The ADL Motto: If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it!
There is almost never a time when I am not smiling every time I read anything written by the Arab Defamation League (ADL). Their logic is always in reverse so much so that even a child should pause and say: 'wait a minute now!". But The ADL and their cousins, nephews, aunts and uncles have sufficiently prepped the gullible goyim (goyim in Jewish means cattle) to not question anything that they read or watch on TV. There is no doubt that they have turned the bulk of the American public into clueless, bleating sheep who time and time again would vote against their best interest but in the interest of a foreign entity!
ADL Disappointed in Pope's Decision to Rehabilitate Holocaust Denier Bishop
ADL Disappointed in Pope's Decision to Rehabilitate Holocaust Denier Bishop
New York, NY, January 24, 2008… The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed disappointment with the decision by Pope Benedict XVI to rehabilitate an excommunicated traditionalist bishop who denies the Holocaust, saying the action "undermines the strong relationship between the Catholic Church and Jews."
The Vatican issued a decree lifting the excommunication of Bishop Richard Williamson, a member of the ultra-conservative [1] Society of Saint Pius X who rejects the reforms of the Second Vatican Council and who recently said "there were no gas chambers" during the Holocaust.
Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director and a Holocaust survivor, issued the following statement:
This decision undermines the strong relationship between Catholics and Jews that flourished under Pope John Paul II and which Pope Benedict XVI said he would continue when he came into his Papacy.
We are stunned that the Vatican has ignored our concerns by welcoming back into the fold a bishop who denies the Holocaust and rejects the seminal reforms of Vatican II.
This decree sends a terrible message to Catholics around the world that there is room in the Church for those who would undermine the Church's teachings and who would foster disdain and contempt for other religions, particularly Judaism. Given the centuries-long history of anti-Semitism in the Church, this is a most troubling setback.
Backgrounder: The Society of St. Pius X RULE Overview
The Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) is an international traditionalist Catholic organization which defines its mission as opposing innovation and modernity within the Catholic Church.
Although its main focus has always been the preservation of the Latin Mass as a viable form of worship, SSPX has promoted theological and conspiratorial anti-Semitism among its adherents.
In sermons, writings, Web sites and publications, SSPX representatives have charged contemporary Jews with deicide, have endorsed the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, and have claimed that there is factual basis for the Blood Libel. One of its bishops has also denied the Holocaust.
The Society of St. Pius X was founded in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (1905-1991) in reaction to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. These reforms included the substitution of a vernacular Mass for the traditional Latin Mass and a new emphasis on interfaith dialogue. Most important to the priests of SSPX was the celebration of the traditional Latin Mass, but SSPX also stood against other "modernist" trends, including the Church's ecumenical dialogue with non-Catholic groups, and specifically efforts to improve relations with the Jewish community.
In 1988 SSPX's founder, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, consecrated four priests as bishops without Vatican approval; he and the priests were consequently excommunicated by the Church. When Lefebvre died in 1991 the four priests, Bernard Fellay, Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, Richard Williamson and Alfonso de Galarreta, continued to champion SSPX positions, along with a constellation of like-minded organizations and independent traditionalist Catholics. Bishop Bernard Fellay currently runs SSPX from its headquarters in Switzerland.
In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI issued a directive that allowed the Latin (Tridentine) Mass to be celebrated in certain circumstances, thereby narrowing the theological distance between SSPX and the Vatican. In January 2009 the Vatican lifted the excommunication of the four SSPX bishops.
In the United States, SSPX claims about 100 chapels and 24 schools. Its U.S. monthly periodical, The Angelus, has about 3,000 subscribers. It also maintains a Web site.
The Society of St. Pius X is mired in anti-Semitism, which it disseminates through its Web sites and publications. Jews are described in SSPX documents as being cursed by God for the sin of deicide. Jews are accused of being in control of world financial and cultural institutions and of plotting to create a "world empire" or obtain "world dominion." SSPX has justified the burning of Jewish holy books and the segregation of Jews into ghettos.
One article on SSPX's U.S. Web site goes so far as to accuse Jews of ritual murder of Christians and charges that "International Judaism" engineered usury and capitalism in order to bilk Christians of their money.
