The ADL has lost its way under Abe Foxman
The Anti-Defamation League's methods of fighting anti-Semitism are not only outdated, but often counterproductive and have certainly devalued the currency of their accusations.
By Anshel PfefferAbe Foxman, the National Director of the Anti-Defamation League, is probably very sorry by now that he waded in to the quagmire of controversy over the construction of the Cordoba House mosque near Ground Zero in New York.
This isn't the first time that the League, one of the most powerful Jewish organizations in the world, has been tainted by scandal under Foxman's 23-year stewardship, but it doesn't seem that any of the previous uproars have so fundamentally brought into question the role of the ADL, which was founded in 1913 "to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all," and today bills itself as the United State's "premier civil rights/human relations agency."
It's not that the opposition to building the new mosque near the site of the biggest mass-murder carried out by Islamist terrorists is totally without merit - far from it. As Foxman pointed out, the families of the 9/11 victims who feel deeply offended and hurt by what they see as an insensitive project certainly deserve a hearing.
And not enough has been done to question the murky motives of the mosque's imam, Feisal Abdul Rauf, who believes that the American administration shares part of the blame for the attack on the World Trade Center and sympathizes with some of the worst Islamic elements, including Hamas and the Iranian regime.
But the debate around the mosque in the U.S. has become an ugly mud-fight in which bigotry and political opportunism are the main motives.
When Foxman was forced to respond the angry critics of the ADL's opposition to the mosque, he said that he condemned those who were against it for the "wrong" reasons and tried to highlight all the ADL's projects designed to improve relations with Muslim communities in the U.S. But these were weasel words; the ADL had no business getting into this from the beginning if it didn't feel capable of supporting Cordoba's basic civil right to build a mosque wherever it liked.
Just at Foxman was mistaken in calling upon Richard Goldstone to repudiate his report on the Gaza operation. Just as he was mistaken dragging the ADL into the argument over Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer's book, The Israel Lobby, two years ago, when he accused them of "using anti-Semitic tropes."
And just as he was mistaken when he almost tore the organization apart three years ago by opposing a Congressional resolution that would have officially labeled the murder of 1.5 million Armenians at the hand of the Turkish government during the First World War a "genocide."
The Goldstone report was so ridiculously one-sided that even left-wing Israeli human rights groups such as B'Tselem criticized it, but where exactly does biased criticism of Israeli military tactics fit into ADL's charter?
And while the Walt and Mearsheimer's book was certainly malicious, if Foxman thought it was anti-Semitic then he should have just said so outright. Instead he simply gave ammunition to those who accuse Jewish lobbyists for using the anti-Semitism card at every criticism of Israel.
In his Armenian intervention, he actively enlisted the ADL in a campaign that subscribed to the anti-Semitic notion that the Jewish money rules Washington.
The 'Elders of Zion' fantasy
As one Israeli diplomat told me at the time, "The Turkish government sees the ADL as an agency of Jewish power, so Foxman thought that if he would allow members of the League to support the resolution, it would harm Israel's strategic relationship with Turkey. He thought he was helping Israel but he simply reinforced the Turks' 'Elders of Zion' fantasy."
I wonder if Foxman still feels proud of himself for working as Ankara's lobbyist.
But the loss of direction at the ADL is not simply a result of Foxman's hubristic posturing and it goes even deeper than just a failure to reconcile its disparate roles as a civil rights movement, crusader against anti-Semitism and Israel advocacy group.
When the League was founded nearly a century ago, discrimination against Jews was still institutional in many respectable quarters and the Klu Klux Klan was a mainstream movement.
Many leading figures in politics and business were openly and proudly anti-Semitic and there was a real need for an influential, well-funded organization to battle them on a national level.
In recent decades, the ADL has made credible efforts to evolve and become a major force in fighting other forms of bigotry and working to improve ties between different minorities and religious groups.
In some cases, the ADL has even gone so far as to criticize Israeli rabbis and politicians for their more overtly racist anti-Arab statements, but their knee-jerk responses to every real and imagined manifestation of Judeophobia is still at the basis of their public image and often takes them to the borders of absurdity. As when it condemned a book of humoristic knitting patterns for finger puppets including a "knitler" with a tiny mustache.
Not every flippant use of Nazi imagery is Holocaust denial, nor is every disproportionate criticism of Israel, or even musings on the legitimacy of the Jewish state, necessarily motivated by Jew-hatred. But the ADL and the rest of the anti-anti-Semitism industry carry on crying wolf because it obviously helps with fundraising.
