Fear, Manipulation, and the ADL

Written by Aaron Sussman

Ernst Zundel, the most prominent contemporary Holocaust denier, was recently extradited to Germany, where he will likely be indicted on fourteen counts of hate crimes. Zundel was arrested solely for his speech, which is more stringently regulated in Germany than in the U.S. and many European nations. Germany should be censured by civil libertarians for its policies on free speech, as should all groups that advocate similar repression. Suppression, bullying, and surveillance do not stop the problem of intolerance. These tactics inevitably do more harm than good.

“Suppression, Bullying, and Surveillance” aren’t just tactics; it is also the motto of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Although the ADL has helped alert the public to the despicable work of Mr. Zundel for many years, it does not merely expose hate speech, but also tries to censor it by relentlessly spying on suspicious organizations. It is true that the ADL does an unparalleled job of identifying hate groups, cataloguing hate crimes, and highlighting dangerous rhetoric. However, the organization goes too far, too often, and has been caught engaging in such suspicious practices as the collection of license plate numbers and other personal information at Arab-American community meetings for their Ashcroftesque files. The ADL intimidates through smear campaigns and has repeatedly (and successfully) been sued for libel by people recklessly accused of anti-Semitism.

Such practices extend to the realm of paranoia and can only be justified through the inflation of fears and the trumping up of threats.

In a recent survey, the ADL sounded the alarm of anti-Semitism, claiming that 14% of Americans are “unquestionably anti-Semitic.” The ADL prints some of the questions, but does not divulge the formula used to establish “unquestionable” anti-Semitism. Responses to one question showed that 33% “of Americans believe Jews are more loyal to Israel than America.” Does this really make those 33% anti-Semitic? Many Jews feel a deep spiritual connection with Israel. How does one measure that in terms of loyalty? This abstract question is completely meaningless, and yet the ADL has loaded it with insinuations that imply a widespread anti-Semitic feeling.

The ADL is a giant, both in resources and influence, and criticism of the organization in the mainstream media is rare (one notable exception is William Safire’s piece in 2001, which called for the resignation of Director Abraham Foxman due to his “ethical blindness” in his involvement with Clinton’s pardon of ADL supporter Marc Rich). As a result, the ADL’s credibility remains unquestioned and the threat of anti-Semitism in America becomes overstated. According to many sources, including the ADL’s own survey, attitudinal anti-Semitism in the U.S. has consistently decreased. And yet, according to a Slate.com article, 60% of American Jews view anti-Semitism as the greatest threat to American Jews. This figure is completely divorced from reality (remember, a Jew was popularly chosen as vice-President in 2000) and is the result of hyperbole by groups like the ADL.

The anxieties and fears created by ADL-style rhetoric often incite Jews to engage in self-reflection and insular ruminations instead of dedicating attention to real issues. Jewish publications and organizations, particularly those involving youth, are too often dominated by identity rhetoric about the “Jewish experience” or “finding one’s voice” or a college student’s “first encounter with anti-Semitism,” which is often something akin to someone else telling him that “he doesn’t look Jewish.” Instead of political dissent and protest (a vibrant aspect of the Jewish tradition), pens are too often committed to introspection and personal narrative.

Let’s keep things in perspective here. We live in a country riddled by racism and bigotry. Blacks, Arab-Americans, gays, and other truly marginalized groups probably wish they encountered the types of “intolerance” that many young Jews write about. In Florida, a study found that 80% of drivers who were stopped by police were black or Hispanic, even though those two groups compose just over 5% of the population. There are countless similar statistics, from police brutality to prison population to schooling disparity, that paint a picture of the true, devastating intolerance and racism in America.

The parochial views of so many Jewish groups is only narrowed when someone like Zundel is locked away and silenced and when the truth is not allowed to emerge through debate and discourse. Authoritarian tactics and inflated fears further repress that discourse and have denied attention, particularly from young Jews, to those who are truly oppressed and do not have a voice. Groups like the ADL may amplify the Jewish voice, but they also cheapen what is being said and diminish those who might be listening.

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Aaron Sussman
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Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved.