By Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO and National Director Today is 10/7. This date has become an eternal shorthand for devastating loss and a deep well of resolve. It is also a sharp line drawn in our collective memory. On October 6 -- the day before the horrific massacre by Hamas -- Israel, its friends and allies, and Jewish people across the world had no idea that we were about to be shaken and tested beyond our comprehension. And then there was October 8, the day after our world was turned…

Marina Rosenberg The attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023, had profound and far-reaching effects on Israelis, Jewish communities around the world and many others.  Across Latin American, several Jewish communities faced a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents, diverse government responses, and escalating security concerns. The aftermath of this attack has not only exposed the vulnerability of Jewish populations in the region but has also highlighted the complex geopolitical dynamics…

September 20, 2024 – As antisemitism reaches unprecedented levels in the United States, ADL (Anti-Defamation League), OneTable, and Passages Israel are working to build bridges between the Jewish and Christian communities through shared experiences and dialogue. Their joint initiative, “A Light in the City,” aims to foster friendship and understanding by hosting Shabbat dinners in four key cities.   The pilot program, to take place in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, New York…

Let’s say that a university decides to acquiesce to the demands of anti-Israel protestors and divest its endowment from companies with business ties to Israel.    It’s a plausible scenario, despite the many political, economic, and legal reasons to reject the idea: its unfair singling-out and demonization of Israel; the likelihood of reduced endowment returns and lower donations from alumni; state measures discouraging boycotts of Israel; and potential legal risk from…

Campus activism surrounding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict often presents a skewed narrative, painting Israel as the sole aggressor and magnifying its flaws beyond those of any other nation. While all countries have their shortcomings and deserve scrutiny, Israel stands out as a unique target of widespread university divestment campaigns, suggesting a disproportionate focus on its actions and policies. Through their rhetoric and demands, anti-Israel divestment campaigns can feed into the…

There are many reasons why it’s a bad idea for university endowments to divest from Israel. Divestment serves to delegitimize Israel and puts the onus for solving the longstanding Palestinian-Israeli conflict on only one side. It could also likely lead to economic ramifications, such as reduced alumni giving and lower returns, as well as open up the potential for heavier taxation of endowment income.     Beyond all of these arguments, universities that decide to divest…

Even as we pause and mourn those we have lost, we cannot rest. Read more.

As encampment protests riled college campuses throughout the Spring 2024 semester, some universities agreed to formally consider protestors’ demands that their endowments divest from companies with business interests in Israel. It is the latest iteration of the years-long Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign that seeks to isolate Israel economically.    Brown University reached an agreement for student protestors to take down their encampment and refrain from…

As students start returning to campuses with expected continuation of anti-Israel protests, JLens unpacks the demands and consequences of divestment campaigns.

JLens ran three successful proxy season campaigns with ADL that aimed to combat anti-Israel shareholder proposals and support efforts to protect kids online.