ADL Chief Praised Glenn Beck Weeks Before Condemning Him

The head of the Anti-Defamation League praised Glenn Beck in a letter just weeks before harshly criticizing him for his attacks on George Soros, it emerged today.

On Thursday, Abraham Foxman, the head of the ADL, released a statement condemning Beck's remarks about Soros' experiences during the Holocaust. The statement called Beck's comments "offensive" and "horrific." In response, Beck struck back through his news site, The Blaze.

On Friday, The Blaze posted a scanned image of a letter Foxman had sent to Beck on Oct. 22, 2010. The letter praised Beck as a "friend of the Jewish people":

Dear Glenn:

A direct-mail piece recently sent to some ADL supporters around the country inadvertently misidentified you on a list of celebrities who had made anti-Semitic statements over the past year.

This was clearly a mistake, and we deeply regret that your name was included in the mailing, which was produced by an independent, third-party contractor. I hope you will accept my personal apologies.

Even though we may disagree from time to time, I know that you are a friend of the Jewish people, and a friend of Israel.

Sincerely,
Abe
Abraham Foxman
National Director

After the contents of the letter emerged, Salon' Justin Elliott spoke to Foxman, who said that he still thinks Beck "is a strong supporter of Israel and the Jewish people."

But, he continued, "I also believe that there are certain things he doesn't understand, which have led him to make insensitive remarks."

Comments

[eptjevi]

07:56 PM on 11/16/2010

Banned from commenting on Jews again, why the fear of the Hebrew Nation that is over 3 thousand miles away HP? This is the USA, not the USA OF ISRAEL!

[eptjevi]

07:54 PM on 11/16/2010

Both clowns are seditious against the USA! Both need to be deported out of the USA permanently. USA 1st not Murdoch inspired

[eptjevi]

07:54 PM on 11/16/2010

Both clowns are seditious against the USA! Both need to be deported out of the USA permanently. USA 1st not Murdoch inspired Rothschild desired.

[joel123]

11:35 AM on 11/16/2010

ADL is not credible any more.

[Emmywin]

05:59 PM on 11/16/2010

what does it matter what Abe Foxman or anyone else said or says about Glenn Beck? Beck says it all and more eloquently. He is an enemy of Jews. He is an enemy of human decency. He is my enemy.

M.D.S.

[tinsldr2]

11:46 AM on 11/17/2010

Yesterday Beck had a Rabbi On. He was commenting on how much he learned from the Rabbi's teaching and how the Rabbi's knowledge of the Old Testament was applicable today.

During his 8/28 rally he had Rabbi's on stage and participating. He frequently tells people they should be active and participate in their religion and he specifically includes Judaism as one of the worlds Great Religions.

So I can see why you would think he was " an enemy of Jews."

[supertim]

11:33 PM on 11/15/2010

i think the ADL should acquaint themselves with a simple historical fact, that those who are promoting islamaphobia are themselves much more likely to be anti-semites, so i was puzzled when Rabbi Foxman came out against the building of the Park51 project, seems pretty cut and dry that the ADL should have supported this, but Abe has a habit of speaking in forked tongue as my native ancestors used to say

[BringDownTheDumb]

09:20 PM on 11/15/2010

Can Soros please sue this idiot for defamation and make an example out of these neocon pinhead racists?

[bogey1]

07:28 PM on 11/15/2010

what's Abe's and the ADL's stance on the Armenian Genocide this week?
Do they believe it happened or not?
I guess it depends how much they want to keep Turkey happy.
The again, there was there little flareup with civilians being killed on a Turkish ship....

[UnknownSolider]

05:07 PM on 11/15/2010

One of these Two guys dressed in a SS uniform
 
Soros and Beck....... here's a hint it wasn't Soros
 
Liberals were one of the many enemies of the N@zis
 
Soros is described as a L_ _ _ _ _
 
So if it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, I think we know what it is
 
Abe please get a clue, you are sleeping with the enemy

[Mike169]

02:28 PM on 11/15/2010

As I read through the positioning of the teabags I find their refusal to compromise (the oil that lubricates the legislative process besides money) strangely similar to the Nazis who rose by not compromising their positions. Rather they forced their positions on the entire nation. Fortunately for all of us nothing bad happened but the teabags should beware of those in whose footsteps they follow.

[Mando1]

01:36 PM on 11/15/2010

The ADL needs to show Foxman the door. Beck's is a modern day Goebbels. Even if he says nice things on Israel....after their through with the mexicans and muslims, won't be long before those Brown Shirts he leads will find new scapegoats. This is the time for jews, muslims, hispanic people, african american people to unite. Fox's message is racist and they are looking for people to blame. Only through unity can we defend our families and the truth.

[intolleft]

11:37 AM on 11/15/2010

Mr Foxmans' problem is that he is too concerned with 'insensitive remarks' and not the truth.

[valeskas]

11:31 AM on 11/15/2010

So what, he should have said 6 month ago.

[ESerafina42]

10:05 AM on 11/15/2010

Glenn Beck (and others) are only "friends" to Israel when it departs from its (gasp!) socialist roots and pursues policies with which they agree. Just like they only love America when its government does things of which they approve.

[tinsldr2]

11:58 AM on 11/15/2010

Are you some how implying that Americans should not speak out when a country does things with which we disagree?

"are only "friends" to Israel when it departs from its (gasp!) socialist roots and pursues policies with which they agree."

Many (of course not all) Conservatives support Israel as neccesary homeland for Jewish people, A religious holy site for many religions, and as a bulwark of Democracy in a region heavily dominated by dictators. Of course people are FREE to criticize Israel when the Government there does actions and policies with which they disagree.

If you read the English (or hebrew) version of news papers in Israel, you will see the left Leaning paper, ha'artez is often Critical of the Israeli Government and the Conservative leaning Jerusalem Post is also at times critical depending on which party is in charge at the moment. (much like our various media outlets here). that is healthy mix of coverage.

Like Glenn Beck, I LOVE America ALWAYS, first and foremost among nations. But yet when the Government does things with which I disagree I have a responsibility to speak out against that action.

Not like Rev Wright calling on God to "you know what" America, but hoping to right America's ills and make her a better place.

[ESerafina42]

01:45 PM on 11/15/2010

Did I ever say you couldn't criticize Israel, or America?

-----
"But yet when the Government does things with which I disagree I have a responsibility to speak out against that action."

Funny, but when people like me spoke out against things the government did with which we disagreed *we* were called "unpatriotic" and "America-haters."

[UnknownSolider]

05:03 PM on 11/15/2010

Israel will be a Democracy when the Arabs in the nation can vote in person or by absentee

[minusjason]

09:29 AM on 11/15/2010

That's not "praise." That's simply owning up to their mistake. Just because he likes Israel doesn't mean he's a good guy.

[Kimpeach]

09:11 AM on 11/15/2010

2010 has not been a good year for Foxman and ADL because they can no longer front as a civil rights group They are a zi0nist group and that hides behind their faith to push agendas that are not helpful to the US. The only way to save the ADL's reputation is for Foxman to leave and even that might not help!