By John DiMascio
Watertown TAB & Press
WATERTOWN, MA –
The New England director of the Anti-Defamation League, Andrew Tarsy, would have us believe that they are honest and neutral brokers with respect to the Armenian Genocide.
According to Tarsy, Abraham Foxman and the ADL never lobbied against a congressional genocide resolution. Rather, they just told inquiring media minds: “… that this issue was one to be resolved by the two countries — Turkey and Armenia.”
Under scrutiny however, Tarsy’s claim seems to fall apart.
The Turkish news Web site “Today’s Zaman” http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=109482 the following on April 26: “In a letter addressing influential members of U.S. Congress…. U.S.-based Jewish groups demanded that voting on congressional resolutions urging the U.S. administration to recognize an alleged genocide of Armenians be delayed.
“The letter was jointly signed by B’nai B’rith International, the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee and the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs.”This testimony is corroborated by Ron Kampeas of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Kampeas reported as follows on April 23:
“Four groups, B’nai B’rith International, the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee and the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs are set to convey a letter from Turkish Jews who oppose the resolution to U.S. congressional leaders. The ADL and JINSA have added their own statements opposing the bill.”
Joey Kurtzman, pundit for www.Jewcy.com, also adds a new wrinkle in his column: “Fire Foxman — Denying the Armenian Genocide should be the last atrocity perpetrated by the ADL chief.”
According to Kurtzman, Abdullah Gul, the Turkish foreign minister, met with Foxman and others in February. Kurtzman asserts that at the said meeting, Gul asked them “in essence, to perpetuate Turkey’s denial of genocide.” Kurtzman goes on to say that Foxman “acquiesced, and in so doing, performed the pièce de résistance of Foxman’s highly effective, if unintentional, decades-long campaign to demoralize Jewish America and send young Jews scurrying for the communal exit doors.”
These sources do not paint a particularly pretty picture. Let us ponder the brushstrokes in review. A Turkish news site practically boasts that the ADL lobbied Congress. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency corroborates the story. And if Kurtzman’s allegations of the February meeting are true, the lobbying was done at the behest of the Turkish government.
Regrettably, there is no shortage of incriminating information about the ADL’s treatment of Armenians. One just needs to do a “Google” search. Cyberspace is swarming with article after article, editorial after editorial. All sides are weighing in with their indictments; including those the ADL claims to represent.
http://www.townonline.com/watertown/opinions/x809749134