Over 60 Muslim, Arab, Palestinian, and allied organizations today condemned the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for its pattern of enabling anti-Palestinian hate and called for the termination of CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, who recently sparked an uproar by analogizing the Palestinian keffiyeh scarf to a Nazi swastika.
The joint statement reads, in part:
“Hate crimes and acts of discrimination against Palestinian-Americans have risen dramatically in recent months. This includes numerous attacks sparked by the public display of the keffiyeh. The rhetoric that Mr. Greenblatt and other extreme supporters of the Israeli government have used to smear Palestinian human rights advocates has contributed to this ongoing surge in hate.
“Sadly, this is part of a pattern for the ADL. For far too long, the organization has launched dishonest attacks on Black Americans, Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, Jewish Americans, and others who stand up for the rights of the Palestinian people. The ADL has also platformed anti-Muslim hate speakers like Pastor John Hagee, shared the same stage as anti-Palestinian racists, dehumanized Palestinians by justifying the Israeli government’s attacks on civilians in Gaza, questioned the Palestinian death toll, pressured colleges and other institutions to silence students who peacefully advocate for Palestinian freedom, and downplayed hate crimes against Palestinian-Americans. The ADL did not even initially acknowledge the Palestinian identity of six-year-old hate crime victim Wadea Al-Fayoume.
“This pattern of behavior must end. The ADL should terminate Mr. Greenblatt, apologize for its history of bad-faith attacks on various communities, and stop attempting to defame, silence and endanger those who express support for Palestinian human rights. Until then, it is no ally in the fight against hate.”
In a statement, CAIR said:
“We join American Muslim organizations and dozens of other communities in condemning the ADL and its CEO Jonathan Greenblatt for enabling anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim hate. Mr. Greenblatt’s reckless, dangerous comments about the Nazi swastika and the Palestinian keffiyeh were simply the latest example of how far the ADL will go to smear and silence critics of the radical Israeli government. We applaud the Arab, Black, Jewish and other communities that have condemned Mr. Greenblatt and we encourage those that maintain relationships with the ADL, including the White House, to do the same.”
National organizations that have signed on to the letter include:
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)
American Center for Justice American Human Rights Council (AHRC-USA)
American Muslims for Palestine
ANSWER Coalition – Act Now to Stop War & End Racism
Arab American Civic Council Association of Muslim American Lawyers (AMAL)
CAIR Action 501(c)4
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA)
Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC)
Islamic Association of North America (IANA)
Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA)
Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
Islamophobia Studies Center
Libyan American Alliance
The Mosque Foundation
MSA National
Muslim Advocates
Muslim American Society (MAS)
Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative (MuslimARC)
Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
North American Imams Fellow
Palestinian American Community Center
Palestine Legal
Project South
Tunisian United Network
U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations
Voices for Justice in Palestine
World Forum for Peace & Justice
World Kashmir Awareness Forum
FULL STATEMENT
60 Muslim, Arab, Palestinian & Allied Groups Condemn ADL and CEO Greenblatt For “Hateful, Dangerous” Anti-Palestinian Rhetoric
April 15, 2024
The undersigned organizations strongly condemn ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt’s hateful, dangerous attacks on the Palestinian community during a recent interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, as well as the ADL’s pattern of contributing to anti-Palestinian hate.
Smearing college students leading peaceful, diverse protests against the genocide in Gaza is unacceptable. So is analogizing the Palestinian keffiyeh to the Nazi swastika. Mr. Greenblatt’s reckless words threaten the safety of Palestinian-Americans, as well as many others who wear the keffiyeh in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
In the two weeks since his remarks, Mr. Greenblatt has failed to personally apologize, walk back, or clarify what he said—and the ADL’s belated attempt to explain his comment away is completely insufficient. Drawing any comparison whatsoever between the Palestinian keffiyeh and the Nazi swastika is never justifiable, totally unacceptable, and incredibly dangerous.
Hate crimes and acts of discrimination against Palestinian-Americans have risen dramatically in recent months. This includes numerous attacks sparked by the public display of the keffiyeh. The rhetoric that Mr. Greenblatt and other extreme supporters of the Israeli government have used to smear Palestinian human rights advocates has contributed to this ongoing surge in hate.
Sadly, this is part of a pattern for the ADL. For far too long, the organization has launched dishonest attacks on Black Americans, Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, Jewish Americans, and others who stand up for the rights of the Palestinian people.
The ADL has also platformed anti-Muslim hate speakers like Pastor John Hagee, shared the same stage as anti-Palestinian racists, dehumanized Palestinians by justifying the Israeli government’s attacks on civilians in Gaza, questioned the Palestinian death toll, pressured colleges and other institutions to silence students who peacefully advocate for Palestinian freedom, and downplayed hate crimes against Palestinian-Americans. The ADL did not even initially acknowledge the Palestinian identity of six-year-old hate crime victim Wadea Al-Fayoume.
This pattern of behavior must end. The ADL should terminate Mr. Greenblatt, apologize for its history of bad-faith attacks on various communities, and stop attempting to defame, silence and endanger those who express support for Palestinian human rights.
Until then, it is no ally in the fight against hate.
END
CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com, CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com