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The Daily Foxman


Daily commentary on the ADL/Armenian Genocide uproar

HA'ARETZ OP-ED CALLS FOR FOXMAN'S RESIGNATION: Today Ha’aretz published "The Politics of Hypocrisy," an op-ed by Friend of Jewcy Evan Goldstein in which Evan calls for Abraham Foxman’s resignation.

Evan laments Foxman’s decline from an “ardent champion of civil rights” to a morally obtuse and ethically challenged” embarrassment. He's also exasperated by Foxman’s explanation that his “reversal” on the Armenian Genocide issue was motivated by his "concern for the unity of the Jewish community.” Asks Evan, “What does the unity or disunity of the Jewish people have to do with distinguishing between historical fact and malicious fabrication?”

"Morally obtuse" is a pitch-perfect description of the following Foxman comments: “This is not a time for Jews to be attacking each other over an issue that is really not central.” “Now, they’ve insisted on the g-word. Fine.” “I still don’t think it’s our issue, but so many people believe it is our issue… I said okay.”

Unbelievable. But okay, so Foxman didn’t quite summon the moral fervor of the Jewish prophets when he made these comments to reporters. Let’s put aside the moral issues for a moment. I'm also blown away by the jaw-dropping political incompetence here.

There was an uproar over Foxman’s denial of genocide because people consider this a morally salient issue, and one that should transcend politics. Foxman's underlings at the national ADL must be mortified that Foxman would tell every reporter within earshot that he only revisited it because he didn’t want Jews wasting their energy arguing about something this unimportant. How can a man who spent four decades engaged in public debate on sensitive issues be so profoundly tone-deaf to sensibilities about genocide? It gobsmacks.

So when one member of the ADL frets to the Boston Globe over the question, “Are we an organization of principle?” Um… how about, “no.” Not so long as the guy responsible for the above comments is calling the shots.

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