Anti-Semitism is still here, even if its overt versions are no longer fashionable in western society. But the ADL's methods of fighting it are not only outdated, but often counterproductive and have certainly devalued the currency of their accusations. Is there a better way than Foxman's sledgehammer tactics? Maybe we don't need another way.
President Shimon Peres has a standard answer whenever Jewish leaders from around the world tell him of anti-Semitism in their countries: "It's not your problem," he says. "Anti-Semitism is a sign of backward underdeveloped societies, that's the Goyim's problem. Jews have more important things to be worried about."
 |
ADL Executive Director Abe Foxman |
| Photo by: AP / Corrado Giambalvo |
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
I am shocked at the double-talk and misinformation about Arabs and Moslems in MY NATIVE COUNTRY AMERICA! They only started emigrating in the last 10 to 20 years, usually ILLEGALLY. They have NOT assimiliated and take not only anti-Israeli positions, but constantly are exposed as anti-Semitic in areas having nothing to do with the Arab-israeli dispute. How Jews, and this paper can constantly support Arabs and Moslems over Jews goes back to the days when left wing Jews abandoned their people and supported STALIN and HITLER in 1939! It is history repeating itself, although, I hope to Heaven, not with the same results.
It is time that ADL should be renamed to be the Anti-Decency League.
I would put money on it that a piece of one the planes that hit the WTC, that then fell onto the same controversial building, is being held by the Muslim owners of the site and this same piece will be encased in a secure room in the proposed building. And those Muslims who want to rejoice at the fall of the West will come to pray at this site. Special guests will be given special access to view this piece of plane where it will inspire and encourage the continued battle and jihad. Abe Foxman showed the courage to see through the lies. This is not about religious freedom. This is not about the fear that the same thing is going to happen to Jews if they don't support this mosque.
The big problem of the ADL is that anti-Semitism is dying out in the West. Such a prejudice cannot die overnight; its decline is on a generational time-scale. Since it became unrespectable to be anti-Semitic, people tend to suppress such expressions, so the next generation gets a weaker dose of the prejudice, and so on. Unfortunately for the ADL, this makes their organization largely irrelevant. But being Jewish paranoids, they insist on using the accusation of anti-Semitism even where it doesn't belong, such as when people have legitimate criticism of Israel's state policies. We will all be better off when they call it quits. Curtain time, Mr. Foxman, and please have a long and deep sleep.
The hate crime that followed the unsubstantiated attacked on Islam and Muslims shows exactly why organisation like the ADL were created to stand up in the face of all hate speech and not just hate speech against Jews. The position of the ADL in defending the rights of non Jews has been severely affected. My experience with the ADL and its director show that when it comes to Palestinian issues, the ADL forgets about its own mission. See my piece in the huffington post on the topic http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daoud-kuttab/my-experience-with-the-ad_b_674516.html
...Q. if u could read lips, what would be the word coming out o Abe's gob in the photo above?.... winner gets a Moro.
that are more effective in fighting for civil rights and against anti-semitism, such as the Southern Law Poverty Center. In addition to the ADL, there is also Fox News that is inciting hatred against Muslims. Just look at what happened today with a New York cab driver. And those who are gleeful should realize that the next time an assailant may not ask their victim's religion, and Israelis or Jews living in Europe or the US could be the next victim.
What then to say about racist Israel?
He has upset so many people including my dear armenian friends in boston, who always sympatize with jews and the holicaust. he came out against armenian genocide resolution and help defeat it. He has no prociple in my openion.
I was so dissappointed with this man that I have stopped my yearly donations to ADL for the last two years.He should go, making too many enemies against us
Anshel Pfeffer's article seemed like gossip. There was little if any research to support his arguments. Even a good editorial or opinion piece gives more than one argument. I'm disappointed in the low level of journalism. Should I not be?
I wish it were as simple as Peres (whom I admire) indicates.
Read his biography.
Pfeffer's critique is spot on, and what is frightening is the worsening kulturkampf between the American right and left. Foxman however is not the only Jewish leader who is obsessed about Israel's well being and cannot refrain from trying to do what seems in her best interest. Just as ADL shouldn't butt its nose in to extraneous matters, it would have been better for both America's Jews and Israel if some limits on purusing political agendas where there is no full and equal democratic responsibility for Israel's decisions or agreed protocols are in place. Does Pfeffer acknowledge the fundamental inappropriateness of "Breira" and ZOA's and their successors pointificating from the diaspora as well?
