There's a difference between being a self-interested community (and perhaps one that fails to see that our self-interest in the long term lies in the permanence of norms against genocide - the apex of ADL's purpose) and being "the world's human rights policeman." In an ideal world, the ADL woudl take a stand against all past, present, and future genocides in a manner similar to the U.S. Holocaust Memorials admirable campaign against the current atrocities in Darfur. But at a bare minimum, we should never be so bankrupt as to make an affirmative statement against acknowledgment of past genocide. Unless Foxman was explicitly told that the lives of the Jewish community in Turkey were on the line unless he made such an affirmative statement, it's flatly unconscionable to throw away one's core principles in that manner. The ADL must stand for something broader than self-interest. It once did (Stuart Svokin's quite good "Jews Against Prejudice" details these glory days of the ADL, American Jewish Congress, etc), and we should demand that it do so again. Million dollar donors be damned. If the ADL claims to speak for our community then we as the community must demand that it act justly in our name.
Dan Freeman
A couple disagreements
There's a difference between being a self-interested community (and perhaps one that fails to see that our self-interest in the long term lies in the permanence of norms against genocide - the apex of ADL's purpose) and being "the world's human rights policeman." In an ideal world, the ADL woudl take a stand against all past, present, and future genocides in a manner similar to the U.S. Holocaust Memorials admirable campaign against the current atrocities in Darfur. But at a bare minimum, we should never be so bankrupt as to make an affirmative statement against acknowledgment of past genocide. Unless Foxman was explicitly told that the lives of the Jewish community in Turkey were on the line unless he made such an affirmative statement, it's flatly unconscionable to throw away one's core principles in that manner. The ADL must stand for something broader than self-interest. It once did (Stuart Svokin's quite good "Jews Against Prejudice" details these glory days of the ADL, American Jewish Congress, etc), and we should demand that it do so again. Million dollar donors be damned. If the ADL claims to speak for our community then we as the community must demand that it act justly in our name.