by: Kenneth Jacobson May 17, 2017 This blog originally appeared in The Times of Israel
With the announcement of Donald Trump's first visit to Israel next week, it is useful to consider what would constitute a successful trip.
President Trump has been talking, in his inimitable way, about restarting peace negotiations and even solving this decades-old conflict that has confounded so many others.
In this respect, he is exhibiting similarities to other Presidents who looking out for…
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Israel preemptively attacked Egypt on June 5, 1967. After a month of increasing regional tensions escalated by Egypt (spurred on by the Soviets) and failed diplomatic efforts to calm the situation, Israel’s leaders believed they had no choice but to strike first. Within hours, Jordan and Syrian forces attacked Israelis forces.
In May 1967, events in the region led Israel to expect that an Arab attack was imminent. Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser had ordered a withdrawal of the…
Following the end of the Six Day War there was great debate within Israel about what to do with the territories gained during the war, which included East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights.
Some in Israel advocated an immediate withdrawal from the territories. Others supported a withdrawal only in exchange for peace with the surrounding Arab countries. And some, euphoric over the reunification of Jerusalem and control over Judaism’s…
by: Jonathan A. Greenblatt
Haaretz While there was anticipation in some quarters that Hamas’s announcement of a new charter would signal a change, it turns out it was much ado about nothing. Hamas remains a deeply anti-Semitic organization committed to the path of terror and to the denial of Israel’s right to exist. Its new charter does little to advance peace but does much to sustain conflict.
Ahead of the rumored changes, reports circulated that offered hope in…
ADL responds to an article in The New York Times titled "Hamas Tempers Extreme Stances in Bid for Power” which appeared on May 2, 2017. Letters to the Editor
The New York Times
To the Editor:
The story of a new Hamas statement of principles, with all the fuss and anticipation, is much ado about nothing. On the core of Hamas’s attitudes and policies toward Israel, nothing has changed.
For Hamas, there is only one legitimate authority in the Holy Land. Israel,…
New York, NY, May 2, 2017 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today condemned the UNESCO Executive Board’s newest resolution relating to Jerusalem and other issues.
The U.N.’s cultural and scientific organization’s latest resolution was harshly critical of alleged Israeli actions and policies. But, in contrast to recent resolutions, affirmed Jerusalem’s significance to the three monotheistic religions, among other changes.
Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO,…
May 01, 2017 By Susan Heller Pinto
Associate Director of International Affairs and Director of Middle Eastern Affairs at the Anti-Defamation League
This blog originally appeared in The Times of Israel
I feel like I have spent the better part of 2017 in meetings discussing and planning for portentous anniversaries in the history of Zionism and Israel. This year, after all, marks the 120th anniversary of the First Zionist Congress (August 1897); the centennial year of the Balfour…
ADL letter to the public editor concerning convicted Palestinian terrorist Marwan Barghouti. Letters to the Editor
The New York Times
To the Public Editor:
We appreciate your comments about the Times failure with regard to the article by Marwan Barghouti. Unfortunately, it did not go far enough nor did the newspaper's clarification.
Yes, Mr. Barghouti was not merely a Palestinian parliamentarian. He was convicted of murder by an Israeli court.
Also important…
New York, NY, March 24, 2017 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today congratulated David Friedman on his confirmation to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to Israel. ADL said it was looking forward to working with the new ambassador, and expressed hope that, going forward, Friedman would account for and respect the diversity of pro-Israel views throughout the Jewish community and broader American public.
Marvin D. Nathan, ADL National Chair, and Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO,…
This letter was written in response to an article that appeared in The Nation regarding zionism and feminism. Letters to the Editor
The Nation
To the Editor:
My parents came to Israel from Morocco, a country where Jews and Muslims lived together in harmony for centuries. They instilled in me and my siblings a loving humanism that demands we treat people of different race, gender, and religion with equal respect. As an Israeli woman, I inhabit multiple identities…
Jerusalem, March 7, 2017 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed concern over two draft bills aimed at limiting the volume of speakers in places of worship approved in a preliminary reading by the Knesset.
“The call to prayer is of great religious significance to Muslims and is not just a technical issue,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “Since the establishment of the State of Israel, mosques have been free to broadcast the call to prayer. Given…
New York, NY, December 23, 2016...The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today condemned the passage of a United Nations Security Council resolution that holds Israel and its settlement policy “in the West Bank and East Jerusalem” responsible for the lack of progress on Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. ADL stated that it was outraged with the U.S. failure to veto this “biased and unconstructive” resolution, which only further complicates efforts to renew trust and restart…
New York, NY, December 22, 2016...The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) called on the United States to veto a one-sided resolution expected to be voted on in the Security Council later today that holds Israel and its settlement policy “in the West Bank and East Jerusalem” responsible for the lack of progress in Israeli-Palestinian negotiation.
The draft resolution, which is to be introduced by Egypt, names Israeli policies specifically as being responsible for “imperiling the…
New York, NY, November 2, 2016 … Reacting to tensions today at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) called for the implementation of the January 2016 agreement by the Israeli cabinet to establish a permanent and official space for mixed gender prayer at Judaism’s holiest site. “The tension demonstrates yet again the urgent need to establish the egalitarian prayer space at the Kotel, to which the Israeli government is committed,” said…
New York, NY, October 26, 2016 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today condemned the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for “manufacturing history” with yet another resolution seeking to erase the Jewish connection to Jerusalem and the holy sites.
The resolution, entitled “Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls,” also included a long litany of biased accusations against Israel. The resolution was voted on and approved by secret ballot, with 10 voting in favor,…
New York, NY, October 13, 2016 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) condemned yet another in a series of resolutions passed today by the UNESCO Executive Board, which, it said, “essentially expunges the 3,000 years of Jewish connection to Jerusalem.”
Similar resolutions have been adopted by UNESCO political bodies in the past. The resolution passed today continued to refer to the Temple Mount/Holy Sanctuary solely by its Islamic name, Haram al Sharif, and referred to…
New York, NY, September 27, 2016 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today mourned the passing of Israel’s longest serving and most prominent leader and statesman, former President and Prime Minister Shimon Peres.
Marvin D. Nathan, ADL National Chair, and Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO, issued the following statement:
Literally present at the creation of the Jewish state, Shimon Peres was the diplomatic, political and social innovation face of Israel over a seven decade…
by: Jonathan A. Greenblatt | September 23, 2016 JTA Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ statement before the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday revived old hatreds more than it broke new ground. It was little more than a rote diatribe against Israel and a call for international pressure to coerce the Jewish state in place of the hard give and take that happens at the negotiating table. It shed light on why the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has endured so long through…
September 23, 2016 Benjamin Netanyahu
Office of the Prime Minister
Jerusalem, Israel
Dear Mr. Prime Minister:
We are writing to congratulate you on your stirring and effective address to the United Nations General Assembly.
Your call to President Mahmoud Abbas to meet you in person and to address the Knesset, your condemnation of the heinous terrorist attack in Duma and your words of empathy for the Dawabsha family, along with your expression of hope for peace,…
by: Jonathan A. Greenblatt | September 13, 2016 Foreign Policy If Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s purpose was to criticize the Palestinian leadership, there are many issues he could have raised in his latest short video posted on Sept. 9. He could have spoken about their celebration of terrorists, or he could have raised their demonization of Israel through anti-Semitic conspiracy theories or their repeated rejection of any Jewish connection to the Land of Israel. He could…