ADL CEO and Words to Action Training Featured at Major European Jewish Student Event

ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt and other ADL staff participated in Europe’s largest gathering of young Jews, the annual ‘Summer U’ in Málaga Spain, a week-long program organized by the European Union of Jewish students (EUJS). Highlights included ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt speaking to EUJS leadership; LA Senior Associate Regional Director Natan Pakman facilitating two Words To Action workshops; and Assistant Director of European Affairs Dalia Grinfeld promoting ADL among the hundreds of Jewish student leaders from across Europe during the week-long event. Summer U was the latest stage of ADL’s cooperation with EUJS to roll out Words To Action trainings across Europe for Jewish students to learn how best to respond to anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias. 

Ken Jacobson pushes back at Israel/White Supremacy Linkage 

In an op-ed in The Forward, Deputy National Director Ken Jacobson, examines and rejects arguments that Republicans support for Israel is based on their “white supremacist” and “nationalist” views. Ken writes: “I have spoken to many American Jews who worry that the institutionalization of anti-Semitism in the U.K. Labour party could be replicated here in America. For those concerned about this trend, Beinart’s argument should give you pause — not because he is right, but because he is playing right into the hands of those who do not seek to improve the Jewish state and its policies, let alone to advance a regional peace that benefits all parties, but instead seek to undermine the country under the guise of the fight for human rights, democracy and combatting white nationalism.”

Post-El Paso ADL extends solidarity to Mexico

In the aftermath of the deadly shooting in El Paso, Texas, which targeted Mexicans, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt wrote Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Luis Ebrard Casaubón, writing: “As we grieve this heinous mass shooting motivated by hate and extremism, we stand in solidarity with El Paso, the Hispanic community, the Government of Mexico and the Mexican community living in the US in expressing our condolences for this act of domestic terrorism and offer ADL’s support…Please rest assured that we will spare no effort in raising ADL’s voice to ensure the protection of the Mexican community in the US and in fighting hate for good.”

Middle East

ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called an Israeli decision to bar two members of Congress “counterproductive.” He also criticized the Representatives for planning their trip with Miftah, an organization that has promoted anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and glorified terrorists.

As tensions ratchet up between Iran and the US, a new report by Washington Director for International Affairs, David Weinberg, documents how Iranian leaders and state-controlled media outlets are spreading anti-Semitic propaganda and anti-Jewish conspiracy theories in an effort to shift the blame for their own aggression abroad.

ADL extended thoughts and prayers following the terrorist murder of Rina Shnerb. Her brother and father were also injured in the attack in Dolev.

After the hanging of a 31 year old man for violating anti-gay laws, Senior Vice President for International Affairs, Sharon Nazarian, Senior Vice President for International Affairs, called Iran “one of the most dangerous countries for LGBT community.”

After an attempted drone attack on Israel, ADL said it is a “further reminder of the danger Iranian presence in Syria poses to Israel, and of the Iranian regime’s deep involvement in international terror.”

ADL warned about the targeting of Jewish organizations after a US-based organization was threatened by Iran.  

Shock expressed at the gruesome murder of Dvir Sorek, an Israeli teen who was abducted and stabbed to death by Palestinian terrorists near Migdal Oz in the West Bank.  

On the 18th anniversary of the Sbarro’s bombing in Jerusalem, ADL called on Jordan to honor its US extradition treaty, ending its legal impunity for perpetrator Ahlam al-Tamimi who has been freely living in Jordan. ADL also joined a group of religious leaders for a meeting with Chairman Jerrold Nadler of the House Judiciary Committee to mark the anniversary and to discuss the importance of justice for the victims and their families.

ADL called on Turkish officials to investigate a summer camp in which young campers chanted “death to Jews.

ADL sent out an action alert to Californians to protest anti-Israel and anti-Semitic elements in the draft state ethnic studies curriculum. In response to protests from the Jewish community and other minority groups, the California State Board of Education rejected the draft curriculum and said it would develop a new draft.  

Europe

ADL highlighted a report by the CST, the UK Jewish community’s security organization, examining 36 twitter accounts which were used by supporters of Labour Party head Jeremy Corbyn to undermine charges of anti-Semitism within Labour.

ADL condemned a ceremony featuring high-level Polish government officials which honored the Swietokrzyska brigade, an ultra-nationalist Polish group that collaborated with the Nazis.  

The advocacy by ADL and a broad range of other Jewish communal groups resulted in 86 Senators signing a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo encouraging him to make sure that US discussions with the Government of Poland include as a priority the restitution of Jewish property stolen during the Holocaust.

Following an attempted attack on a mosque in Norway, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said “An act of terror committed against any house of worship is an act of terror against all faiths.”

ADL decried a swastika-shaped ride at a German amusement park.

In Madrid, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt and Assistant Director of European Affairs Dalia Grinfeld met with Israeli ambassador Daniel Kutner and with the co-founders of ACOM, David Hatchwell and Angel Mas. ACOM is the most successful anti-BDS organization in Europe, having overturned 40 BDS resolutions previously adopted by city councils in Spain, either through court decisions or advocacy campaigns.

Latin America

ADL welcomed the designation by the Paraguayan government of Hezbollah and Hamas as terror groups, following in the footsteps of Argentina, the US, Canada and others.

Global

ADL commented on anti-Semitic incidents, trends and developments in Argentina, Canada (here and here), Germany (here, here and here), Poland, the UK and by a Palestinian Authority official.  

ADL joined a coalition of Jewish communal groups in a letter encouraging US Under Secretary of Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Sigal Mandelker to continue imposing sanctions on entities in Burma that have been complicit in genocide or other atrocities against the Rohingya people.

ADL was a partner for Atlanta’s memorial service of the 25th anniversary of the AMIA Jewish Community Center bombing in Argentina. Entitled Memory and Accountability, the program focused on remembering the victims and acknowledging that justice has not been served for this tragedy.