My latest in PJ Media:
Anti-Defamation League (ADL) top dog Jonathan A. Greenblatt on Wednesday penned a defensive op-ed in the Forward, complaining about the cancel culture. Has the ADL, which has strayed a considerable distance from its stated mission “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all” and trafficked eagerly in the cancel culture for years, suddenly recovered a respect for the freedom of speech and the common decency to refrain from demonizing opposing viewpoints as evil and worthy only of silencing? No, but it is getting a taste of the medicine it has dished out for so many years in stigmatizing and marginalizing foes of jihad terror, and demonstrating yet again that the Leftist elites will never be satisfied with anything but absolute compliance with their agenda.
Greenblatt begins with a strut, proclaiming that the ADL is “one of the oldest civil-rights organizations in the Jewish community,” and trying for a tone of sweet reason, insisting that “we’re not unaccustomed to criticism, even in the pages of one of America’s oldest Jewish news outlets.”
However, now something has happened that even the saintly Greenblatt can’t pass over this one with his usual manful stoicism: “But the OpEd by Salam Al-Marayati, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, which the Forward published on Tuesday morning, was illuminating about how certain quarters in our society desperately try to employ cancel culture to silence others.”
What was that? The organization that produces articles with titles such as “Islamophobes React to Coronavirus Pandemic with Anti-Muslim Bigotry” has discovered the evils of the cancel culture? It seems unbelievable, but true at least as far as this goes. Greenblatt continues: “In this case, the author is trying to marginalize ADL and make support for the State of Israel disqualifying in pursuing civil rights for all Americans, including the Muslim-American community. Al-Marayati argues that ADL is a source of “anti-Muslim” rhetoric and cannot be fully trusted as an ally in the fight for civil rights because of our support of the Jewish state.” Greenblatt whines that it is a “common tactic in a smear campaign” to “narrow down a broader argument…into a singular, unfounded allegation.”
Oh, you mean like claiming that “American anti-Muslim ideologues are propagating a range of conspiracies aimed at stoking fear, claiming Muslims are defying social distancing rules and/or actively trying to spread the virus”? There are so many unfounded allegations in the ADL article that even al-Marayati would stand in awe. First there is the ADL’s smearing of foes of jihad violence and Sharia oppression as “anti-Muslim ideologues.” Then there is the characterization of the reporting of news stories as “propagating a range of conspiracies aimed at stoking fear.” Then there is the smearing of me as a “leading Islamophobe and right-wing conspiracy theorist,” which is the kind of language that precludes any honest discussion or debate out of hand, for the target has been prima facie ruled out of the bounds of acceptable discourse.
There is much more. Read the rest here.
tgusa says
The prudent thing to do would be to drop the anti from the name of their organization or perhaps rename it the addl. The anti defamation defamation league. Leftist organizations are incapable of any form of introspection.
Jack Holan says
I’ve written to @JGreenblattADL many times over the years on this topic. He lacks the self-respect or Our Israeli brothers and is weak. This is why he is and always will be a weak target for the Jihadists, Islamists, Marxists seeking Universalism in an Organization that, this is only part of it’s Mission. He seems to have thrown out defending Jews especially on University campuses out the door and became and advocate for People of Color and Muslims. People of Color and Muslims have their own organizations for this purpose and I’ll add they are very sophisticated employing the best Firms in New York and best Attorneys. It’s like the HIAS Hebrew Immigration Aid Society that dropped the H for Hebrew because the didn’t want to offend their Muslim immigrants. The Society’s largest clientele. No shame. My Grandmother was a lifelong member from 1904. I’m sure she is spinning in her grave. I’m sure past members of the ADL who were kicked out of Arab countries and made it to the USA, who understand the real tongue lashed at them in the Mosque and elsewhere or fake Taqiyya charges against non-Muslims and Jews get a cold sweat listening to JGreenblatt who came from the Obama Administration.
Roland says
It’s amazing. Most American Jews still don’t comprehend the threat of Islam or today’s Left. But, to those unhappy with ADL and other Jewish groups hijacked by the Left, I recommend that they carefully reallocate their charitable dollars and political efforts to Jewish organizations that truly defend Jewish rights in America and Israel and to anti-jihad persons and groups.
James Lincoln says
Leftist Jews are Jews in name only.
The following is an excellent article by Dennis Prager:
https://townhall.com/columnists/dennisprager/2018/11/06/leftwing-jews-a-jewish-and-american-tragedy-n2535218
john smith says
Thank you for this James, and I agree it is an excellent article.