New York, NY, November 6, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today applauded Adidas for launching a new initiative to assist schools willing to transition away from offensive Native American nicknames and mascots. Adidas has reportedly offered schools financial and design resources that will help remove economic barriers for those seeking to create new mascots. “A school’s history and tradition are not sufficient reasons to perpetuate an offensive stereotype,…

Jewish Reggae Artist Matisyahu Honored for Standing Up to Anti-Israel Boycott New York, NY, November 6, 2015 … The new CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said that anti-Semitic sentiments and anti-Israel forces here at home and abroad are not new but are developing in new ways. “Anti-Semitism is not exactly new. Political parties across the world are using anti-Semitism as a strategy to gain at the ballot box. Anti-Israel forces are getting more sophisticated, adopting new…

New York, NY November 5, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today urged the Senate Banking Committee to confirm, without delay, a key leader of U.S. efforts to counter terrorism and the states that sponsor it. Adam Szubin, Acting Undersecretary of Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, leads the enforcement of sanctions against terrorists, weapons proliferators, human rights violators and rogue nations like Iran. Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO, issued the following…

Jerusalem, November 5, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today strongly condemned the graffiti spray-painted on Israel’s Supreme Court walls, and called for a throughout investigation by law enforcement to find the perpetrator. According to reports,  “Don’t demolish a synagogue, we want a Jewish state” was sprayed painted on November 4 on the walls of the Supreme Court in Jerusalem ahead of the demolition of a synagogue in the community of Giv’at…

Jerusalem, November 4, 2015… The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed shock at a photo circulating on social media portraying Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked with a Hitler-like moustache. The photo, titled “Heil-et Shaked”, was posted in reaction to Shaked’s drafting of a Knesset bill which would require representatives of foreign funded NGO’s to wear special badges while visiting the Knesset. Carole Nuriel, Acting Director of ADL's Israel office,…

New York, NY, November 3, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today welcomed a new U.S.-France compensation program for Holocaust victims deported from Nazi-occupied France during World War II.  The program was established by a U.S.-France agreement to provide up to $60 million to compensate deportees from the U.S. and around the world who were not eligible to access the French pension program established in 1946 until now.  Today is the opening of the claims process being…

New York, NY, November 2, 2015 … For the second time, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has filed a friend of the court brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the University of Texas’ admissions policy, emphasizing the importance of achieving and preserving diversity in institutions of higher education through constitutionally sound measures. ADL filed a similar amicus brief when the Supreme Court heard this case in its 2012 Term and asked the Fifth Circuit Court of…

New York, NY, November 1, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today condemned remarks by an Austrian parliamentarian in which she heartily agreed with a comment posted on Facebook that “Zionists money Jews are the global problem.” Susanne Winter, a parliamentarian and member of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), wrote in response to an anti-Semitic post by Oehlmann Hans-Jörg, “It is great.  You are taking the words right out of my mouth…

New York, NY, October 30, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) joined with representatives of faiths from around the world at an international conference in Rome celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Vatican’s landmark document, Nostra Aetate. Rabbi David Fox Sandmel, ADL Director of Interfaith Affairs, attended the conference as a representative of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations (IJCIC), where he was among a group of leaders who greeted…

Jerusalem, October 29, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today denounced Israeli rap artist Yoav Eliasi for a Facebook post belittling the murder of Richard Lakin and insulting his co-existence advocacy work. Richard Lakin was seriously wounded in a recent terror attack in Armon Hanatsiv, and succumbed to his wounds earlier this week. ADL called on Eliasi to immediately  apologize to the Lakin family for the offensive comments. Reacting to Lakin’s death on Facebook,…

Tells Party Leader: Now is Your Chance to Condemn Anti-Semitism New York, NY, October 29, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today condemned anti-Semitic comments by Gerald Kaufman, a Labour Member of Parliament in the U.K., who accused Jews of undue influence over the Conservative party and Israel of fabricating terror attacks as excuses to kill Palestinians. Speaking at a pro-Palestinian event on October 27, Kaufman said, “It’s Jewish money, Jewish donations to the…

New York, NY, October 28, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today submitted testimony on terrorist use of social media to the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security. In its testimony, ADL highlighted the troubling tactics employed by various terror groups on social media, in particular ISIS, and noted that several platforms have provided the opportunity for a deeply disturbing flow of horrific materials - including a high volume of appalling…

New York, NY, October 28, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today denounced a speech by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to the U.N. Human Rights Council, saying that instead of using a presentation to the international community as an opportunity to reduce tensions and send a message of reconciliation, he used it to grandstand his “litany of accusations, incitement and half-truths.” Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO, who is currently traveling in Israel on…

New York, NY, October 28, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today commended the Polish Episcopate for declaring, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, that anti-Semitism is a sin and for stressing the importance to the church of Catholic-Jewish dialogue. The Polish Episcopate’s pastoral letter asserted that “anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism are sins against the love of thy neighbor” and that, “Christian-Jewish dialogue must never be…

Condemns Vigilante Acts Jerusalem, October 20, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed solidarity with the people of Israel who are in the midst of a wave of Palestinian terror campaign in Jerusalem, the West Bank and other cities across the country, and condemned vigilante acts that have taken place in the wake of several incidents. “We strongly stand behind the people of Israel during this ongoing wave of terrorism, including a number of stabbings targeting…

New York, NY, October 20, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed shock at a decision by South Africa’s ruling ANC party to host a Hamas delegation and President Jacob Zuma’s meeting with Khaled Mashal, the leader of the Gaza-based terrorist organization. In a letter sent to President Zuma, ADL called the president’s meeting with Mashal “highly disturbing,” and expressed concern that the meeting will confer legitimacy by the leader of South…

New York, NY, October 19, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed alarm at the “cynical and incendiary” effort by Palestinian leaders and six Arab members of the UNESCO (United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Executive Board to pass a resolution which would recognize the Kotel (Western Wall) as part of the al-Aqsa Mosque and a Muslim holy site. ADL urged the 58 members of the executive board to reject this blatant attempt to hijack…

New York, NY, October 19, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today condemned remarks made in the Greek Parliament, which accused Greek and American Jews of exacerbating the country’s financial crisis. In remarks made on October 14, Dimitris Giannakopoulos, representing the Greek pharmaceutical industry, and MP Nikos Nikolopoulos of the right-wing Independent Greeks party, accused Sabby Mionis – an ADL board member, activist against anti-Semitism, and prominent Greek…

New York, NY, October 19, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) announced the election of Marvin D. Nathan as its new National Chair. An attorney and community leader in Houston, Texas, Mr. Nathan has been actively involved with ADL for more than three decades. He was elected to serve a three-year term during ADL’s 2015 annual meeting in Denver, Colorado, where the gavel was passed from outgoing National Chair Barry Curtiss-Lusher to Mr. Nathan.  “ADL’s moral…

Denver, CO, October 16, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today honored the Jewish American reggae artist Matisyahu for his courageous stand in the face of an attempt to cancel his appearance at a music festival in Spain because of his religion and his support for Israel. Matisyahu made brief remarks and sang "Jerusalem" during an appearance at the ADL’s Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado, where he was recognized for his actions this past August, when he refused to comply…