He represents a time gone by in terms of ADL's focus and mission and does not reflect modern thinking within the Jewish community of 2010. ADL could and should continue its crucial work combatting anti-Semitism but must add Islamophobia and racism to its core mission in order to stay relevant. Fox really dragged ADL through the mud with his objection to the mosque building in Manhattan. ADL should stand up for everyone's equal right to freedom of religion and not just for Jews and Christians.
The most obnoxious thing in this article has got to be the Peres quote at the end, sneering at "backward" and "underdeveloped" "Goyim" . He then sniffed: "Jews have more important things to be worried about." Like what, Mr. Peres? Oh yes! like running a racist apartheid state built on land theft and ethnic cleansing that has gone on for years. Thanks for pointing that out! .
Abe Foxman, the only real great Jewish leader left in the World and the US I agree with Abe 95% of the time. With all other so-called leaders of the American Jews I agree 0%. They're bunch of nothing: David Harris, Malcolm Hoenlehn, Alan Dershowitz who are afraid of the teenager in the WH. We do not have leaders: two insane oligarchs, Soros and Blumberg, Soros installed Obama as President just like Berezovsky made Putin President of Russia. Bloomberg should convert to Islam; absolute nothing; bought himself the position of mayor of New York and only represents Muslim taxi drivers. What a man, I have no allowed words to describe him. A rehabilitation with Lindsey can help. Abe is a real hero, he represents 90% of us; the liberals, the Jewish Obamistas, the secular German Jews are in bed together with our enemies.
We have about 5 Million Muslims and growing fast. Mike Bloomberg has our vote, PERIOD.
...Mike Foxman--and say Hi! to your Uncle Abe.
You have, Rahman, only one million Muslims in the US! Your number of 5 mln. Muslims is your dream of the 23rd century. However, you are in a good company, the Islamic extremists like Jim Zogby and Ibrahim Hopper repeatedly lie on the American TV about millions of Muslims existing in their wild imagination. In his Cairo speech, our Nobel Peace Prize winner, his Majesty, Sultan Barack Hussein Obama, also made an unbelievable mistake that there are "nearly 7 million American Muslims today...". I am alone who knows how he made this stupid mistake: his speech was written by his Muslim coworkers in the White House. And it wasn't shown to anyone else who would notice this egregious stupidity. By the way, the Obama Ministration still didn't correct itself in this regard. Rahman, more bad news for you: from 1 million Muslims in the US only 150000 are Arabs. Others are Indian, Indonesian, Central Asian and Muslims from other countries who aren't extremists. And, in my view, only a couple of thousand of the Arab Muslims are Islamic extremists. Everyone else has to have a job.
We don't want idiots like Foxman in this important position in this important organization in this important country. He dosen't have common sense - We should send him back to school to learn a little bit of know how on day to day matters and also to learn when to open the mouth. The moment he opens his mouth - it is advertisement of his foolishness.
Mr. Foxman, along with Mr. Ioanid, an employee of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, has demanded that the Bank of Romania withdraw a coin with the likeness of Romanian Patriarch Miron Cristea – one of a series of five coins commemorating Romania’s Patriarchs. In 1939, as prime Minister of Romania, Miron Cristea, who was an anti-Semite, signed a decree depriving 37 % of Romania’s Jews of citizenship. The demand is as absurd as would be a demand to excise the Gospel of St. John from the New Testament, prohibit the reprinting of writings of St. Ambrose, Martin Luther and Romania’s national poets, Mihail Eminescu and Vasile Alecsandri, or withdraw U.S. currency depicting Founding Fathers who owned slaves. Some historical context is in order. King Carol instituted his dictatorship in 1938, the year of Munich. Having realized that Britain and France could be counted upon from a strategic point of view, he was attempting to “Finlandize” his country, while bitterly fighting the pro-Nazi Romanian Iron Guard. He appointed the Patriarch as a prime minister to gain a semblance of legitimacy. The relatively mild anti-Semitic legislation ordered by Carol was an opportunistic move that had little to do with Miron Cristea, a mere figurehead. Mr. Ioanid deserves praise for his activities aimed to keep alive the memory of the anti-Semitic crimes perpetrated in Romania and Transnistria by the pro-Nazi Romanian authorities. But he can err, as he has in the past. When, some years ago, I asked him to support my and my cousin Liviu Librescu’s efforts to have Queen Mother Elena of Romania named a Righteous among the Nations by Yad Vashem, Mr. Ioanid flatly refused, informing me that "he is not a monarchist." Yad Vashem thought differently and conferred that title on the Queen who saved thousands of Jewish lives. The son of a top communist nomenklatura member, Mr. Ioanid seems not to have fully shed his Leninist upbringing and lack of sense of nuance. His wrong-headed action on the Miron Cristea coin is unhelpfully provocative and poorly timed, coming as it does shortly after President Peres’s visit to Romania, one if Israel’s strategic allies. Mr. Foxman unthinkingly jumped on Mr. Ioanid’s bandwagon. People of good faith and sound judgment -- New York City Mayor Bloomberg and Fareed Zakharia among them -- took exception to his opposition to the building of a mosque near Ground Zero, an opposition called in the New York Times a “useful idiocy,” serving Bin Laden more than the cause of freedom. Neither Mr. Foxman nor Mr. Ioanid is faring much better in the Miron Cristea coin affair. The Holocaust Museum should put in place a responsible and effective system capable of checking Mr. Ioanid, rather than letting him act as a loose gun. Mr. Ioanid represents only himself and should not use his government job to make foreign policy. He does not represent the U.S. government, the American people, or the American Jewish community. And it is high time for Mr. Foxman to retire from his job.