SSPX writers also encourage their adherents to avoid "enter[ing] into commercial, social, [or] political relations" with Jews and argue that Jews should not be granted the same civic rights as Christians.
One of the more controversial SSPX members has been Bishop Richard Williamson, the British-born head of the SSPX seminary in La Reja, Argentina. Williamson is a conspiracy theorist who has charged the United States government with engineering the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. For decades, Williamson has also promoted anti-Semitic beliefs and Holocaust denial. He champions the anti-Semitic forgery The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, argues that Jews seek "world dominion," and claims that Jews have promoted "changes and corruption" in the post-Vatican II Catholic Church.
Williamson has issued several high profile endorsements of Holocaust denial, most recently in an interview on Swedish television aired in January 2009 in which he claimed that "there were no gas chambers" during the Holocaust. In a 1989 speech at a Canadian church, he declared that "there was not one Jew killed in the gas chambers. It was all lies, lies, lies. The Jews created the Holocaust so we would prostrate ourselves on our knees before them and approve of their new State of Israel." Williamson has also made statements in support of Ernst Zundel, a white supremacist and Holocaust denier who has been jailed in Canada and Germany for Holocaust denial and inciting racial hatred.
"This curse [suffered by Jews throughout history for killing Jesus] is the punishment of blindness to the things of God and eternity, of deafness to the call of conscience and to the love of good and hatred of evil which is the basis of all moral life, of spiritual paralysis, of total preoccupation with an earthly kingdom."
-- The Angelus, March 2004 (Reposted on SSPX USA Web site)
"[T]he Antichrist will be Jewish….The devil will not fail to make use of their blindness to foist the Antichrist upon them. Christ, whom they have rejected, is the Truth. Thus the curse of St. Paul will apply to the Jews…"
-- From "Is Anti-Christ Coming?" by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Herkel, SSPX
"The Jewish people, once a mystery of goodness, is now changed into a mystery of iniquity. It is no longer Isaac, but Ishmael. No longer Jacob, but Esau. No longer Abel, but Cain."
-- "The Mystery of the Jewish People in History" By Rev. Frs. Michael Crowdy & Kenneth Novak (originally printed in the April 1997 issue of The Angelus magazine).
"Judaism is inimical to all nations in general, and in a special manner to Christian nations…. The Jewish people, if it has not converted to Christianity, will, even if it does not wish to, seek to ruin Christianity… Christendom and Jewry are destined inevitably to meet everywhere without reconciliation or mixing. It represents in history the eternal struggle of Lucifer against God, of darkness against the Light, of the flesh against the spirit."
-- "The Mystery of the Jewish People in History" by Rev. Frs. Michael Crowdy & Kenneth Novak (originally printed in the April 1997 issue of The Angelus magazine).
"As once they treated Christ, ever since, to persecute Christianity is their theological preoccupation. This theological law is stronger than all human plans and expedients. The Jewish people realizes this law. The law contained in the Talmud, which governs Jews, orders enmity with Christians….The Talmud got particularly virulent after Christianity appeared. Insolent and sacrilegious infamies against Christ and Christians were written into it, which is why copies were burnt by order of Christian rulers and popes."
-- "The Mystery of the Jewish People in History" by Rev. Frs. Michael Crowdy & Kenneth Novak (originally printed in the April 1997 issue of The Angelus magaine).
"A Catholic prelate who visits and prays at a synagogue betrays Jesus Christ, as the visit grants public legitimacy to a religion that holds Jesus Christ in disdain, believing Him to be a liar and deceiver."
-- Ecumenical Archbishop Levada to Head Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, by John Vennari
"As early as 200 the Church author Tertullian remarked that as Catholic faith goes up, so Jewish power goes down, while as Catholic faith goes down, so Jewish power goes up. In the Catholic Middle Ages the Jews were relatively impotent to harm Christendom, but as Catholics have grown over the centuries since then weaker and weaker in the faith, especially since Vatican II, so the Jews have come closer and closer to fulfilling their substitute-Messianic drive towards world dominion."
