The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) was established decades ago as an organization to combat anti-Semitism. However, under the new leadership of Jonathan Greenblatt, a former high-level partisan of the Obama administration, the ADL has made its focus the destruction of political conservatism and President Trump.  Worse, under Mr. Greenblatt, it has betrayed its original mission of fighting anti-Semites by forging a new partnership with one of America's most notorious anti-Semites, Al Sharpton.

Anti-Defamation League national director and CEO Jonathan Greenblatt has come under fire from Jewish groups for appearing on the MSNBC show "Politics Nation With Al Sharpton" on Sunday to promote the ADL's call for corporations to boycott Facebook in July over its unwillingness to ban hate speech on the social-media giant's platform. While the message seems on target with ADL's work, the idea of partnering with someone like Sharpton, who has a history of anti-Semitism and other bigotry, is hypocritical, if not counterproductive, they say.

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the Simon Wiesenthal Center's associate dean and director of global social action, suggested that it was wrong of Greenblatt to appear the show since the well-known reverend, who these days makes more television appearances then leads a congregational flock, has never apologized to the Jewish community for his words and actions.

So much is it dedicated to destroying President Trump and political conservatives that it has found in Sharpton a preferred bedfellow.

Those acquainted with New York City history are well aware that not so long ago, Sharpton incited rioters, culminating in the deadly anti-Jewish Crown Heights pogrom.  He also referred in a speech to Jews as "diamond merchants."  He created the racist Tawana Brawley hoax, falsely accusing white men of raping a young black woman.  His demagoguery at his National Action Network week after week to drive white "interlopers" out of Harlem provoked the massacre at Freddy's Fashion Mart, a Jewish merchant.  He also has the ignominious status of calling Israel a place of hell.  He has never formally apologized for any of these remarks or actions.

Al Sharpton became a very wealthy man by perfecting a tactic first used by Jesse Jackson called the shakedown.  Corporations are threatened with the label "racist," yet suddenly they can be cleared of charges if they financially help the Sharpton or Jackson organizations and associated enterprises.  Mr. Greenblatt has used the ADL's historic good name to threaten businesses and social media that allow Mr. Trump and other conservatives to fully express their opinions on current events. 

Mr. Greenblatt recently saw success in bringing to their knees many corporations who were frightened by Mr. Greenblatt's threat of associating them with racism and hate speech.  Mr. Greenblatt is furthering his agenda by partnering with the like-minded Al Sharpton in cowing corporate America against Mr. Greenblatt's and Mr. Sharpton's political enemies. 

Greenblatt is using the specter of anti-Semitism or racism even against public officials who are ardent supporters of Israel and friends of the Jewish people but do not share Mr. Greenblatt's crusade against political conservatives.  Through the exploitation of the historic reputation of the ADL, he seeks to intimidate a good-willed America public.  He has made the ADL a defamation.

Rabbi Spero is spokesman for the Conference of Jewish Affairs and author of Why Israel Matters to You and can be heard Monday–Thursday, 8:00 P.M. on CRN Digital Talk radio.