More languages
More actions
Anti-Defamation League | |
|---|---|
 | |
| CEO | Jonathan Greenblatt |
| Founder | Sigmund Livingston |
| Founded | September 1913 |
| Political orientation | Anti-communism Liberalism Zionism |
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), formerly the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, is an international Zionist pressure group based primarily in the United States. The organisation was initially founded in 1913 to combat racism and advocate for civil rights causes, but its primary purpose today is to promote the settler colonial "State of Israel" and de-legitimise pro-Palestinian activism by falsely equating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism.[1]
Despite presenting itself as an independent, non-partisan, and non-governmental organisation, the ADL has close ties to Western police, governments, schools, and news media. The organisation plays an active role in the training of Statesian[2] and Austrian[3] law enforcement and even facilitates exchange programmes between Statesian and Israeli police. It has published guidelines for media to follow when discussing the Gaza genocide in order to subtly promote the Zionist narrative;[2] and it proudly boasts of "having drafted [the United States]’s first model hate crime legislation", with 46 states having passed laws similar to or directly based on the ADL's model.[4]
Zionist Activities[edit | edit source]
The ADL spied on Civil Rights activists and making false accusations of antisemitism against the Black Panthers during the 1960s at the height of Civil Rights activism in the United States.[5]
In the 1970s, the ADL condemned the Palestine Liberation Organization and boycott of Israel.
It described the UN's World Conference against Racism in South Africa in 2001 as "antisemitic." It also accused Jimmy Carter of antisemitism because of his book Palestine: Peace not Apartheid.[6]
In 2023, the ADL described 153 pro-Palestinian rallies as "antisemitic" and said 85 of them "supported terror." It equates these protests with actual antisemitism such as a bomb threat against a synagogue in Albuquerque, New Mexico.[7]
Media Guidelines[edit | edit source]
Following the Al-Aqsa Flood in October 2023, the ADL printed a handbook of instructions for media to follow when reporting on the uprising. It told journalists to call Hamas "terrorists" instead of "militants" or "fighters" and described the Zionist invasion of Gaza as a "legitimate military action."[7]
Downplaying Anti-Semitism[edit | edit source]
Despite its foundational purpose, the ADL has actually downplayed Nazism and anti-Semitism on occasion. When South African business magnate Elon Musk (whom the ADL has previously criticised) infamously performed a Nazi salute at a rally celebrating Donald Trump's presidential inauguration on 20 January 2025, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt brushed it off as “an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm”[8].
Police Training[edit | edit source]
The ADL is the largest non-governmental police trainer in the United States. Its Advanced Training School trains over 250 U.S. agencies, including ICE and the FBI. ADL training is mandatory for all new FBI special agents and intelligence analysts.[7]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Miko Peled (2023-06-20). "No Matter How You Frame It, the ADL is a Racist Organization" MintPress News. Archived from the original on 2023-06-27.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Alan MacLeod (2023-11-10). "ADL Data on Rise of Anti-Semitic Incidents Doesn't Add Up" MintPress News. Archived from the original on 2023-11-10.
- ↑ https://www.bmi.gv.at/104/Die_Sicherheitsakademie/
- ↑ https://www.adl.org/adl-and-law-enforcement
- ↑ Jeffrey Blankfort (2012-06-12). "ADL Spies" CounterPunch. Archived from the original on 2012-06-13. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
- ↑ Miko Peled (2023-06-20). "No Matter How You Frame It, the ADL is a Racist Organization" MintPress News. Archived from the original on 2023-06-27.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Alan MacLeod (2023-11-10). "ADL Data on Rise of Anti-Semitic Incidents Doesn't Add Up" MintPress News. Archived from the original on 2023-11-10.
- ↑ Ali Harb (2025-01-22). "ADL faces backlash for defending Elon Musk’s raised-arm gesture" Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 2025-03-26.