Calls to Fire ADL Chief for Holocaust Denial
A senior editor at Jewcy is calling for the firing of Abraham Foxman, the chief of the Anti-Defamation League who has angered many Jews for denying the Armenian Genocide.
Foxman‘s statement is in every way that matters equivalent to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s claim that he takes no position on the historicity of the Jewish Holocaust, but only hopes to see the matter resolved by dispassionate study. Throughout the Congressional saga surrounding the resolutions, virtually no one other than Turkish lobbyists had explained their opposition by challenging the nearly undisputed consensus among historians that a genocide did indeed take place.
It is a scandal of unprecedented proportion when one of the most prominent figures in our community, a man who claims to speak on our behalf, publicly challenges the historicity of another community’s genocide. Foxman’s ADL no longer represents the interests of the Jewish community.
The article has already encouraged a call by The New York Times Magazine writer and Huffington Post blogger Mark Oppenheimer to fire Foxman:
There are so many reasons to hate Abraham Foxman, the executive director of the once-proud Anti-Defamation League, but surely the best reason has to be his collusion with the Turkish government to perpetuate denial of its genocide against Armenians nearly 100 years ago. The Israeli government has long been part of this historical fudge, but at least it has the excuse — however meager — of Realpolitik: Bush goes boating with Putin, Israel dallies with genocide-denying Turks, China and Somalia do their petro-dance…and so it goes. But for a non-profit like the ADL, which in fact has done important work to combat not just anti-Semitism but other forms of ethnocentrism and racism, to shill for Holocaust-deniers (yes, the Armenian genocide can fairly be called a Holocaust) is inexcusable. He should be fired.
9 Responses to “Calls to Fire ADL Chief for Holocaust Denial”
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Hrag on 11 Jul 2007 at 7:03 pm #
Bravo Simon for highlighting an important hypocrisy by a non-profit who depends on people’s sense of decency and respect for human rights.
Now the question is how to make the great American public aware of Foxman’s lapse of judgment?
Joey on 11 Jul 2007 at 10:55 pm #
Hi Simon, very pleased that you enjoyed my Jewcy article and glad that it’s gotten some notice in the Armenian community. I hope that greater attention continues to be drawn to Foxman’s outrageous comments. The whole affair really is nauseating.
Joey on 11 Jul 2007 at 11:00 pm #
Ah, and one addendum to what Hrag said…it’s far too charitable to describe Foxman’s remarks as “a lapse in judgment.” If it were a lapsed in judgment, he would have apologized and retracted it, and even then the Jewish community would have to wonder about someone whose judgment could lapse so totally. But no apology or retraction has been forthcoming. So I’m afraid it’s something more sinister than a momentary error in judgment.
Joseph on 12 Jul 2007 at 4:40 am #
Joey, thank you for the article.
Blogian on 12 Jul 2007 at 6:51 am #
I hope the New York Times will pick up on the topic especially since Oppenheimer has joined Joey’s righteous call to fire Foxman.
Joey on 17 Jul 2007 at 2:35 am #
Joseph, no thanks is necessary, I’m only sorry we’re in this situation in the first place.
Something positive: The Daily Kos is on board with a new post called “Fire Abe Foxman.” http://www.jewcy.com/daily_shvitz/all_aboard_the_fire_foxman_train
Bill on 18 Jul 2007 at 9:48 pm #
I am not sure what exactly Foxman said or did, but to rely on the word of an anti-semite like Joey Kurtzman is a big mistake. Joey Kurtzman’s columns in Jewcy are bizarre to say the least. He has taken positions which include supporting known anti-semites such as Kevin MacDonald who believes that there is a genetic Jewish conspiracy to oppress non-Jews. I would be very very careful if using Kurtzman as a source.
Joey K on 15 Aug 2007 at 12:17 am #
Here’s a follow-up post about Foxman:
http://www.jewcy.com/daily_shvitz/good_luck_watertown
David E. on 16 Aug 2007 at 8:49 pm #
As a child of a Jewish Holocaust survivor, I am appalled by foxman’s attitude toward the Armenian genocide. Foxman should be fired. The adl does not represent me.
I stand in solidarity with the Armenian people in this matter.