In a Letter to the Editor of the Intermountain Jewish News, Anti-Defamation League Mountain States Regional Director Scott L. Levin corrected misconceptions regarding ADL’s position on proposed Democratic National Committee chairman Keith Ellison. The letter in its entirety follows.

 

Editor:

Dr. Neil Dobro’s claim (“The ADL and Keith Ellison”letter,Dec.9) that the ADL “retracted its support for Congressman Keith Ellison in his quest to be chairman of the Democratic National Committee,” is a based on a false premise and advances a wrongful narrative designed to demean ADL.

First, one cannot “retract” what one has never stated. ADL never said it supported Rep. Ellison’s quest to be chair of the DNC. While ADL National Director Jonathan Greenblatt initially acknowledged in a Nov. 22, 2016, tweet that leadership in the Jewish community in Minnesota had confirmed Ellison is a man of good character, the tweet went on to expressly set forth reservations: “ . . . the Congressman also has made statements and taken positions, especially regarding the Israeli Palestinian conflict and on the JCPOA [the Iran deal], on which we strongly differ and that concern us.” Expressions of concern are not expressions of support.

In a longer essay published in Medium three days later (“Questions about Keith Ellison Reflect Questions about the Democratic Party,” Nov. 25, 2016), Greenblatt expounded on his apprehensions, stating, “it is very disturbing that someone who has been excessively critical of the State of Israel at key junctures in recent history might become the titular head of the Democratic Party.” In the same essay, Greenblatt called out several of the items Dobro identifies, including voting against supplemental funding for Israel’s anti-missile Iron Dome program at the very time Hamas missiles were raining down on Israeli civilians; criticizing Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza; and supporting the JCPOA despite strong Israeli resistance to the deal.

When new information from an Ellison speech recorded in 2010 came to light, Greenblatt immediately expressed additional concerns about Ellison and whether he could faithfully represent the Democratic Party’s traditional support for a strong and secure Israel. On Dec. 1, 2016 Greenblatt stated Ellison’s remarks were “both deeply disturbing and disqualifying.” In the speech, Ellison is heard suggesting that American foreign policy in the Middle East is driven by Israel. His words imply that US foreign policy is based on religiously or national origin-based special interests rather than simply on America’s best interests. Greenblatt pointed out that whether intentional or not, Ellison’s words raise the specter of age-old stereotypes about Jewish control of our government.

Second, Dobro accuses Greenblatt and ADL of partisan politics. ADL is a non-partisan organization and does not support any political party. At the same time, ADL deeply believes in the importance of bipartisan support for Israel. Such support is crucial to ensure continued engagement with our most important ally in the region, a democracy whose emphasis on equality and commitment to the rule of law stands in stark contrast to the anarchy and authoritarian regimes that prevail in much of the Middle East. These shared values are the bedrock for the long-standing relationship between the US and Israel.

Finally, Dobro claims ADL has strayed from its mission. It is apparent Dobro does not fully comprehend the mission ADL has had since its founding 103 years ago, and its presence in this community for 75 years. Throughout its entire history, ADL mission has been “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.”

ADL’s commitment to the first part of that mission, fighting anti-Semitism, has never been greater. ADL remains the nation’s leading organization monitoring and exposing the anti-Semitic rhetoric and deeds of extremism groups, combating the delegitimization of Israel, including the BDS movement, galvanizing communal response to hate crimes and assisting individual victims.

By way of example, under Greenblatt’s leadership, ADL recently hosted its first major summit on anti-Semitism, dubbed “Never is Now.” This conference attracted over 1,000 people who heard speakers that explored this issue from all angles, including discussions of manifestations of anti-Semitism from the radical left in the form of the BDS movement as well as the extreme right in the form of white supremacy and European populism. In addition, earlier this year, ADL convened a blue-ribbon task force to investigate the virulent online harassment of Jewish journalists. More recently, ADL helped to craft new legislation designed to assist college students dealing with rampant anti-Semitism on their campuses. The Anti-Semitism Awareness Act of 2016 mandated that the federal government use a definition of anti-Semitism when investigating federal discrimination claims.

It is hard to understand how any observer could conclude that ADL is at odds with its core mission.

SCOTT L. LEVIN
ADL Mountain States Regional Director
Denver