-- "WTC - The Scourge of Sin" by Bishop Richard Williamson,
October 1, 2001
"Unquestionably one main grievance of Arabs against the United States, provoking their terrorists to lash out as we have seen, is the United States' one-sided favoring of Israel over the Arabs for the last forty years. But each time the United States attempts to act even-handedly towards the Arabs, Jewish power inside the United States - e.g. virtual control of finance and the media - blocks the attempt, and the United States returns to oppressing the Arabs."
-- "WTC - The Scourge of Sin" by Bishop Richard Williamson,
October 1, 2001
"On the political level, we can be virtually certain that the vile media will not tell us the full story. There is serious reason to believe--that in 1898, it was not the Spaniards who sank the "USS Maine"; that in 1917, it was not the Germans who set up the "Lusitania" as a target; that in 1941 it was not the Japanese who set up Pearl Harbor for attack; that in 1963 it was not Lee Harvey Oswald who killed President Kennedy. In 1990 it was certainly not Saddam Hussein who promised not to react if he invaded Kuwait. In 1994 it was certainly not Timothy McVeigh's van exploding outside the Alfred Murrah building in Oklahoma City which brought the front of the building down. In 2001...? Saddam Hussein, Slobodan Milosevic, now Osama bin Laden, from CIA-assets to personal enemies of the American people --how many more times will the trick work?
"Politically, behind the Arab terrorists are most likely the would-be architects of the New World Order, who have long been using the United States as an instrument to achieve their control of the world. Long ago they planned three World Wars to achieve their aim. It is they who provoked the sinking of the "Lusitania" and the attack on Pearl Harbor to bring the USA into the first two. Now they seem to be using the Arabs also. Humanly, they are clever. They are even diabolically clever."
-- "WTC - The Scourge of Sin" by Bishop Richard Williamson, October 1, 2001
"[Jews are] unable to perpetrate evil except also in a great, a terrible way. We will discuss four of these ways….
1. The Jewish people persecute Christendom….
2. The Jewish people conspire against the Christian State….
3. The Jewish people win control of property by usury….
4. Jews are known to kill Christians….
As grisly as they are, these four accusations can be documented in every period and country where Jews live with Christians."
-- From "The Mystery of the Jewish People in History" by Rev. Frs. Michael Crowdy & Kenneth Novak (Originally printed in the April 1997 issue of The Angelus magazine).
"[T]hough the Jewish people must be protected, it was recognized [by the Church that] it was dangerous enough to be isolated into its own neighborhoods. Was this an offense against its natural human rights? -No, for this people refuses to assimilate itself into the country that gives it hospitality, and lives by Talmudic laws contrary to the common good."
-- From "The Mystery of the Jewish People in History" by Rev. Frs. Michael Crowdy & Kenneth Novak (Originally printed in the April 1997 issue of The Angelus magazine).
"[T]he Jewish people hope to exercise their astuteness to realize their ancient dream of a world empire."
-- From "The Mystery of the Jewish People in History" by Rev. Frs. Michael Crowdy & Kenneth Novak (Originally printed in the April 1997 issue of The Angelus magazine).
"Judaism has created international capitalism to gain international wealth…. Beyond its financial influence, Judaic thinking comes to dominate the cultural and educational fields. The pattern repeats: Jews get into posts of influence, and submit society to a high degree of corruption in ways of thinking and acting, which leads to a reaction of public opinion against them."
-- From "The Mystery of the Jewish People in History" by Rev. Frs. Michael Crowdy & Kenneth Novak (Originally printed in the April 1997 issue of The Angelus magazine).
"God puts in men's hands the 'Protocols of the Sages of Sion' and the 'Rakovsky Interview,' if men want to know the truth, but few do."
-- Bishop Richard Williamson, May 1, 2000
"[Jews are] a wild solitary people, rebellious against all law, hostile to all fraternity, shut against every beautiful, noble and generous ideal; a miserable little nation made bitter by isolation, made brutish by a narrow education, demoralized and corrupted by an unjustifiable pride."
"The Mystery of the Jewish People in History" by Rev. Frs. Michael Crowdy & Kenneth Novak (quoting from l'Antisemitisme by Bernard Lazare, 1894. Originally printed in the April 1997 issue of The Angelus magazine).
