The ADL - Against defamation and bigotry, except when they're not...

In another bit of rancid intolerance against the Muslim group seeking to build a mosque and community center several blocks from the WTC "9.11" site at the lower tip of Manhattan - and joining the likes of Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich - the Anti-Defamation League has issued a statement opposing the mosque.

This isn't the ADL's first turn toward affirming defamation and intolerance in the service of an allegedly "anti-defamation" agenda. The ADL's major domo, Abraham Foxman, has been slinging the "anti-Semite" slur against critics of Israeli policies for years. In fact, some question whether the ADL is anything other than Foxman's letterhead and Blackberry in service of a rabidly pro-Israel agenda.

The group's statement contains some of the slipperiest, most hypocritical, calculated and dishonest language I've seen in years:

"Proponents of the Islamic Center may have every right to build at this site, and may even have chosen the site to send a positive message about Islam. The bigotry some have expressed in attacking them is unfair, and wrong. But ultimately this is not a question of rights, but a question of what is right. In our judgment, building an Islamic Center in the shadow of the World Trade Center will cause some victims more pain -- unnecessarily -- and that is not right."

I'm not often inclined to cite The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg on issues related to Zionism, but "even Jeffrey Goldberg" understands clearly why this crusade against a Manhattan Muslim congregation is, in effect, "worse than a crime, it's a blunder."  Read this defender of all-things-Israel's take here.

And Steve Benen takes the ADL's sleazy proclamation apart  - after noting his initial assumption on hearing that the ADL was weighing in that "of course" they would be bringing some "anti-defamation" sanity to the situation.  Check out Benen's excellent post here.

Update: The Goldberg/Atlantic link was initially a redundant link to Washington Monthly/Benen. Fixed!  Also I think I was mistaken in calling Foxman "rabidly pro-Israel."  Since Jeffrey Goldberg - having served in the IDF - is, at least, "fervently" pro-Israel but can see through this BS, and the editors of the Israeli daily Haaretz are real Israelis with concern for their country's security but persist in criticism of the "Netanyahoo" zealots, I should have called Foxman "rabidly anti-Muslim" and uncritically "pro" any damn fool thing the Likudniks and other extremists conjure up to assert unbridled Israeli power over the Palestinians and  inflame the tragic and seemingly interminable conflict. I do not consider opportunistic and chauvinistic characters like Foxman friends of the people who actually live in Israel, be they Jews or Arabs.

Comments

[leftside]

The ADL's major domo, Abraham Foxman, has been slinging the "anti-Semite" slur against critics of Israeli policies for years. In fact, some question whether the ADL is anything other than Foxman's letterhead and Blackberry in service of a rabidly pro-Israel agenda.

This needs to be said. But everyone seems scared of them. The media gives them respect they have not deserved. The ADLs recent campaign against Oliver Stone has been extremely dishonest as well. I can't believe Stone felt compelled to apologize, when he hasn't budged a bit on his support for Chavez.

[reg]

I haven't followed the Oliver Stone thing, but Foxman is totally dishonest IMHO. But worse and as predictable, the media treats the ADL as some sort of grass-roots organization, when it's little more than a creature of Foxman and his agenda. The New York Times story on this latest ADL proclamation was obsequious at best - calling the ADL/Foxman's opinion a potential "game-changer", which is ridiculous. Better journalism would have dug into Foxman's misadventures in "tolerance" rather than treat him like an "anti-defamation" spokesman with a legitimate track record on these issues.

[Jamie]

Almost everything in US politics is right out in the open. Conspiracy theorists with complicated stories about the Rothschild's social calendar and the shape of the Freemason's party hats miss the point of why "Jews" get undue deference from the media and Washington. As you point out Foxman doesn't represent American Jews or Israel, but he does represent a slice of single issue voters with deep pockets whose interests dovetail with military contractors. In the halls of power the ADL and AIPAC will always get a seat at the table for one reason alone: $$$$.

[Rob Grocholski]

Interesting development:

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/08/09/after_zakaria_what_about_other_adl_humphrey_prize/?ref=fpblg