Armenian Diaspora and Anti-Defamation League Embroiled in Political Drama
"I'm a longtime supporter of the ADL, and I think the work the organization has done has often been stellar," said Rabbi Ronne Friedman, senior rabbi of Boston's largest synagogue, Temple Israel. "But I'm really saddened that Abe Foxman, the national director, has failed to affirm the historical fact of this (Armenian) genocide, and I really think that failure represents a moral myopia."- Boston Globe (August 17, 2007)
New England Cable News Report on Controversy HERE.
Here are my own thoughts on the fiasco...
The Boston suburb of Watertown, MA has played host to what is now a national scandal involving the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and their shameless leader Abraham Foxman. The spark that ignited a bonfire of controversy was a little known program called "No Place for Hate". However, when a local Armenian Diasporan named David Boyajian called into question why Watertown is involved in such a program when the ADL has effectively gone on to deny the Armenian Genocide, that's when the mud hit the fan. The result has been a wild and bumpy ride which has forced the Jewish community to choose between Real Politick and historical integrity. Fortunately, it looks like the ADL does not represent the wishes of many Jewish Americans as there has been a huge backlash within their community against Foxman over this, and other issues. For the Armenian Diaspora, it signals a victory in grass roots politics and reminds the community at large that our history is being used as a political bargaining chip right before our very eyes. And being passive will only lead to having our history re-written and re-interpreted.
Today's Boston Globe front page story reports on how the local Boston Anti-Defamation League chapter has now officially broken ranks with their head office on the issue of the Armenian Genocide. You can read the story HERE. However to understand the real back story, you should read a bombshell piece written by Joey Kurztman in a very hip and progressive Jewish online magazine called "Jewcy". You can read it HERE. In brief, Kurtzman exposes the collusion between American Jewish organizations, Abraham Foxman, and the Turkish government in setting out a program and plan to deny the Armenian Genocide within the backdrop of the US House of Representatives. When you are done reading the article, check out the open comments by general readers. It is eye-opening.
Back to the Boston Globe, they published a story (again front page) on how Watertown residents were feeling a little uncomfortable having an ADL sponsored program entitled "No Place for Hate" when the ADL itself was complicit in a form of Genocide denial. You can read that story HERE. That story spurred an editorial in the Boston Globe a few days later denouncing the ADL's hypocracy. That can be read HERE. Keep in mind that this is the same Boston Globe that had an official policy of not using the term "Armenian Genocide" until a group of Armenian-Americans hounded them for 10 years before the Globe relented by using the historically accurate terminology.
The end result thus far in the story is that Watertown, MA has officially revoked the "No Place for Hate" campaign until the ADL officially acknowledges the Armenian Genocide and the growing concern of the ADL's stance is clearly spreading to other nearby towns as well. The local ADL chapter has buckled under this embarrassing blow by now taking an official stance of breaking ranks with the ADL headquarters.
As Tip O'Neill once stated, "politics is local". To view how local politics may influence a greater shift in a national or international dialog on the issue of combating the denial of any mass murder by organizations supposedly championing "no place against hate", please click HERE to view the Watertown council meeting. Unfortunately, the viewer does not allow a fast forward, or rewind feature. So, you will have to view the whole thing. However, it is a remarkable piece of footage.
For those who want to vent, I encourage you to visit THIS SITE to sign an online petition.
New England Cable News Report on Controversy HERE.
Here are my own thoughts on the fiasco...
The Boston suburb of Watertown, MA has played host to what is now a national scandal involving the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and their shameless leader Abraham Foxman. The spark that ignited a bonfire of controversy was a little known program called "No Place for Hate". However, when a local Armenian Diasporan named David Boyajian called into question why Watertown is involved in such a program when the ADL has effectively gone on to deny the Armenian Genocide, that's when the mud hit the fan. The result has been a wild and bumpy ride which has forced the Jewish community to choose between Real Politick and historical integrity. Fortunately, it looks like the ADL does not represent the wishes of many Jewish Americans as there has been a huge backlash within their community against Foxman over this, and other issues. For the Armenian Diaspora, it signals a victory in grass roots politics and reminds the community at large that our history is being used as a political bargaining chip right before our very eyes. And being passive will only lead to having our history re-written and re-interpreted.
Today's Boston Globe front page story reports on how the local Boston Anti-Defamation League chapter has now officially broken ranks with their head office on the issue of the Armenian Genocide. You can read the story HERE. However to understand the real back story, you should read a bombshell piece written by Joey Kurztman in a very hip and progressive Jewish online magazine called "Jewcy". You can read it HERE. In brief, Kurtzman exposes the collusion between American Jewish organizations, Abraham Foxman, and the Turkish government in setting out a program and plan to deny the Armenian Genocide within the backdrop of the US House of Representatives. When you are done reading the article, check out the open comments by general readers. It is eye-opening.
Back to the Boston Globe, they published a story (again front page) on how Watertown residents were feeling a little uncomfortable having an ADL sponsored program entitled "No Place for Hate" when the ADL itself was complicit in a form of Genocide denial. You can read that story HERE. That story spurred an editorial in the Boston Globe a few days later denouncing the ADL's hypocracy. That can be read HERE. Keep in mind that this is the same Boston Globe that had an official policy of not using the term "Armenian Genocide" until a group of Armenian-Americans hounded them for 10 years before the Globe relented by using the historically accurate terminology.
The end result thus far in the story is that Watertown, MA has officially revoked the "No Place for Hate" campaign until the ADL officially acknowledges the Armenian Genocide and the growing concern of the ADL's stance is clearly spreading to other nearby towns as well. The local ADL chapter has buckled under this embarrassing blow by now taking an official stance of breaking ranks with the ADL headquarters.
As Tip O'Neill once stated, "politics is local". To view how local politics may influence a greater shift in a national or international dialog on the issue of combating the denial of any mass murder by organizations supposedly championing "no place against hate", please click HERE to view the Watertown council meeting. Unfortunately, the viewer does not allow a fast forward, or rewind feature. So, you will have to view the whole thing. However, it is a remarkable piece of footage.
For those who want to vent, I encourage you to visit THIS SITE to sign an online petition.
posted by Raffi at 1:38 AM
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