They are no longer relative. They are more interested in attacking Xmas trees in Airports, then champion any legitimate cause. They'd have more credibility if they'd point the finger at Israel's oppression of the Palestinians and other acts against non-Jews in Israel. The ADL has done so much to deligitimize the word anti-semitism.
is a Israeli puppit and a weapon of appartide.
and if racism or anything else affects other people, it could really care less. I find it interesting that such organizations always shy away from using the word Jewish in their name, because that's all they are, Jewish organizations working to advance the Jews, so they put this what seems neutral name as if they are an unbiased organization - when we all know where they stand, the mosque incident on Ground Zero further illustrates this. When has the ADL taken a critical position towards Israel? The Elder of Zion would never allow that.
have put this hapless organisation out of business. It has no more credibility, moral or otherwise. As for foxman, he had none to start with. Time to close shop and disband. They're nothing but a advocacy organisation for the most extreme and racist policies of the Israeli government.
I've seen from inside the (bad) work of ADL in Italy and with the Vatican. It is time to discuss the role of the ADL and the dismissal of Foxman!
....He is so embarassing!
The ADL lost its credibility long before Foman, People do not buy in thier accusations anymore...unless they are forced to!!!!
For the longest time, I was unaware that the ADL was anything other than an unconditional cheerleader for Israel's government, flinging out accusations of anti-Semitism at anyone who criticized the occupation or the settlements. I was pretty surprised to hear it was actually supposed to be the anti-bigotry organization the name implied. I'm sure I'm not the only one, and that indicates they need to change course and start living up to their name.
The ADL is on record supporting bigots who want to deny Muslims the right to have a community center in downtown Manhattan. Its contemporary religious bigotry will haunt this former renown civil rights organization for decades after Abe Foxman is no longer its leader.
recently with ensuring revenue streams to maintain his lifestyle. As a consequence the ADL is becoming increasingly irrelevant. Foxman diving into the mosque controversy is merely another nail in it's coffin.
a changing in top staff
He makes other 'not smart' American Jews appear even 'less smarter'.
If the ADL were actually a civil liberties organization, its position on the Armenian genocide resolution should have been this: In a free and democratic country, where government limitations on free speech are prohibited, Congress has no business "officially" defining historical truth by majority vote, in obedience to political considerations. That's "1984" territory. ADL problem solved. However, I don't recall this elementary point being made even once during the whole debate. This is not an insignificant point. The ADL, an American organization, regularly calls upon foreign states to prosecute people for "crimes" such as Holocaust denial, when such prosecutions would be unconstitutional in this country. It is this sort of thing that makes me despise the ADL. Another way of looking at it--the historical facts about the persecution of the Armenians are clear. What was at issue in the Congressional resolution was whether the killings fit within the definition of "genocide." Is one of Congress's functions to dictate to the American populace the meaning of English words? Is this "good for the Jews"?
Abdalla: Huh?
He did make a huge mistake by lobbying on behalf of the Turkish government though, but he was absolutely right about the mosque. This Islamist project is designed to be a monument to the victory over the gullible infidels and is financed by the same people who financed 9/11. This time, Abe Foxman got it right.
