Dear John,

More and more Americans are buying into antisemitic tropes, so it’s deeply disturbing that The Nation, a leading left-wing journal, is providing fodder for the antisemitic notion that Jews in the United States have too much power.

I want to share with you excerpts from a new column I wrote for the Jerusalem Post about The Nation’s troubling claims:

“Why the Godfather of Human Rights Is Not Welcome at Harvard,” screamed the boldface on the website of The Nation. The article went on to breathlessly describe a situation where Kenneth Roth, the longtime former head of Human Rights Watch, was allegedly denied a fellowship at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

The reason? According to the article, his perceived “anti-Israel bias” — particularly his tweets on Israel — were of special concern to the decision-makers at the school.

Why? The Nation piece draws its own conclusions. And this is where the article takes a step away from journalism and begins a long trip down the rabbit hole, moving from coverage of the appointment itself into the realm of conspiracy theories about Jewish control, power, and financial influence...

It’s a textbook case of classic antisemitism: It’s not the leadership of the Kennedy School that made this decision, oh no. It’s the powerful and monied Jewish elite that really influences things behind the scenes.

In short, the article plays into the classic antisemitic trope of Jewish power and control — without providing any evidence that any of these Jewish donors or groups played any role in influencing the decision to derail Ken Roth’s fellowship.

Sadly, there is no shortage of antisemitism on any part of the political spectrum. With antisemitic attitudes and incidents at dangerously high levels, it is vital to condemn biased coverage like The Nation’s recent piece and other times antisemitism flares up on the left. We must similarly be committed to fighting antisemitism when it boils up on the right. We encourage you to use our Antisemitism Uncovered guide as a powerful tool to understand and respond to antisemitic tropes, including myths about Israel and Zionism.

We are grateful to you for being part of the ADL community, speaking out against hate wherever it arises.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Greenblatt

CEO and National Director

ADL