"I believe there were no gas chambers. I think that two to three hundred thousand Jews perished in Nazi concentration camps but none of them by gas chambers."
-- Bishop Richard Williamson, interview aired on SVT Sveriges Television (Swedish Television), 2009.
"There was not one Jew killed in the gas chambers. It was all lies, lies, lies. The Jews created the Holocaust so we would prostrate ourselves on our knees before them and approve of their new State of Israel.... Jews made up the Holocaust, Protestants get their orders from the devil, and the Vatican has sold its soul to liberalism."
-- Bishop Richard Williamson, Speech at Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes church in Sherbrooke, Canada, 1989
General Assembly President Unfit To Participate In U.N. Holocaust Ceremony
New York, NY, January 23, 2009 … Pointing to his public embrace of the Iranian president and his statements comparing Israel to the Nazi regime, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today said the President of the United Nations General Assembly was "unfit to participate" in ceremonies commemorating the tragedy of the Holocaust.
ADL called on Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann to officially withdraw from the UN's January 27 observance of the "International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust," where he is slated to make statements alongside survivors, witnesses, historians, ambassadors and other dignitaries, and members of the Jewish community.
Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director and a Holocaust survivor, issued the following statement:
The U.N.'s annual commemoration of the Holocaust is a solemn and sacred event devoted to the memory of the millions of victims slaughtered at the hands of the Nazis, to the survivors of those atrocities, and to the families of those who were lost. It recognizes the uniqueness of the Holocaust and the U.N.'s special responsibility to ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust are never forgotten.
Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann's presence would be an insult to the memory of the millions of victims slaughtered at the hands of the Nazis and a slap in the face to the survivors of those atrocities, to the families of those lost, and to the Jewish people. Since taking office as president of the General Assembly four months ago, Mr. d'Escoto Brockmann has embraced the world's leading Holocaust denier and anti-Semite, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, under the guise of criticizing Israel. He has used a version of the classic anti-Semitic charge of deicide, and has insinuated similarities between the regime of the Nazi extermination apparatus, and Israel.
Mr. d'Escoto Brockmann's behavior is a perversion of the ideals of the U.N. Charter, which the General Assembly president is mandated to uphold. In the short time he has been in office, his incendiary anti-Semitic remarks have brought the U.N. to a humiliating new low. We are saddened that his presence will detract from our observance of this important global recognition of the tragedy and meaning of the Holocaust.
ADL Calls On European Leaders To Condemn Explosion Of Anti-Semitic Rhetoric
New York, NY, January 22, 2009 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today called on leaders of several European countries to publicly condemn "the explosion of anti-Semitic rhetoric" and posters and banners with Nazi imagery and Holocaust comparisons seen and heard at anti-Israel demonstrations since the outbreak of hostilities in Gaza.
ADL wrote to the heads of government of eight countries - Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland - where anti-Semitic displays have been present and condemnations from the highest level of government have been absent.
"Blatantly anti-Semitic displays have contributed to an unacceptable wave of anti-Semitic threats of violence, intimidation and attacks against Jewish communal institutions and individuals in many countries," wrote Glen S. Lewy, ADL National Chair and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "While it is important to take immediate steps to increase security measures for the Jewish community for the protection of property and the personal safety of individuals, there is also an urgent need for your government to publicly and forcefully speak out against such anti-Semitic attacks to make it clear that anti-Semitism, hatred and bigotry of any kind has no place in your country."
The League reminded the leaders of the obligations to combat anti-Semitism their countries undertook in the 2004 Berlin Declaration of the Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe (OSCE). That document also declared "unambiguously that international developments or political issues, including those in Israel or elsewhere in the Middle East, never justify anti-Semitism."
ADL Responds to Suspicious Fire, Racist Graffiti at Home of Georgia Obama Supporter
January 20, 2009, Atlanta, GA…The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today called the destruction of a Forsyth County home in a suspicious fire, as well as racist graffiti found at the scene "a terrible reminder that even on this day of history, racism remains a virulent threat in America."