..finances our right wing Fox News. They are also recieving funds from liberal groups. Check out the web site! Your assertion is only that-- an assertion. The US has thousands of mosques. I think we've had a problem with TWO of them. We have FAR more trouble with the fundie Christian Churches! The "mosque" is only a community center with an interfaith prayer room at the top. But it IS a threat to those who have Muslims. Because Muslims and other faiths will be mixing in pleasant social circumstances. THAT is a threat to haters, because it eradicates demonization. Anyone who damages the mosque can and will be charged with a federal hate crime. That means the FBI and the federal penitentiary. Anyone who tries to stop the building of the community center may face a Constitutional lawsuit. The First Amendment is not selectively applied. It protects ALL Americans from discrimination because of religion. Abe Fozxman is dead wrong. If he doesn't like the Constitution, is welcome to move to a monarchy.
First, it's not a mosque. It's a community center. Second, it's not at 'Ground Zero', but a couple blocks away. Third, there are already two mosques within blocks of 'Ground Zero'. Fourth, the terrorists were Sunni Wahhabi Muslims, these Muslims are Sufi. Basically, this is like blaming the Baptists for the Spanish Inquisition. Fifth, there have been know ties found between the center and terrorism (despite rumors). Sixth, there are people protesting and attaching mosques across the nation, are they too close to 'Ground Zero' too? Seventh, there are 9/11 families, Jews, Christians and New Yorkers that also support the center. So who is gullible?
Foxman is doing an excellent Job defending the Jewish people with honor and he is loved and admired. The difficult question is What have those that criticize Foxman so unfairly done for the Jewish people? The answer is nothing!
There are plenty of U.S. Jews that are - and have been - highly disapointed with Foxman. So speak for yourself.
A LOT of Jewish Americans are ANTI-Zionist, and inclusive, and see Foxman's action as racist and opportunistic.
Why are you crying about "What people have done for the Jewish people?" Nobody here owes you anything!
How on Earth could Goldstone's report have been "balanced" when Israel's army killed about 1400 Palestinians and 4 of it's own soldiers and Palestinian guerillas killed 9(!) Israeli soldiers and civilians? When killing is one-sided, the resulting report will show that. There's no way to deal equal blame.
Israel did what any normal nation would do to protect her people after constant provocation by mortars(Israel though unfortunately put up with it too long) and they also followed the Torah by slaying their enemy and also not doing it easily enough because Hamas hides amoungst school children Israel was so moral, humanitarian and wonderful ! I don't think Hamas on the other hand is to be considered moral when they fire missles into Sderot and their terrorist acts don't try to avoid civilians. The blame is on Hamas and none on Israel. How do you feel about the Jewish people? I am Jewish and I think you have a problem,
As a Muslim-American, I respect Mr.Foxman & ADL. He is a good man but makes occasional mistakes like all of us. We all know in US that The NY mosque contoversy was started by right wing republicans to get votes by creating "fear". Leave Mr.Foxman alone. Shalom...
I agree with u man, this guy succeeded in pitting Jew against Jew, what an acomplihment.
I remember when the Anti-Defamation League stood against racial and religious bigotry. It is, therefore a bit odd, and disconcerting, to see it as a major promoter and defender of racial and religious bigotry under Abe Foxman.
I don't think the ADL is a major promotor of bigotry, but Abe has made a lot of mistakes recently, which have embarr. the ADL, so maybe it is time he retired.
The term anti-Semite no longer has any currency no one listen any more when the Jews cry anti-Semite Jewish organizations like the ADL and others need to carefully weight each suspect case before they make the charge. Just like the Vatican does now for their miracles they scrutinize them allot more than they use to when every hour there was a new miracle. What was happening was that each of these thousands of miracles that were popping up was later found to be false which severely damaged their credibility to the point where the claims are now laughable... the term Anti-Semite has now become as laughable... this does not say that anti-Semitism doesn't exist but people do not believe the charge anymore, anymore than they believe the Vatican’s miracles. Organizations like the ADL have made the world more tolerant and dismissive to the term because the belief is “there goes the Jews again calling everyone that disagrees with them anti-Semite” and this is a dangerous trend because one need just remember the story of what happened to the boy how cried wolf.
and that makes your kind inordinately pleased, doesn't it John?
...ADL's over-the-decades "mission creep" (my wording, not the author's) is a very valid one. Anti-Semitism in the US--while still with us--is NOTHING like it WAS, either quantitatively or qualitatively--which put the ADL in real quandary--as to how best rewrite its internal "mission statement" in such a way as to retain its original relevance. (That's not an easy task--even for the very best of folks--and that's all I've got to say.)
It's coming back.
Foxman's criticism of the Islamic Center was an embarassment. The article is on point when it questions why the ADL felt it necessary to get involved at all in it.
