GEICO immediately caves to pressure from pro-Israel groups, drops Linda Sarsour from diversity event

Earlier this month a leaked memo revealed that that Anti-Defamation League (ADL) leaders had debated ending their controversial police delegations to Israel two years ago. Activists say the memo shows why progressive groups should cut ties with the organization.

A recently leaked memo on police training in Israel confirms what activists in Seattle have known all along – the ADL is not an ally for racial justice.

In response to backlash from pro-Israel groups the Sierra Club has reversed its decision to cancel a series of educational trips to the country.

The groundbreaking Amnesty International report on Israeli apartheid would not have been possible without Palestinian resistance, including the BDS campaign and the Great March of Return in Gaza. In attacking Amnesty, the ADL makes no attempt to substantively refute any of its arguments. Thus the Amnesty report contributes to an important shift in public mainstream discussion of Palestine that would have been unthinkable not that long ago. A line has been crossed, and moving forward, Israel’s attempt to whitewash itself as a “Jewish and democratic” state will likely be accepted by no one other than its enablers.

New York Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove says his congregants need to hear not just AIPAC and ADL and J Street opposing the Amnesty report on Israeli apartheid. But from him too, “for Zion’s sake.” “Israel is part and parcel to my Jewish identity, it’s central to my vision of the rabbinate, and as long as I’m the rabbi of Park Avenue [Synagogue], it will remain central to the mission of this synagogue.”

Testifying before Congress, Jonathan Greenblatt of the ADL quotes Bruce Springsteen song titles to bash Amnesty International report calling out Israeli apartheid. “I’m on fire,” Amnesty International is having its “glory days,” but there will be “no surrender” to its “brilliant disguise.” Making a cute performance out of Palestinian suffering.

News that Amnesty International will issue a report tomorrow declaring Israel an apartheid state has caused panic and outrage among Israel lobbyists. Jonathan Greenblatt of ADL says that Amnesty “must accept responsibility” for attacks on Jews that will ensue from the report casting aspersions on Israel. While David Harris of the American Jewish Committee shrills, “Israel has nothing to do with apartheid and apartheid has nothing to do with Israel.”

The opposition to censorship and desire for young people to learn accurate history only extends so far. Predictably, the ADL draws the line at Israel.

Cracks in apartheid’s firewall: Seven establishment Jewish groups including the Anti-Defamation League sent a letter to Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett saying Enough’s enough, take action against settler violence; it is “undermining Israel’s image and relations with the U.S. government.” I.e., we can’t do our job of selling Israel in the U.S. with this sort of publicity. The complaint is of a piece with liberal Zionist Jeremy Ben-Ami’s “rant” on twitter about a “horrific” week of violence against Palestinians. These organizations know that the Democratic base is getting sick of supporting Israel as it commits human rights violations.