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Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Of course “progressive” groups are organizing against the ADL–because they support modern antisemitism

dropadl

 

The ADL has changed quite a bit over the years, but it has consistently called out antisemitism without regard to who it comes from. In recent decades it has become a more general civil rights organization, fighting racism and other forms of bigotry.

So naturally the people who want to define antisemitism as a purely right-wing phenomenon are putting the ADL in their crosshairs.

A new website, DropTheADL.org, attempts to gather a large group of antisemitic and anti-Israel groups together to target the ADL in the name of “progressivism.”

Even though the ADL is integrated into community work on a range of issues, it has a history and ongoing pattern of attacking social justice movements led by communities of color, queer people, immigrants, Muslims, Arabs, and other marginalized groups, while aligning itself with police, right-wing leaders, and perpetrators of state violence. More disturbing, it has often conducted those attacks under the banner of “civil rights.” This largely unpublicized history has come increasingly to light as activists work to make sense of the ADL’s role in condemning the Movement for Black Lives, Palestinian rights organizing, and Congressional Representative Ilhan Omar, among others.

We are deeply concerned that the ADL’s credibility in some social justice movements and communities is precisely what allows it to undermine the rights of marginalized communities, shielding it from criticism and accountability while boosting its legitimacy and resources. Even when it may seem that our work is benefiting from access to some resources or participation from the ADL, given the destructive role that it too often plays in undermining struggles for justice, we believe that we cannot collaborate with the ADL without betraying our movements.

In English, this means that these groups want to be able to be blatantly antisemitic or to demonize Israel without a civil rights group calling them out for it.

The signatories are a Who’s Who of rabidly anti-Zionist groups:

American Friends Service Committee

American Muslims for Palestine

Arab Resource & Organizing Center

Asian American Advocacy Fund

Black Alliance for Just Immigration

Black and Pink, Inc.

Causa Justa: Just Cause

Center for Constitutional Rights

Center for Political Education

Christian Peacemaker Teams

Coalición de Derechos Humanos

Council on American-Islamic Relations

Critical Resistance

Democratic Socialists of America

Detention Watch Network

Dream Defenders

DRUM – Desis Rising Up & Moving

Ella Baker Center for Human Rights

Highlander Research and Education Center

International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network

Jewish Voice for Peace

Jews Against Anti-Muslim Racism

Jews for Racial & Economic Justice

MADRE

MediaJustice

Methodist Federation for Social Action

Mijente

Movement for Black Lives

Movement Law Lab

Muslim American Society

National Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression

National Lawyers Guild

New York Collective of Radical Educators

No Dakota Access Pipeline Global Solidarity Campaign

Palestine Legal

Palestinian Youth Movement

Project South

Queers Against Israeli Apartheid

Rising Tide North America

School of the Americas Watch

South Asian Americans Leading Together

Southerners on New Ground

Stop LAPD Spying Coalition

Teachers 4 Social Justice

The Red Nation

United We Dream

US Campaign for Palestinian Rights

US Palestinian Community Network

Veterans for Peace

War Resisters League

Adalah Justice Project

Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition

allgo, a queer people of color organization

All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (GC)

Alliance for Global Justice

American Association of University Professors (NYU Chapter)

Arab American Action Network

Arab Jewish Partnership for Peace and Justice

Arizona Palestine Solidarity Alliance

Berkeley Copwatch

Catalyst Project

CODEPINK

Committee for a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine

Episcopal Peace Fellowship-Palestine Israel Network

Equality for Flatbush

Faculty & Staff for Justice in Palestine at UMass Boston

Freedom to Thrive

Friends of Sabeel – North America

Grassroots International

Interfaith Action Group for Peace and Justice in Israel and Palestine

International Action Center

Islamic Circle of North America Council for Social Justice

Islamophobia Studies Center

Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (USA)

Jewish Voice for Peace Rabbinical Council

Jews Say No!

Labor for Palestine

LAGAI – Queer Insurrection

Los Angeles Muslim Professionals

Middle East Children’s Alliance

Muslim Justice League

National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild

National Students for Justice in Palestine

Nevadans for Palestinian Human Rights

O’odham Anti Border Collective

Pan-African Roots

Participatory Action Research Center

Peace Action

Progressive Jews of St. Louis

QUIT! Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism

Researching the American-Israeli Alliance

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network

San Francisco Rising

Southsiders For Peace

St Louis Palestine Solidarity Committee

Trans Liberation Collective

United Church of Christ Palestine Israel Network

US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel

Vigilant Love

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom US

Women Watch Afrika, Inc.

 

This has nothing to do wit “justice” and everything to do with Israel and supporting Leftist, Arab and Black antisemitism.