The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, is urging all Americans who care about equity in education and civil rights to commend the National Education Association (NEA) for its recent vote to end the use of materials from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and to call on NEA leadership to stand firm against outside pressure.
Join CAIR in thanking the NEA and urging its leadership to uphold the July 6th vote.
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In a powerful vote on July 6th, the NEA’s General Assembly committed to stop using educational resources from the ADL, which has a record of targeting student activists, undermining racial justice movements, and suppressing Palestinian rights advocacy. With this action the NEA mirrors the more than 280 organizations that have previously committed to refraining from working with the ADL for their opposition to racial equality.
“The NEA stood up to an organization that has repeatedly smeared students and suppressed movements for justice,” said Corey Saylor, CAIR’s Research and Advocacy Director. “By cutting ties with the ADL, the NEA is protecting students—especially Palestinian, Muslim, and Black students—from being vilified simply for speaking out against genocide, occupation, and apartheid. Every American who believes in justice and free expression should commend the NEA.”
Over the past several years, the ADL has repeatedly shown itself to be an adversary to movements for racial and social justice. A few key examples:
- Smearing Student Activists: ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt has publicly equated pro-Palestinian student protesters with terror groups, reportedly encouraging support for mask bans because “the founding fathers didn’t want al-Qaida right running rampant on our streets.” He urged schools to investigate student groups like Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), and even suggested support for policies that would deport international students for their political beliefs.
- Weaponizing False Claims of Antisemitism: The ADL has blurred the line between criticism of Israel and antisemitism, labeling peaceful advocacy for Palestinian rights as hate speech and chilling legitimate political expression on campuses. The organization had reportedly welcomed a congressional resolution that falsely conflated anti-Zionism with antisemitism, and an analysis by Jewish Currents exposed that the ADL has systematically distorted and weaponized the definition of antisemitism—repeatedly labeling legitimate criticism of Israel and Zionism as hate speech.
- Opposing Racial Justice Movements: The ADL has consistently worked against movements for racial justice—spreading anti-Palestinian rhetoric, weaponizing false allegations of antisemitism to silence human rights advocacy, and publicly opposing Black-led efforts for equality, including the Movement for Black Lives and the South African anti-apartheid struggle. These actions harm Palestinian, Muslim, Black, and Arab students and educators.
- Internal Backlash: Even ADL employees have spoken out or resigned in protest. Yaël Eisenstat, former head of the ADL’s Center for Technology and Society, resigned over Greenblatt’s praise of Elon Musk despite Musk’s white nationalist rhetoric. Others left due to the ADL’s overemphasis on pro-Israel lobbying at the expense of its stated mission.
- Civil Rights Groups Say Drop the ADL: More than 60 social justice organizations—including the Center for Constitutional Rights, Jewish Voice for Peace, and CODEPINK—have endorsed the #DropTheADL campaign, citing the organization’s pattern of undermining civil rights, particularly for Black, Palestinian, Muslim, and immigrant communities.
CAIR applauds the NEA for choosing to align with the values of dignity, equality, and truth. As hate crimes and discrimination against Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian communities continue to rise, this vote is a critical step toward creating educational environments that reflect justice for all.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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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