The writer is absolutely correct that the ADL either should have acted consistent with its stated mission and supported the mosque or should have remained silent on the issue. Instead the ADL took a position that made it appear as siding with bigots and political opportunistics. Foxman also didn't know the facts. He said the mosque should be moved at least a mile away from ground zero not realizing that there is another mosque already existing only four blocks away from ground zero. The whole affair made the ADL looked silly, hypocritical and irrelevant.
Are you stating that Gov. Paterson, Howard Dean, Harry Reid, our (Moslem) Miss USA and the head of Al Arabiya Television are "siding with bigots and political opportunistics", too?
Are you stating that Gov. Paterson, Howard Dean, Harry Reid, our (Moslem) Miss USA and the head of Al Arabiya Television are "siding with bigots and political opportunistics", too?
Paterson doesn't want a civil war in New York on his watch. He wants to diffuse tension. Reid and Dean are, . . . guess what, . . . politicians. Miss USA and the head of al Arabiya are not political opinion-makers in the US. Foxman has made himself one - That is part of his job.
They are.
it means we can burn qurans and draw gay mohammads and teach our children fairy tales about magic jews and they're allowed to build a public community center on private property. even if it's incredibly insensitive (and it's not), it's their right as americans.
Paterson and Dean has not stated that the mosque should be moved. They are saying that reasonable people should find a compromise. Indeed, genuine people can disagree on whether it was prudent for the developers to locate the mosque two blocks away. If the ADL was going to take a position why didn't it condemn the bigotry and hysterical rhetoric too.
Oh, really? Paterson's motives for asking that the mosque be relocated is that he doesn't want civil war in New York? Are you serious? Maybe both of these politicians actually did their homework and spent a few minutes reading about the mosque's top proponent, Rauf, has to say about Islam and America, Walid Shoebat has translated precisely what this creep says about America and Sharia. Our (Moslem) Miss USA and the head of al Arabiya obviously have done their homework, too. And, you, obviously haven't got a clue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There are two churches and a synagogue, in the same area. Plus some strip clubs. Do we need to move THOSE "at least a mile away," too?
religious institutions be moved? And WHO is HE to try to collectively punish innocent Muslim Americans for what a few foreigners did?
Jeff, Go back and read Gov. Paterson's and the liberal darling,of all time, Gov. Howard Dean's remarks regarding the location of the mosque in question. They both state that they'd like it to be moved. It's in black and white, for your perusal. Secondly, the ADL, through its spokesperson, Abe Foxman,states that it be moved, too. None of these indivduals have either implied or stated that they're against building a mosque. They're only requesting that due to the sensitivity of the sight, where a landing gear of one of the hijacked jets landed on top of the intended sight, that it be located in another area of N.Y.C. Approximately 70% of Americans, including myself, feel the same way. But, again, I ask you to re-read Gov. Paterson's, Gov. Deans and Senator's remarks regarding the mosque. You can ignore Ms. Fakih's (MIss USA) remarks, too, if you wish, but she mirrors mine, the president of al Arabiya television, Foxman's, Dean's and Paterson's. And, lastly, you know precisely what Paterson and Dean stated, and, yet, you begin your remarks to me with complete misinformation, misleading other readers, shame on you!
Jeff, Re-read what Paterson and Dean stated, it's not at all what you purport in your response. Reasonable people, unlike Imam Rauf, would consider the mosque's relocation. What the Imam states in English, and what he states in Arabic to middle eastern audiences, proves that he's anything but reasonable.
Trapped and enslaved, dogma begets bigotry begets delusion, add a little sheep gene, and the chemical euphoria will do the rest. Doesn’t it fell good to be right? The world is a cesspit and it’s my doing. What do you think, I’m just curious.
the only "duties" the adl now has are A) "defending" israel's reputation, B) alienating muslims, and C) refusing to recognize that the status of jews in america is pretty damn good nowadays. that's it. they are an irrelevant relic of the past, and their modern form under foxman tarnishes all the good that they once did. sad but true. i notice you left out their most current blunder: they opposed sending a group of imams to death camps in germany and austria to learn about the holocaust. why? because the "tour guide" of the group was hannah rosenthal, a government official (whose grandparents died at auschwitz...), and the ADL said that she should be focusing on improving israel's image and doing government-to-government "fighting anti-semitism" work instead. i am not making this up.
Israel. In fact, even some of the most ardent apologists (like Dershowitz) won't move to Israel.
Auschwitz. But the REST of his family, on BOTH sides was exterminated.
Marc Rich.