The Jewish Condition: Then, Now, and in the Future Remarks of Abraham H. Foxman National Director of the Anti-Defamation League to the ADL Annual Meeting October 31, 2013

In uncommon speech, ADL chairman cites doubt whether U.S. can be counted on. 'America seems desperate to avoid confrontation with Iran,' he says.

By Chemi Shalev

November 01, 2013 "Information Clearing House - "Haaretz" -- In a rare outpouring of concern and criticism about American leadership and resolve in the global arena,Anti-Defamation League National Director Abraham Foxman said that the world increasingly sees a “weak and retreating” United States that “cannot be counted on.”

Speaking at the ADL’s Centennial conference in New York, Foxman expressed apprehension that the U.S. is undergoing a “deep and dangerous change” that would endanger both Israel’s security and the wellbeing of the American Jewish community. “It causes me to lose sleep,” he said.

Foxman noted that America’s previous bout of isolationism before World War II “enabled the greatest disaster ever to the Jewish people.” But now, he says, “we are seeing growing indications of a desire for America to retreat from the world once again.”

He lambasted Congressional resistance to U.S. President Barack Obama’s call for a military strike against Syria’s chemical weapons that resulted in U.S. acceptance of the Russian compromise offer. “A huge sigh of relief was heard throughout the nation, but what was also heard was questioning around the world whether America could be counted on.”

And while he didn’t rebuke Obama by name, the Administration’s attitude towards talks with Iran was also a cause for concern, he said. “America seems desperate to avoid a confrontation with Iran and the Iranians, aware of that, are playing it to a fare-thee-well.”

Foxman spoke about “three pillars” that had empowered American Jewry and allowed it to stand up for Israeli and for beleaguered Jewish communities around the world: Israel, the community itself, and America’s global leadership following World War II.

But while Israel is flourishing, and American Jews remain a strong force – notwithstanding the recent findings of the Pew Survey – “it is the third pillar, that of America and its role in the world, that causes me to lose some sleep.”

Foxman said that America’s “unsatisfactory involvement in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq” coupled with “the financial crisis at home” have generated broader opposition to American military involvement overseas. But instead of standing up for what’s right, he added, “Members of Congress seemed merely to reflect the wishes of their constituencies.”

“It was bad enough that the American people understandably wanted out,” Foxman said, “but where was the leadership in Washington to stand up?”

Allowing Assad “the murderer of thousands” to stay in power, Foxman added, “will send a terrible message” and would constitute a victory for Iran. “Allies of America are wondering whether America’s desperation at all costs to avoid military confrontation signals a dangerous weakening of American resolve.”

Foxman ended on a positive note, claiming that he was “an optimist” but his speech was dark and full of foreboding, participants said.

The full text of Foxman's remarks: PDF

During this exciting Centennial year, we have devoted a heavy dose of our attention to the
relationship between the 2 elements of our mission – fighting anti-Semitism and securing justice
for all.

At this, our final major national event of the Centennial, I want to turn my attention solely to the
condition of the Jewish people -- then, now and in the future.

In 1913, the Jewish story was very much a mixed bag. Centuries long anti-Semitism remained
potent, particularly in the Russian Empire which housed a large Jewish population. In Western
Europe, it was a time of greater Jewish participation in broader society while a new modern form
of anti-Semitism was also emerging, a hatred of Jews based on race rather than religion. Modern
democracies offered Jews the possibility of normal lives and professional success, but the deeply
embedded stereotypes and conspiracy theories about Jews presented ripe material for those
whose outlook was fundamentally anti-democratic.

It took twenty years from the founding of ADL for these anti-democratic, anti-Semitic tendencies
to emerge and challenge democratic values. When they did in the 30’s with the rise of the Nazis
in Germany and fascist governments elsewhere in Europe, the Jews of Europe were in the most
precarious situation possible.
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They had no means of self-defense. They had nowhere to go. The nascent Zionist movement in
Palestine was growing but the British prevented mass emigration of Jews to the Holy Land.
Even America was largely closed as reflected in the tragic story of the .SS. St. Louis.

They had allies in theory but the democracies were reacting to the disaster that was WWI and
were ready to do anything to avoid conflict with the rising fascist powers.