ADL Southeast Regional Director Bill Nigut said that "Despite the tide of hope and good will that is sweeping across this country because of the inauguration of Barack Obama, it's sad to note that racism remains a potent force in America."
Nigut commended Forsyth County fire and police officials for their aggressive investigation of the fire at the home of Obama supporter Pam Graf. "We've talked to the authorities in Forsyth and they assure us they are pursing this as a terroristic threat against Ms. Graf," Nigut said. "One of the messages seemed to imply a threat against President-elect Obama, and authorities are pursing this with the appropriate federal agencies."
Nigut also said he does not believe the incident reflects the feelings of the vast majority of people who live in Forsyth County, and who are "people of good will."
ADL Welcomes Appeals Court Decision Reversing Tainted Jury Verdict
St. Louis, MO, January 20, 2009 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) welcomed the decision today by the Missouri Court of Appeals to vacate the jury verdict in Michelle Fleshner v. Pepose Vision Institute, a civil case now pending in St. Louis County Circuit Court.
The case presented an issue of first impression in Missouri: whether a verdict should be overturned based upon expressed anti-Semitic prejudice among jury members during deliberations. ADL had filed a friend-of-the-Court brief arguing that the extreme prejudice evidenced by reported comments of some of the jurors left high potential that the verdict resulted from unfairness in the judicial process.
The League sought a reversal that would allow the trial judge to examine the potential misconduct and issue a new trial should the judge determine that allegations of bias were credible.
ADL expressed disappointment that the Court vacated the case on technical grounds, "but it offers a rare opportunity," says regional Civil Rights Committee Chair Steve Kraft, "for us to bring greater awareness to how juror bias plays out in society and how significant its impact can be."
"We are relieved that Dr. Pepose will have another opportunity to defend," said John Wallach, Chair of the Regional Advisory Board of ADL. "While the comments involved anti-Semitism against a Jewish defendant, this is the kind of case where any kind of prejudice could have been at issue."
ADL St. Louis Regional Director Karen Aroesty echoed the sentiment: "Whether and how a court can review prejudice if it is exposed is crucial to an unbiased justice system. This case should be a wake-up call for those who represent plaintiffs and defendants that juror prejudice is something to be questioned very carefully before the case gets underway - and while lawyers often consider race, they also need to look carefully at any form of bigotry or prejudice."
ADL Joins Martin Luther King Jr. Day Of Service With Challenge To Combat Prejudice
New York, NY, January 15, 2009 … Heeding the call of President-elect Barack Obama to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a day devoted to community service, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) will be urging individuals, families and communities to make a personal commitment to combat prejudice.
By taking the ADL Pledge To Combat Prejudice, Americans across the country will agree to stand up and be heard, and to help shape a vision of American where all people "will not be judged by the color of the skin, but by the content of their character".
The Pledge, which will be featured as part of the Presidential Inaugural Committee's campaign to Renew America Together, will be distributed at community events across the country, through the League's 30 regional offices, and online, where it may be signed or downloaded at www.adl.org/service.
Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:
As America celebrates the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we heed the call of President-elect Barack Obama to join in his effort to renew our commitment to public service and to take a stand in our communities against racism, bigotry and prejudice.
While we haven't eliminated all of the vestiges of racism in America, the ascension of an African-American to the highest office in the land is a tremendous stride forward and a fitting tribute to the life and legacy of Dr. King.
In the battle against bigotry, we know that one person can make a difference. As millions of Americans join together in building stronger communities and a brighter future for our nation, it is our hope that many will be inspired to make a personal commitment to combat racism and prejudice in their own lives and in their communities.
ADL: UN Human Rights Council Resolution Reveals "Cancerous Bias" Against Israel
New York, NY, January 13, 2009 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) condemned the latest anti-Israel resolution from the United Nations Human Rights Council, calling it, "Yet another example of the cancerous bias that pervades the Council."
Last week, the Human Rights Council (HRC) convened a special session in Geneva devoted to "The Grave Violations of Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory including the recent aggression in the occupied Gaza Strip." On January 12 the Council issued a resolution condemning "the Israeli ongoing military operation" and demanding Israel "stop the targeting of civilians and medical facilities."
Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:
It is extremely disturbing that a United Nations body that is mandated with upholding and protecting human rights in the international community cannot acknowledge the suffering of Israeli citizens in the face of Hamas extremism and terrorism. The failure to even mention the devastating toll of Hamas terrorism on innocent civilians is yet another example of the cancerous bias that pervades the Human Rights Council.
The ludicrous claim that Israel deliberately targets civilians is further evidence of the Council's extreme prejudice. It is sad that the Council repeatedly undermines its own credibility with its fixation on bashing Israel, and in adopting one-sided resolutions which lack any sense of moral clarity. The Council views the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through an anti-Israel lens. We have come to expect nothing more from them.
ADL applauded and welcomed Canada's vote against the resolution, calling it "an ethical stance against bias and an effort to uphold the sanctity of the Council's mandate."
ADL Decries the Anti-Semitic Vandalism of Five Jewish Institutions in Chicago
Chicago, IL, January 12, 2009 ... The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today condemned the targeting of five Chicagoland area Jewish institutions with anti-Israel and anti-Semitic graffiti in apparent response to the conflict in Israel and Gaza.
"These acts of anti-Semitic vandalism against our local Jewish institutions are despicable and cowardly and clearly have no place in Chicago," said Lonnie Nasatir, ADL Regional Director. "We applaud law enforcement for taking these incidents seriously and treating them as hate crimes, and we hope that the perpetrators will be brought to justice. Together, we must send a message that our community stands united against the haters and that acts of intimidation will not be tolerated."
Nasatir continued: "We saw a similar spike in anti-Israel and anti-Semitic incidents in Chicago and across the country during the Lebanon campaign in 2006 and following the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada in 2000. It is a sad statement that events taking place across the globe can reverberate in acts of hate in our local community."
The League is working closely with law enforcement and the Jewish community as the investigation proceeds. ADL's experts are providing information and assistance to investigators working to solve the case.
In conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security and the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, ADL will hold an all-day training on how to safeguard Jewish institutions on January 14, 2009.
U.N. Security Council Resolution On Israel-Hamas Ceasefire "Deeply Flawed"
New York, NY, January 9, 2009 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) called the U.N. Security Council Resolution on a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas "deeply flawed" and "the wrong resolution at the wrong time."
ADL also expressed disappointment that the United States voted to abstain rather than veto.
Glen S. Lewy, ADL National Chair, and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:
U.N. Security Council Resolution 1860 is deeply flawed and falls far short of offering a realistic approach to ending Hamas' reign of terror against Israel. It lacks the kind of clarity needed to actually accomplish a "durable" ceasefire and fails to address the fundamental need to stop once and for all Hamas' ability to launch rockets on Israel and smuggle weapons and munitions into Gaza.
Before the ink was dry, Hamas let the world know what it thinks of the resolution by continuing to launch more than 30 rockets and mortars aimed at densely populated communities in southern Israel.
We were surprised that the United States allowed this flawed resolution to be adopted by voting to abstain rather than veto. At a time when Israel is engaged in defending its citizens against the brutality of Hamas terrorism, which has unleashed an outpouring of anti-Semitic rhetoric, threats and intimidation and violence in the U.S. and around the world, we expected the Administration to abide by its longstanding commitment to fighting global terrorism and the scourge of anti-Semitism and Israel's role on the front lines of that fight. This is the wrong resolution at the wrong time.
ADL Welcomes Indictments In Staten Island Election Night Hate Spree
New York, NY, January 9, 2009 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) hailed the indictment of three Staten Island men for an attack on African-Americans and others in "retaliation" for President-elect Barack Obama's election victory. After learning that Mr. Obama had won, the men allegedly carried out a series of racially motivated assaults with a metal pipe and a police baton.
Joel J. Levy, ADL New York Regional Director, issued the following statement:
The brutal Election Night assaults are a tragic reminder of the dangers of racism and hatred. Even as we have come so far as a nation in overcoming racism, it was disturbing to wake up and hear of a vicious hate crime. New York should be no place for hate.
We applaud the authorities for the speed and seriousness with which they treated these incidents, sending an important message that such acts of hate are unacceptable in our community.
