Good and bad on both sides

Isi Leibler’s latest assault against mainstream US Jewish organizational leaders is misinformed (“American Jewish Leaders: Where Are You?” January 31).

Leibler wrongly argues that no Jewish leaders in America are standing up against threats to Israel and the Jewish people from the far Left. As he gets around to attacking his favorite target, the Anti-Defamation League, he lays it on thick with falsehood after falsehood.

Let’s set the record straight. ADL, he says, has become “a radical extension of the Democratic party” (False: ADL is strictly nonpartisan, and has been for more than 100 years; we call out antisemitism no matter the political party); openly lobbied against the Senate confirmation of Mike Pompeo (False: Our letter to the Foreign Relations Committee raised concerns about past statements, but never questioned his qualifications); refused to endorse anti-BDS legislation (False: we have endorsed constitutionally sound federal legislation); and supports anti-Israel passages in the Movement for Black Lives platform (False: We spoke out loudly and publicly against those passages).

As to his larger argument that American organizations like ADL have soft-pedaled what he characterizes as the “greater threat” of antisemitism, from the Left: That’s also false. We call it as we see it. There’s antisemitism on the Left and Right; we are clear-eyed about both.

Leibler sees antisemitism as a “Left-only” problem. It’s not about Left and Right; it’s about right and wrong. Antisemitism comes in many forms. We, as Jews and as responsible citizens in a global community, must fight them all with equal vigor.

CAROLE NURIEL Director, Israel Office Anti-Defamation League