MJ Rosenberg: ADL Offers Strong Model for Jewish Organizations
M.J. Rosenberg has started a Friday column for the Media Matters Action Network. This is a good thing because Rosenberg is very smart and the former Policy Director of the Israel Policy Forum, one of the leading lefty Israel organizations. His first column is a full-throttle admonition of Glenn Beck and a celebration of the Anti-Defamation League‘s recent report about hatred and extremism in the United States. Rosenberg writes:
Historically, the ADL has monitored activities by racist groups and individuals (with special emphasis on anti-Semitism). It has also taken a very hard line on Israel, quite often attacking critics of Israeli policies, particularly those on the left. In fact, it has appeared reluctant to take on right-wing bigots if they were not critical of Israel.That has bred great skepticism about the ADL among progressives who tend to see it giving a pass to anyone — no matter how odious — if he or she was viewed as strongly supportive of Israeli policies.
The unsaid focus of Rosenberg’s column is the reach of Israel policy organizations does not stop at issues that directly influence Israel and its Middle East neighbors. The ADL, in its decades-long quest to end antisemitism has morphed into a more general and important role: advocating for the eradication of hatred among all people, Jewish or not. By embracing this new role, American Jewish organizations can both increase their power in Washington and enlarge their scope.