The suspects, Ralph Nicolleti, 18; Michael Contreras, 18; and Brian Carranza, 21, were indicted on Federal Hate Crime Conspiracy Charges.
The League thanked the FBI, the U.S. Attorney's Office and the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force for their diligence in the case.
Letters to the Editor
South Florida Sun-Sentinel January 16, 2009
To the Editor:
In the Jan. 9 forum, "Gaza was suffocated into action on Israel," the writer conveniently fails to acknowledge that Hamas is a terrorist group committed to Israel's destruction, and that the rockets Hamas fires are part of the organization's violent plan to annihilate Israel. The decision to not even mention "terrorism" once in a column that purports to accurately depict the crisis exposes this dangerous misrepresentation of facts.
For years, Israel showed restraint and did not take military action while Gaza was used as a launching pad for rocket attacks. In 2005, Israel disengaged from Gaza, and Hamas violently took over Gaza in June 2007. Hamas has since launched thousands of rockets against cities in Israel's south. Hamas temporarily eased its rocket attacks following an Egyptian-brokered six-month "period of calm" in June 2008, but it did not live up to its commitments. Their military operations continued. They also used this time to smuggle in and stockpile increasingly lethal weapons. When the six-month period drew to a close, Hamas refused to renew the agreement and began to once again fire rockets into populated centers in Israel. Today, more than 900,000 Israeli civilians live within range of Hamas rockets.
Under constant terrorist attack, Israel had no choice but to act to protect its citizens.
As President-elect Barack Obama said when he visited Sderot in July 2008, "If somebody was sending rockets into my house, where my two daughters sleep at night, I'm going to do everything in my power to stop that." Israel is committed to a peace process with the Palestinian Authority that will lead to two states. Yet Hamas rejects any negotiations with Israel. We all pray for the people of Gaza, the West Bank and Israel to live in true peace, but Hamas has not been allowing this to happen.
Sincerely,
Andrew L. Rosenkranz
Florida Regional Director
sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-gaza09forumpnjan09,0,6372290.story
South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
Gaza was suffocated into action on Israel
By Syed Ali Rahman
January 9, 2009
There is an old adage, "History repeats itself, but the price rises." We do not have to look much farther back - to the time when Yasser Arafat's office was under siege and there was a barrage of attacks in Gaza - to know that this kind of disproportionate attack by Israel will only increase the defiance of Palestinians and also perhaps make Hamas more popular, just when its popularity until recently had declined to 16 percent.
If one wonders why Palestinians have resorted to suicidal measures of launching rockets, knowing full well that they will be hit back hard by Israel, then we have to look back at what has transpired over the last few months and the living conditions that they have been subjected to by Israelis.
At the outset, it looks as if Israel has been withdrawing from Gaza and Hamas has been firing back at them. But it's a little more complicated than that. What good is withdrawal if each and every movement of the Palestinians is still controlled by Israel? People in Gaza have been in a quarantine, like a concentration camp with the border sealed on both ends, with high unemployment, no food, medicine or foreign aid for months. They can't get to work, school or get proper medical treatment without passing through checkpoint after checkpoint.
After maintaining six months of cease-fire, Israel was supposed to open the borders and let the flow of food supplies and other essential items into Gaza, but Israel did not do anything to release the pressure and ameliorate the conditions of Palestinians.
Egypt, which also shares a border with Gaza, is essentially a conscienceless player in this. Quarantine of Gaza is not possible without help from Egypt. Egypt does in the south what Israel does in north. Until this bombing started, Egypt and Israel were equal partners in the misery and suffering of the Gazans.
The assault that is currently being done on Gaza is essentially for many other purposes. It's a campaign for the ruling party for the coming elections to show that they are as tough as Netanyahu's party so that they can wipe off from the memory of their citizens the strategic defeat they suffered in Lebanon against Hezbollah some time back. This attack on Gaza would not have been possible without a tacit OK, not only from Washington but also from Cairo and Riyadh. The Saudis, the Egyptians and Israelis are all interested in reducing Hamas because they think they can cut down the influence of Iran in the region.
Syed Ali Rahman is a resident of Weston.