PrintNovember 25, 2009
Anti-Defamation League Runs Interference for Anti-Israel Obama
Is there any doubt that the ADL has become an adjunct of the DNC? The Anti-Defamation League pushes a leftist agenda in the guise of fighting anti-Semitism and bigotry.
The ADL and the establishment left have a Vulcan mind-meld. The left thinks a wave of anti-Obama hysteria is sweeping the land, driven by ignorance and prejudice. So does the ADL. The left believes Islam is a benign force, and frets that terrorist acts like the Fort Hood murders will negatively impact American Muslims. The ADL couldn't agree more.
The left abhors the Tea Parties and protests at town hall meetings, as does the ADL. The left views talk radio a vampire considers a stake smeared with garlic and immersed in holy water. Holy glatt-kosher cow...so does the ADL.
The ADL's latest contribution to agitprop is its report "Rage Grows in America: Anti-Government Conspiracies," which should have been subtitled "Those beastly conservatives are being so mean to our president."
Among other instances of conspiracy-mongering and "demonizing" Saint Barack, the ADL cites the Tea Parties. Tea Party activists "express their anger at the government," the ADL observes in the hushed tones of revelation. Imagine that: Americans who are angry at their government. Such a thing is unheard of in the annals of U.S. history.
Also, the ADL informs us, many at the Tea Parties express views that "fall outside the mainstream." What, are they in favor of same-sex marriage, nationalized health care, and gun confiscation? Do they view the First Amendment's Establishment Clause as prohibiting saying "God bless you" when someone sneezes in a legislative chamber?
No, silly. In the ADL's alternate reality, only conservatives harbor views that fall outside the mainstream. Thus do the 21% of Americans who call themselves liberal categorize the 40% who identify with conservatism.
To confirm its judgment, the ADL discloses that "Angry protesters have frequently made claims ranging from proclaiming Obama's 'socialist' intentions to making explicit Nazi comparisons to suggesting that the president is defying or even subverting the Constitution."
Socialist intentions -- like taking over the U.S. auto industry and trying to federalize health care so bureaucrats will make life-and-death decisions about who gets what medical services? Subverting the Constitution -- as in appointing a plethora of policy-making czars who aren't accountable to Congress?
The self-styled extremist-watchers claim that "Various conservative and far-right organizations encouraged people to attend the town hall meetings," where "protesters expressed rage at elected officials." Also "anti-Obama anger was the focus of many town hall meetings." The Anti-Anti-Obama Anger League?
But the real target of the ADL's ire is none other than the left's chief bête noir: talk radio. Makes sense. They've yet to figure out a way to apply the Fairness Doctrine to political rallies.
In August, the ADL's grand inquisitor, National Director Abraham H. Foxman, was incensed (his default mode) when Rush Limbaugh compared Obama's health care logo to the Nazi emblem of an eagle with wings spread on a Swastika in a circle. But they do look alike. Obama's is a caduceus with wings spread perched atop a circle bearing his campaign symbol (the wavy-lined road to nowhere).
I doubt the similarity was intentional. More likely, it reflects the fact that the White House is staffed with historical ignoramuses, like the president himself.
Foxman fumed that Limbaugh's comparison was "outrageous, deeply offensive, and inappropriate." The "inappropriate" was thrown in for good measure, just to show that Abe is really serious.
The ADL's disdain for Limbaugh is nothing next to its revulsion of FOX host Glenn Beck, whom the report dubs the "fear-monger-in-chief." Beck deals in conspiracy theories, the publication charges. If that weren't enough, he's said "that President Obama is a dangerous man." Has he no shame?
We pause to note that in a recent interview, Dr. Richard Land, a prominent figure in the Southern Baptist Convention who's always nuanced in his remarks, said the president's economic policies are "very dangerous" and his foreign policy is causing "severe damage."
"Beck and his guests have made a habit of demonizing President Obama and promoting conspiracy theories about his administration," the report whines. "Beck has even gone so far as to make comparisons between Hitler and Obama and to promote the idea that the president is dangerous." I too find this comparison inappropriate. At least Hitler got the Olympics for Berlin.
During the Bush years, did the ADL object to the left demonizing the president (as in "The I Hate George W. Bush Reader" and "The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder" by Vincent Bugliosi)? Did it warn against conspiracy theories from the other side (example: the "9/11 truthers," who believe the destruction of the World Trade Center was an inside job engineered as an excuse for a war with Iraq)? Did it kvetch about anti-war rallies -- run by the Marxists at International ANSWER -- whipping up anti-government rage? That would be no, no, and no.
The Anti-Defamation League is the love-slave of the establishment left. What MoveOn.org, the Huffington Post, and Bill Maher find deeply offensive, the ADL finds deeply offensive.
Consider its antipathy to Christian political activism. When the late Jerry Falwell (a stalwart friend of Israel) put out bumper stickers which proclaimed "I vote Christian," Foxman was ready with a rebuttal.
The slogan is "directly at odds with the American ideal (as enunciated by the ACLU) and should be rejected," Foxman explained. "Understanding the danger of combining religion and politics, our founding fathers wisely created a political system based on individual merit and religious inclusiveness," the ADL honcho insisted -- which, of course, is why James Madison (father of the Bill of Rights) said that "Americans should select and prefer Christians as their rulers."
That was not what Falwell wanted. The former Moral Majority leader explained that he meant conservative Christians should vote their values "which are pro-life and pro-family" -- and also happen to be the values of Judaism (hence, the Judeo-Christian tradition).
In 2005, Foxman warned that evangelicals wanted to "Christianize all aspects of American life." "Their goal is to implement their Christian worldview. To Christianize America. To save us!"
So, what are we talking about here -- forced conversions, compulsory church attendance, mandatory caroling throughout the year?
Abe believes the essence of a "Christian America" is a non-denominational prayer at the beginning of the school day, a ban on abortion, public celebration of Christmas (including crèches), and pastors offering public prayers in Jesus' name. But we had all of that in 1961 -- when John F. Kennedy was president. Would returning to the status quo of the Kennedy-era Christianize America?
Exquisite is the irony of the ADL's latest caper: The guys it's bashing (Limbaugh, Beck, et al.) are unabashedly pro-Israel. The dude Foxman and company are running interference for -- you know, the one with the Muslim middle name -- makes Jimmy Carter look like a Hadassah lady.
The president wants engagement and seeks "common ground" with the Nazi jihadists who run Iran. Tehran continues to fund Hezbollah and Hamas, denies the Holocaust (but threatens to launch its own by "wiping Israel off the map"), and claims an unqualified right to nuclear weapons. Perhaps Obama can enlighten us on the common ground here.
While previous administrations have grumbled about Israeli "settlements" in the historic homeland of the Jewish people, Obama is in deadly earnest.
In the spring, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that the president "wants to see a stop to settlements -- not some settlements, not outposts, not 'natural growth exceptions.'" This includes East Jerusalem (occupied by Jewish settlers for millennia). The "common ground" here is Israel dismantles the "settlements" in Judea and Samaria, and gets to keep the settlements in Tel Aviv and Haifa.
Obama also intends to see the creation of a Palestinian state in two years, regardless of anything the Palestinians do or don't do.
By demonizing the president's detractors, the Anti-Defamation League is a danger to the survival of the Jewish state.