The United States had retreated to isolationism following the Great War, voting down U.S.
participation in the League of Nations. In the final analysis, America, following Pearl Harbor,
entered the war soon enough to save the world from Hitler. America did not enter the war soon
enough to save the Jews of Europe. By D-Day when we started to turn the tide, more than 4
million Jews had already been murdered.

Meanwhile, American Jews in the 1930’s were going through their own version of exploding
anti-Semitism. Obviously it was nothing like what was happening in Europe, but for America it
was a most trying time. Extremist anti-Semitic groups, together with mainstream anti-Semites
like Father Charles Coughlin and Charles Lindbergh were at their height. Stereotypes about
Jews, both personal and political, were strong as were quotas against Jews which existed in
universities, matched by exclusion from certain jobs, neighborhoods and clubs. Still, it was
America and while ADL had a lot of business, Jewish life went on.

It is the memory of these dark days that generated the very different ADL and American Jewish
community ever since. The theme of Never Again became the calling card of the community 3

after the Holocaust. With the increasing openness of American society, caused by WWII and the
Civil Rights movement, Jews became more comfortable as full American citizens and developed
a self-confidence that it lacked in the 30’s. Standing up for Israel and endangered Jewish
communities became a way of life for ADL and others.

Together with this came the emergence of American leadership in the world. Bipartisan support
in Congress and the country for such a role arose in the late 1940’s as Americans saw the need to
combat the Soviet threat.

The third leg of the new triangle of historical developments that changed the Jewish condition, of
course, was the newly independent state of Israel.

Suddenly, Jews were no longer powerless, Jews were no longer homeless, Jews were no longer
alone in the world. For ADL, all three legs of the triangle -- Israel, American Jews and America
came together to enable us, in coordination with others, to stand up for the Jewish people
whenever they were threatened. And not only to stand up but to win one battle after another --
Soviet Jewry, Syrian Jewry, Ethiopian Jewry, the security and well-being of the state of Israel.
There are so many stories here of how it all worked. The one I like to talk about is the rescue of
Ethiopian Jews after the fall of the communist government in Ethiopia, American Jews working
with our government and with Israel to provide for the peaceful transport of thousands of
Ethiopian Jews to Israel.
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Sometimes I get asked why ADL speaks out so often regarding Israeli security and issues
affecting Jews all over the world. The answer is that we learned the lessons of the 30’s and 40’s,
we understood as the world’s leading organization fighting anti-Semitism and living in the
country that was the most dominant power in the world, we had a unique responsibility and
opportunity to make sure this time catastrophe would be averted.

We accomplished so much because we were part of a larger community that understood its
responsibility. We accomplished so much because we have unique expertise, programs and
perspective. We accomplished so much because the State of Israel existed. And we
accomplished so much because the U.S. was strong and in its strength it too could ensure that
Never Again was a living and breathing idea.

Which brings me to the present moment. I ask myself: how are those three pillars doing that
have been the foundation of a more secure Jewish existence and that has enabled ADL to do so
much?

The state of Israel, with all its challenges foreign and domestic, is a flourishing entity. It has a
highly modern economy and society, a strong military and innovative scientific and cultural elite.
It remains a haven for Jews. American Jews remain a strong force, vibrant in its intellectual,
business and communal life. Passionate about politics, American Jews fully participate in all
segments of public life. And when necessary we remain ready to stand together to defend the
Jewish people and communities, whether that means Israel, or Jews in Greece or Ukraine or
Hungary or France or Venezuela or even Jews in America. 5


Yes, I am aware of the Pew survey about American Jews that has drawn a lot of attention. We
need to take its findings seriously. It talks about a sustained identity of American Jews as Jews
but a decline in the intensity of the connection to Jewish matters such as the state of Israel,
Jewish education and synagogue attendance.

These trends are important but I’m an optimist that the organized Jewish community will remain
a potent force because we will continue to be passionate about Jewish survival and security.
Even as time passes, I believe that the mantra of Never Again will resonate.

So all in all, I feel confident about two of the pillars, Israel and American Jewry.

