ADL head denounces Jewish intolerance

ANNE RACKHAM
Associate Editor

"If we preach tolerance, we need to practice it," Foxman said, responding to a question about a controversial speaker at an earlier ADL event. He criticized Jews who attempt to silence or ostracize members of their own community because they disagree, for example, on political issues. Jews who are intolerant and judgmental of fellow Jews with different points of views are "speaking the language of those who attack us," he said.

"The worst hate mail I get is from Jews who are intolerant. We need to start in our own house. It is dangerous for our community to take simplistic points of view. Where do we stop this? You want the Jewish people to have an enemies list?" Foxman continued. "One reason (slain Prime Minister Yitzhak) Rabin was killed was we felt we were immune from extremism. That's what killed the prime minister, and that's what will kill other prime ministers."

Ironically, Foxman himself was accused by some in attendance of being intolerant of his questioner.

'Repair work to do'
Joel Breshin, director of the ADL Arizona Region, expanded on the theme of tolerance within the community, saying that Valley Jews need to pull together on common goals instead of rejecting each other based on considerations such as how much money people donate.

"It's amazing how we continue to stab each other in the back and campaign against each other," said Breshin. "We have some repair work to do. We need to give ourselves a good, hard look and say, 'What are we doing to ourselves?' "

Foxman, on Feb. 18, helped dedicate expanded ADL offices in the Valley and later spoke at an informal gathering in the Paradise Valley home of Danny and Pat Remen. He began his talk by proclaiming that the "secret of Jewish survival" was manifest in the gathering of about 60 ADL supporters who came to hear him speak.

"You came because you care, because you believe it matters what we do and what we say," Foxman said. "We are not alone. That is the secret of survival. Knowing that you're here makes it possible for me to go to work every day.

"I've learned I will be satisfied (in this life) to leave my mark in getting people to tolerate each other, to accept each other, and maybe even respect each other. We are a long way (from that happening). Social attitudes in the United States are the best they've ever been in terms of relations between Christians and Jews. (But still) 31 percent of Americans believe Jews are too powerful and influential," he said, citing ADL poll findings, "and 35 percent believe they are more loyal to Israel than to the United States."

'Not a nice picture'
Foxman predicted that news will continue to come out about allied and neutral countries in World War II having supported the Nazis in various ways and having known about Holocaust atrocities when they were happening.

"What this country knew and what it didn't know - it's not a nice picture. It's clear we knew everything then that we know today," Foxman alleged. "The British knew within 24 hours the number of Jews killed (the day before). They knew everything that was going on. Little by little, it's going to come out.

"I've stopped asking 'Why?' I question, 'What if?' What if the Swiss had let in 25,000 Jewish orphans? ... Hitler was testing the world. He saw what the world did with Jews - it sent them back."

Meanwhile, Foxman blasted the book, "The Secret War Against the Jews" by former federal prosecutor John Loftus, which alleges that the U.S. government has betrayed the Jewish people by protecting Nazi war criminals and by systematically targeting and spying on Jews.

"He (Loftus) takes facts and then exaggerates them. It's not accurate. It doesn't serve a purpose except to incite someone else," said Foxman. "The facts speak for themselves. We do not need to exaggerate. People do such things to sell books."