of Israel—where half of the world’s Jews happen to live—skyrocket. Recently, thanks to Israel’s military strength and U.S. President Donald Trump, a Gaza peace agreement is moving forward, albeit with many questions.
One would think that maybe the hatred would subside. It has not. The demonstrations have grown. Interviewed after Trump’s speech in Israel, former vice president and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris seemingly echoed the blatant lie of Israel committing genocide.
From “the river to the sea” is where half of the Jewish people live—in their historic homeland. Virtually every synagogue, day school and community center in the Diaspora is taking significant security precautions because of the increased risks.
Much of the Jew-hatred has been inflamed by mainstream media, which takes the side of the terrorists, and uses their invented data and fake photos. There are also huge concerns on the right with key media figures, and their anti-Jewish and anti-Israel obsession.
New strategies must be considered, such as putting economic pressures on the advertisers of the mainstream media and these pundits, political pressure on Qatar, Al Jazeera’s financier, and congressional hearings on media using data and photos that they know are lies. But where is the ADL in providing leadership in developing and leading new strategies at this critical time? It was focused on smearing the life’s work of an American hero who was also an outspoken lover of Israel.
Jews need action focused on ADL’s core mission: fighting antisemitism and Israel-hatred with new and bold actions. We need organizations working closely with partners that support this mission, including Christian organizations, such as Christians United for Israel and Friends of Zion.
Some are beginning to say that Europe is back to the early 1930s in its Nazi-esque world outlook. How far behind is America if we aren’t successful in combating this?
At this most important juncture, Jews need new and bold leadership in this fight, and the ADL to either refocus or disappear. With God’s help, that leadership will emerge and succeed.
