Dear Friend,

I wanted to make sure you saw this important update before Shabbat:

Earlier this week, Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt went on MSNBC and falsely claimed that protesters on campus are directed by the Iranian government as “proxy” groups.¹ And just moments ago, I sent Jonathan a letter.²

This rhetoric is extremely dangerous — and it flies in the face of our shared Jewish values and traditions of protest, dialogue amidst disagreement, and free speech.

We need you with us, Friend. Add your name to demand that Jonathan Greenblatt stop defaming student protestors, including many Jewish students.

Despite running an organization whose stated mission is to "to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all," Greenblatt’s actions explicitly defamed campus protestors — including many Jewish students and faculty — in an attempt to isolate these Jews and endanger all protesters across campuses. The students and faculty in these protests deserve to be safe and express their political views, including those expressing them as Jews.

Tell Jonathan Greenblatt that American Jews reject his dangerous rhetoric. We demand that he actually work to keep Jews safe, including students and faculty protesting on campus — even those he disagrees with.

As we head into Shabbat tonight and continue to celebrate Passover, let us recommit to taking action together toward a world where all of us are truly free — free to express our values, free to take action safely, and free to show up for what we believe in.

Shabbat shalom,

Jamie Beran
CEO, Bend the Arc

Sources:

1. Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the ADL, calls student protestors 'proxies' for Iran

2. Bend The Arc: Jewish Action CEO responds to ADL’s Jonathan Greenblatt’s Defamation of Student Protestors