- Founded by B'nai B'rith in 1913, its stated mission is
"to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice
and fair treatment to all," calling itself "the nation's premier
civil rights/human relations agency, (fighting) anti-Semitism and all forms
of bigotry...."
-
- In fact, Abraham Foxman, its national director, uses
high-mindedness and unfounded anti-semitism hysteria as cover for backing
Jewish supremacy and the right of Israelis over Arabs, including by occupation
and belligerently enforced apartheid.
-
- One of the 52 listed Conference of Presidents of Major
American Jewish Organization (CPMAJO) Zionist organizations, ADL disseminates
pro-Israeli propaganda and conducts smear campaigns against Israeli critics,
under the guise of fighting anti-semitism and supporting human rights equitably.
Overall, in fact, its long history is
- disturbing.
-
- In the late 1930s and 40s, it spied on suspected communist
sympathizers, working with the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC),
later called the House Committee on Internal Security until abolished in
1975, its functions transferred to the House Judiciary Committee.
-
- Later in the 1980s, it engaged in private spying, the
San Francisco Chronicle reporting that, in April 1993, police raided its
offices, revealing a political spy operation aided by a corrupt police
officer, Tom Gerard. Working with Roy Bullock, a political informant, files
about thousands of Arab Americans and hundreds left-of-center northern
California organizations were pilfered.
-
- Among them were the National Lawyers Guild, ACLU, NAACP,
the Rainbow Coalition, Greenpeace, the Nation of Islam, the American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee, the Bay Area anti-Apartheid Network, Asian
Law Caucus, CISPES, and 20 Bay area labor unions, none supporting hate
or revolutionary activities.
-
- Later it was revealed that ADL conducted similar operations
nationally through its LEARN program (Law Enforcement Agency Resource Network),
infiltrating local law enforcement agencies, bribing police officers, and
securing non-public information illegally.
-
- Its penchant for spying is now exposed, if not acknowledged,
yet so far it's escaped prosecution and harsh class action suit judgments
by admitting no wrongdoing, and agreeing to remove improperly obtained
documents from its files. Henceforth, it promised:
-
- -- to refrain from seeking non-public information;
-
- -- contribute $25,000 to a Hate Crimes Fund;
-
- -- another $25,000 for a public school course; and
- -- $25,000 more to a fund for improving relations among
Jews, Blacks, and other minorities.
-
- After Israel's "War of Independence," its publication,
"The Facts," called supporters of Palestinian justice anti-semites,
including Barnard College Dean Virginia Gildersleve, Kermit Roosevelt (grandson
of Theodore Roosevelt), and former American University of Beirut President
Bayard Dodge. Its May 1948 publication charged:
-
- "Their espousal of the Arab League cause and opposition
to Zionism has been marked by the increasingly hostile attitude toward
the Jewish people themselves. While anti-Zionism and sympathy for the Arab
cause are not necessarily indications of anti-Semitic prejudice, there
are many whose pro-Arab utterances and activities have contained sufficiently
expressed or implied anti-Semitism to give cause for genuine alarm."
-
- Thereafter, ADL used the same "guilt by association"
and "guilt by juxtaposition" smears against other Israeli critics
and pro-Palestinian supporters.
-
- For example, in 1983, its handbook titled, "Pro-Arab
propaganda in America: Vehicles and Voices" listed university faculty
and staff members, critical of Israel and Zionism, calling them anti-semites,
extremists, and radicals seeking to abolish the state of Israel and incite
prejudice against Jewish Americans. Charges were, in fact, smears based
on lies, distortions, and half truths, censuring numerous anti-Israeli
critics.
-
- Along with AIPAC, the Zionist Organization of America,
and other prominent CPMAJO-listed groups, the ADL exerts enormous influence
in America. Working closely with Mossad, the FBI, CIA, and Department of
Homeland Security (DHS), ADL fronts for Israel without registering as a
foreign agent. Using pressure, cajoling, and smear threats, it also demands
media compliance, assuring one-sided pro-Israeli coverage.
-
- ADL's Top US Anti-Israeli Groups
-
- In early October, ADL published its top 10 list, including
one Jewish-led one, Abe Foxman announcing:
-
- "While there are hundreds of groups that organize
and participate in various anti-Israeli activities, we have identified
the largest and most well-coordinated anti-Israeli groups. These groups
are not promoting peace. They are spreading propaganda to assault Israel's
legitimacy. We want Americans to know who (they) are and what it is they
really stand for, which is to delegitimize the Jewish state."
