New York, NY, August 26, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed sorrow at the passing of Amelia Boynton Robinson, a civil rights activist whose courage and tenacity in Selma helped to secure the right to vote for millions of Americans. Ms. Boynton Robinson, who in 1964 became the first African American woman to run for Congress in Alabama, asked Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to go to Selma to advocate for voting rights.  A lead organizer of the march that would later…

New York, NY, August 26, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today condemned hateful rhetoric directed against Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and other Members of Congress who have announced support for the nuclear agreement with Iran, and sharpened its call to reject “vicious ad hominem attacks” as part of the debate about the deal. The comments section of Congressman Nadler’s Facebook page is replete with Nazi analogies, vulgarities and obscenities, including…

New York, NY, August 24, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today urged the Spanish government to condemn an anti-Semitic rant broadcast on Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española, S.A. (RTVE), the state-owned company which operates Spanish public radio. More than a half-hour of unadulterated anti-Jewish conspiracy theories were read on air. The segment included slander of Judaism lifted chapter and verse from the “Plot Against the Church,” a…

Nueva York, Nueva York 21 de agosto de 2015...La Liga Antidifamación (ADL) recibe con beneplácito hoy una disculpa del festival de reggae Rototom Sunsplash por haber cancelado un concierto del cantante estadounidense judío Matisyahu, y elogió al festival por volver a invitarlo a actuar. La ADL se refirió inicialmente a la cancelación del show de Matisyahu como un “claro caso de discriminación antisemita,” y señaló…

Urges City to Withrdaw Support New York, NY, August 20, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today condemned the “Human Rights Human Wrongs” film festival of Oslo, Norway, for adopting a policy of boycotting Israeli films, and called on the city of Oslo to withdraw its financial support for the film festival. Roy Zafrani, the Israeli director of “The Other Dreamers,” a documentary film about children with disabilities, received an email from Ketil Magnussen,…

Says This is a “Teachable Moment for Resisting BDS Pressure Tactics" New York, NY, August 19, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today welcomed an apology from the Rototom Sunsplash reggae festival for having cancelled a concert by American Jewish singer Matisyahu, and commended the festival for re-inviting him to perform. ADL initially referred to the cancellation of Matisyahu’s show as a “clear case of anti-Semitic discrimination,” and noted it was illegal…

  La Liga Antidifamación (ADL) condenó hoy el festival de reggae Rototom Sunsplash en España por cancelar la actuación de Matisyahu, un músico estadounidense judío. Según el diario español El País, los organizadores del festival exigieron al cantante emitir una declaración a favor de un estado palestino y cancelaron su actuación prevista para el 22 de agosto, cuando no se proporcionó dicha…

New York, NY, August 17, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today condemned the Rototom Sunsplash reggae festival in Spain for cancelling a performance by Matisyahu, an American-Jewish musician. According to the Spanish newspaper El País, festival organizers demanded that Matisyahu issue a statement in favor of a Palestinian state and cancelled his scheduled August 22 appearance when no such statement was provided. “Was a Jewish musician singled out, based on his…

ADL Launches "50 States Against Hate," New Campaign for Tougher Hate Crimes Laws All Across the Country Atlanta, GA, August 17, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today announced the formation of a new campaign to improve legal response to hate crimes across the United States. 50 States Against Hate: An Initiative for Stronger Hate Crime Laws will work toward the passage of hate crime laws in the five states which do not have them – Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina…

New York, NY, August 16, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed deep sorrow at the passing of Julian Bond, a giant of the civil rights movement and lifelong champion of justice. Bond, one of the original founding members of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, and longtime leader of the NAACP, was 75. Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL National Director, issued the following statement from Atlanta, where he gave remarks earlier today at Ebenezer Baptist Church: The…

New York, NY, August 13, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed concern over threats and incendiary accusations being directed at Dan Shapiro, the United States Ambassador to Israel. According to reports, police and the U.S. Embassy have increased security for the Ambassador following the receipt of threatening letters over the past week.  The threats, by letter and posted on social media, were related to the U.S. position on the Iran agreement. The Ambassador…

Urges All Stakeholders to Prepare for Post Congressional Vote and Consider New Path, Whatever the Outcome New York, NY, August 13, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed continued deep reservations regarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran. Until the Administration acts in clear ways to address its deep concerns regarding the JCPOA, ADL has concluded that Congress should vote no on the deal. ADL urges all stakeholders – the Administration,…

New York, NY, August 12, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today welcomed the formation of an alternative private Jewish conversion court by a group of leading Orthodox Zionist rabbis in Israel. ADL called the court “an important initiative for Israel and the Jewish people.” The new court, known as Giyur Kehalacha (conversion according to Jewish law), is headed by Rabbi Nachum Rabinovitch, includes a number of leading Israeli rabbis including David Stav and Shlomo…

New York, NY, August 10, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today said it was outraged and appalled at remarks made by Rabbi Bentzi Gopstein, Director of Lehava, a far-right extremist organization in Israel, who was quoted saying that he favors the burning of churches and compared Christianity to idol worship. According to reports, Gopstein, who made the remarks during a symposium in Jerusalem on Jewish religious law on August 4, was asked: “Are you in favor of burning …

New York, NY, August 3, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed deep concern over the incitement targeting Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, following his condemnation of the terror attack in the West Bank village of Duma which resulted in the death of the Palestinian toddler Ali Dawabsheh. The President’s Facebook post on the matter, in which he expressed “shame” over the attack, received many hateful comments, including violent threats and…

Calls on Settlement Leaders to Do More to Stop ‘Price Tag’ Terrorism New York, NY, July 31, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today condemned the shocking terror attack apparently carried out by Israeli extremists in the Palestinian village of Duma, where Molotov cocktails were hurled at two houses, including that of the Dawabsheh family, resulting in the death of two-year-old Ali and in the severe wounding of his parents and brother. Hateful graffiti, including &ldquo…

Jerusalem, July 30, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) expressed shock and horror at the stabbing of six people at today’s gay pride parade in Jerusalem. Israel’s political leadership from across the spectrum, including the prime minister, has widely condemned the attack.  Israeli media is reporting that the ultra-Orthodox man from Bnei Brak who was arrested at the scene is Yishai Shlissel, who stabbed participants at the same event in 2005 and had just recently…

Jerusalem, July 27, 2015… The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) welcomed the sentencing of two Israeli youths who had torched the Hand-in-Hand bi-lingual Hebrew-Arabic school in Jerusalem and spray painted it with hate graffiti in November 2014. The third defendant's trial is still in process. The two were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 24 to 30 months and were ordered to compensate the school in the sum of 10,000 NIS and 15,000 NIS. The two brothers, Shlomo and Nahman Twito from…

New York, NY, July 27, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today urged the blog publishing platform WordPress to remove ISIS propaganda from its website, after the League’s research found a repository of ISIS videos, statements and publications on the platform. WordPress has not responded to ADL’s flagging of the content, which included beheading and execution clips and articles encouraging individuals to travel, join and carry out attacks. ADL is also asking internet…