The following is an open letter from thirty-six members of Jewish communities in the United States that was posted under the byline “Jewish leaders” on Medium on May 26.
We are U.S. Jews who are deeply troubled by a recent speech given by the Anti-Defamation League’s CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, in which he defames grassroots and civil rights organizations committed to Palestinian justice and falsely conflates anti-Zionism with far right and violent extremism.
Greenblatt’s attacks on groups that are part of the movement for Palestinian rights and his assertion of an equivalency between anti-Zionists and white nationalists put us all at risk. Especially now, amid the rapid growth of the white nationalist far right, the safety and bodily autonomy of Black and brown people, Jewish people, Arabs, Muslims, queer and trans people, and disabled and immunocompromised people are under threat.
The struggle against antisemitism must be in partnership with all others targeted by white supremacy. We are committed to working collectively to combat antisemitism the same way we work against racism, Islamophobia, transphobia, and ableism.
The Anti-Defamation League does not speak for us, and we will not allow them to divide and defame our communities and movements, including the movement for Palestinian human rights. Jewish communities must embrace anti-Zionist and non-Zionist voices, along with all other voices for justice. While we may have a range of perspectives on Palestine and Israel, we are all clear that equating anti-Zionist groups to white nationalists is beyond the pale and cannot be tolerated. We are also clear that all people deserve justice, freedom, and safety.
If you would like to add your name, please go to this link.
Signatories
Eva Ackerman
Peter Beinart
Ellen Brotsky
Judith Butler
Chase Carter
Barbara Dobkin
Stefanie Fox
Rachel Gilmer
Ira Glasser
Jane Hirschmann
Naomi Klein
Sandra Korn
Alan Levine
Richard Levy
Abby Lublin
Rachel McCullough
Nina Mehta
Marilyn Kleinberg Neimark
Donna Nevel
Kathleen Peratis
Rabbi Brant Rosen
Deborah Sagner
Audrey Sasson
James Schamus
Maya Schenwar
Rafael Shimunov
Alisa Solomon
Barry Trachtenberg
Mark Tseng-Putterman
Rebecca Vilkomerson
Rabbi Brian Walt
Lesley Williams
Rabbi Alissa Wise
Dorothy Zellner
Simone Zimmerman
Dave Zirin
Additional Signatures
Kenneth Barnes
Carlyn Cowen
Katie Unger
Rabbi Yosef Berman
Alix Davidson
Eliana Fishman
Carinne Luck
Rakhel Silverman
Silas Gitin
Eleni Zimiles
Jenneva Clauss
May Ye
Rebecca Lewis
Jay Schaffner
Natasha Gill
Seth Morrison
Dina Afek
Clyde Leland
David L. Mandel
Ruth Silver Taube
Marta Guttenberg
Rachel Port
Martin Levine
Wendy Greenfield
Howard Horowitz
Noel Kent
Carolyn Toll Oppenheim
Rand Clark
Beth Eisenberg
Sophie Ellman-Golan
Elsa Auerbach
Elaine Cohen
Maya Ward-Fineman
Esther Cohen
Devorah Stavisky
Rianna Lloyd
Margo Harvey
Merry Maisel
Alanna Davis
Lynn Gottlieb
Nat El-Hai
Matthew Hom
Melinda Smith
Cheryl Greenberg
Carin Mrotz
Jordan Bridges
Ezra Steinberg
Virginia Avniel Spatz
Rabbi Aryeh Bernstein
Carole Levine
Anya Auerbach
Marge Sussman
Deirdre Silverman
Benjamin Balthaser
Jack Leff
Eli Isaacs
Sarah Anne Minkin
Paul Kivel
Dorit Price-Levine
Micaela Brody
Eva Peskin
Ron Witton
Max Socol
Kalman Resnick
claire lichtenstein
Laurie Izaks MacSween
Rabbi Dev Noily
Malkah Bird
Doug Gertner
Ned Rosch
Robert Gelbach
Shelby Handler
Cindy Shamban
Diana Falchuk
Stephanie Schamess
Elisheva Gavra
Jeremy Nicholson
Sam Tarlow
Ari Jahiel
Abby Saul
Rosemary Cohen
Mia Rybeck
Nathaniel Baldo
Amanda Wessel
Marni Libby
Brian Carson
Jordi Cabanas
Estee Chandler
Jacob Zionts
Barbara S. Kane
Haskell Musry
Benjamin Fasching-Gray
Kathy Lessuck
Emily Dixon
Rabbi Rebecca Alpert
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb
Rabbi David Mivasair
Rabbi Moti Rieber
Louisa Solomon (Rabbinical Student)
Rabbi Michael Ramberg
Susan Tipograph
Talia Lepson
Max Reynolds
Ysh Schwartz
Yvette Meltzer
Richard Silverstein
Dayne Samuels
Sagie Tvizer
Again, it is heartening to see American Jews unite, and stand up to those who live on American land, but who are working hard to support, protect, and do the the bidding of, Israel, while trying to stifle our free speech, which is by itself anti-American. Greenblatt has consistently used the anti-semitic card, conflating the criticism of Israel with anti-semitism, and unfortunately the US media does nothing to differentiate it, and those who realize it, do not refer to it. Israel/Jews must be the only nation/people in the world who CANNOT be criticized for the policies of that government, or for the efforts by zionist Americans to keep politicians, media, universities, think tanks, and others, blindly loyal to Israel, and its war crimes and human rights abuses. A very privileged lot. They MUST keep us muzzled, or else people will get too bold and question the occupation, land theft, and the daily killing of civilians. Apologists like Greenblatt are there to make sure we are intimidated enough to keep our mouth shut.
The recent increase in efforts to turn human rights groups (who fight for Palestinian rights and freedom), into entities that are anti-semitic, or accuse them of being terrorist groups, shows how desperate Israel is, how far they will go to cover their crimes, and it shows how disingenuous their servants like Greenblatt, can be.
Without Jewish people like the above standing up for what is right, and pointing out to what is wrong, the ADL and other pro Israeli groups, will be able to operate without opposition, so we should be thankful to them and their initiatives.
This open letter is a reminder Jewish humanity is a hole card for Palestinians to achieve, “justice, freedom, and safety”. For Palestinian citizens, equality as well.
“The Anti-Defamation League does not speak for us.”
No indeed it does not! The ADL used to be a civil-liberties org. These days it does little but shill for Israel.
“The struggle against antisemitism must be in partnership with all others targeted by white supremacy.”
Ah yes, the usual collection of the ‘as a Jew’ people have once again come to state unequivocally that the antisemites that they are friends with should be given a carte blanche. When confronted with antisemitism on the Left their only cards are to either scream about how it is actually anti-Zionism or to point to the supposedly greater threat from the other camp. It should come as no surprise that they are silent when Jews are regularly attacked in Brooklyn by black people. It is just inconvenient for them to say anything on the matter.