-
- "These groups demonize Israel through various public
campaigns. Their messages are one-sided and fail to take the complexity
of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into account. They unfairly attack
israel while ignoring Palestinian terrorism and incitement. They apply
a different standard to Israel than other countries, condemning it for
implementing policies to protect its citizens."
-
- The above statement reflects the last refuge of a scoundrel,
blaming victims and their supporters, in this case, organizations for peace,
equity and justice, unlike ADL and other pro-Israeli groups. Like all Jewish
supremacists, they're for Israeli lawlessness, violence, aggressive wars,
isolation, home demolitions, land theft, dispossessions, mass imprisonments,
torture, targeted assassinations, and continued slow-motion genocide against
millions of Palestinians, including besieged Gazans.
-
- ADL's top 10 include:
-
- (1) Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER)
-
- Formed post-9/11, it's been activist against war, imperialism,
bigotry, and represents other issues, including civil and human rights,
and support for Palestinian equity and justice.
-
- (2) Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition
-
- It's "committed to comprehensive public education
on the rights of all Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and
lands of origin, and to full restitution of all their confiscated and destroyed
property," according to international law.
-
- (3) Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
-
- In defending civil liberties, freedom of religion, diversity,
tolerance, and democratic freedoms, it combats hate groups vilifying Islam
and Muslims.
-
- (4) Friends of Sabeel-North America (FOSNA)
-
- It "promotes awareness and understanding" of
the Israeli/Palestinian conflict "through educational programs for
North American Christians....FOSNA seeks reconciliation between people
of the Holy Land in a vision of peace based on principles of a just peace,"
including "the urgency of ending US support for Israel's illegal military
occupation."
-
- (5) If Americans Knew (IAK)
-
- Its mission is "to inform and educate the American
public on issues of major significance that are unreported, underreported,
or misreported in the American media." It believes conflict resolution
and justice depends on revealing truths, ones major US media sources suppress,
supporting the worst of Israeli lawlessness.
-
- (6) International Solidarity Movement (ISM)
-
- A Palestinian-led initiative, it's committed to resisting
Israel's occupation, oppression, domination, and apartheid through nonviolent,
direct-action methods.
-
- (7) Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP)
-
- It seeks equity, peace, security, and self-determination
for Israelis and Palestinians alike, through "grassroots organizing,
education, advocacy, and media." It's the only US Jewish organization
providing a voice for Jews and their allies, who believe that Middle East
peace is only possible "through justice and full equality" for
Jews and Muslims alike.
-
- (8) Muslim American Society (MAS)
-
- As a religious, charitable, social, cultural, and educational
group, its mission is to "move people to strive for God consciousness,
liberty, and justice, and to convey Islam with utmost clarity."
-
- (9) Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP)
-
- By "visualiz(ing) the Palestinian struggle,"
it opposes apartheid and occupation through protests, memorials, and other
ways, highlighting their plight against Israeli aggression and occupation.
-
- (10) US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation (USCEIO)
-
- It's a "diverse coalition working for freedom from
occupation and equal rights for all by challenging US policy towards the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict." Based on human rights and international
law, it seeks peace, justice, and conciliation by "chang(ing) the
US role," the essential way to do it.
-
- A Final Comment
-
- The contrast between ADL and the above groups is stark
and revealing. Claiming human rights credentials, ADL backs the worst of
Israeli lawlessness. Organizations like its top 10 support the rule of
law, self-determination, equity, nonviolence, conciliation, and the right
of everyone in the region to co-exist peacefully - notions Israel and its
acolytes won't tolerate, ADL prominent among them.
-
- Asking Obama to take the lead in an October 19 Jerusalem
Post interview, Foxman expressed disdain for Palestinian self-determination,
saying:
-
- "Now is the time to send a message to the Palestinians
and Middle Eastern and European nations that the US will not tolerate and
sanction" Palestinians' creating a state unilaterally. "It has
to be made clear to the Palestinians that they have to give up this pipe
dream that their Arab and European friends (which ones he didn't say) will
give them a state without them having to make concessions or sacrifices."
-
- From most people this comment would shock. From Foxman
it reflects his advocacy for enforced apartheid, the harsher the better,
demanding all, giving nothing, what he's supported throughout his entire
professional life, masquerading as a human rights champion.
-
- Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached atlendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge
discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour
on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and
Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.
-
- http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.
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