It is the third pillar, that of America and its role in the world, that causes me to lose some sleep.
One doesn’t have to agree with every American foreign policy decision to recognize that
American leadership in the world has been a good thing. It protected democratic Europe
following WWII; it rehabilitated Japan into a thriving democracy; it brought an end to the Cold
War and threats of nuclear annihilation with the demise of the Soviet Union; and its ideas of
democracy have spread around the world, unevenly, but still overall a force for good.

As to the impact on Jews, as noted, the contrast is self-evident. Before WWII when America
retreated from the world, it enabled the greatest disaster ever to the Jewish people. And, since,
American leadership has helped produce the exceptional accomplishments we spoke about.
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Now we are seeing growing indications of a desire for America to retreat from the world.
Interestingly, the bi-partisan support for America leadership came about after WWII when
Republican isolationists from the 20’s and 30’s were transformed, led by Senator Robert
Vandenberg, into internationalists in order to combat the Soviet threat. When the Berlin wall
came down, there was talk that a new isolationism would rise up. Now that Republicans didn’t
have the communist threat to contend with, it was argued, they might return to the old ways. It
happened in some instances, note Pat Buchanan. Overall, however, it didn’t take.

Now, however, some two decades later, more serious trends are developing. The combination of
America’s unsatisfactory involvement in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq together with the
financial crisis at home have generated a broader opposition to American military involvement
overseas. The recent issue surrounding Syria’s use of chemical weapons highlighted this trend.
When President Obama announced he would attack Syria and then decided to obtain
Congressional approval, he met a wall of resistance on both the Democratic left and the
Republican right. Mistrust of government and entanglements overseas abounded. Members of
Congress seemed merely to reflect the wishes of their constituencies. And when the President
then turned to a Russian solution of ridding Syria of chemical weapons, a huge sigh of relief was
heard throughout the nation. But what was also heard was questioning around the world whether
America could be counted on -- it was bad enough that the American people understandably
wanted out, but where was the leadership in Washington to stand up?

This is not to say that anything about Syria is a slam dunk. There are no angels in this conflict.
But the same thing was true about the Spanish Civil War between 1936-39, fascists on one side, 7

communists on the other. But it was a testing ground for fascists and when they saw that the
democracies did not meet the test, it helped lead directly to WWII.

In Syria, chemical weapons aside, allowing Assad the murderer of many thousands, to stay in
power supported by Iran and Hezbollah, with America largely on the sidelines will send a
terrible message. Iran will emerge the victor. Allies of America are wondering, the good
potential outcome on Syrian chemical weapons notwithstanding, whether America’s desperation
at all costs to avoid a military confrontation signals a dangerous weakening of American resolve.

And then on top of that comes this drive to find agreements with Iran on the nuclear issue. Now
let me be clear: if we can reach a satisfactory deal with Iran that ensures that if Iran is deceptive
or abnegates that agreement, it couldn’t in a short time break out and speedily move to a bomb,
I’d be all for it. The concern is the context: America seems desperate to avoid a confrontation
with Iran; the Iranians, aware of that, are playing it to a fare-thee-well.

Not only are they talking the language of moderation, but they are already offering substantive
proposals that may appear more giving than they really are. Again, it’s not impossible that
things can work out well, but when it appears to come from a perception of American weakness,
it doesn’t bode well.

Arguments could be made to counter these points but often perception is reality. America is
being seen as weak and retreating. The world looks at our choices, looks at our public opinion 8

polls, looks at congressional reactions, looks at the paralysis in Washington on budgeting matters
and wonders.

I hope that we get our act together. I hope Congress starts to think of the bigger picture. I hope
we are truly able to keep all options on the table, whether vis-à-vis Iran or Syria, without rushing
to military action.

Make no mistake about it. If what we are seeing now is the beginning of a deep change in
American foreign policy it will be bad for the Jews.

Don’t believe for a second that there is an alternative to American leadership when it comes to
Israel’s security, peace in the Middle East, safety and security for Jews in Europe, Latin
America, and the Middle East.

Still, all in all, as I look to the Jewish future and the role of ADL on the occasion of our
centennial, I am an optimist. Again, I am an optimist on Israel. I am an optimist on American
Jews. And, despite the concerns I have expressed here, I remain an optimist about America,
about the good sense of the American people, the track record over the last 70 years about its
ability to overcome the obstacles to governance and to recognize that American leadership in the
world is good for America, good for the world and good for the Jewish people.