Andrew Tarsy vs. ADL

[drmomentum[$]]

The Boston JCRC is cheering the regional director of the Anti-Defamation League after he was fired for supporting a congressional resolution recognizing the World War I massacres of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as genocide.


Andrew Tarsy, head of the ADL’s New England office, was fired Friday after he publicly broke ranks with the organization over the issue, the Boston Globe reported. On Saturday, Boston Jewish Community Relations Council came to Tarsy’s defense, issuing a statement of support and reiterating an earlier position that the massacres constitute a genocide.


“In light of the current controversy between the ADL and the Armenian community, we stand by that statement and applaud the N.E. Regional chapter of ADL and its Director, Andrew Tarsy, for their bold and unprecedented action of standing up to their National body,” the JCRC said. “We stand with them and in support of the local Armenian community which has always recognized the Holocaust and been with us each and every year to commemorate it.”

Can anyone explain to me why the national ADL would fire someone for holding this opinion?

[AuntieEmma[$]]

They seem to be worried about offending Turkey:

Boston Globe said

... At issue was not the program itself, but rather a tangle of international politics dating back more than 90 years. From 1915 to 1923, Ottoman Turks massacred as many as 1.5 million Armenians in what is now modern-day Turkey. Armenians, historians, and some European nations have recognized the killings as genocide. But the Turkish government has refused to accept the genocide label and the national ADL refuses to use it as well.

In a 438-word open letter slated to appear in advertisements inside local newspapers beginning next week, the ADL does not use the word genocide. Officially, Foxman reiterated yesterday, the ADL has no position on the genocide issue. But it does not support the legislation in Congress. In the open letter yesterday, the ADL called it "counterproductive" and the organization, founded in 1913 to fight anti-Semitism, worried what effect passing the legislation would have on Jews living in Turkey...

ADL local leader fired on Armenian issue - The Boston Globe

[drmomentum[$]]

Interesting. Or, unfortunate.

[AuntieEmma[$]]

It sounds like there is going to be a backlash against the national ADL.

[hadassahchana[$]]

I certainly hope so. The ADL has always cared more about bot stepping on toes than on atually sticking to any sort of moral high ground. Having had a particluarly unpleasant run-in with them, I can speak from experience.

There have been so many times when they needed to lend their voice to condemn instances of racism/violence where instead they backpedaled and made escues that I sincerely get what they deserve and in a very public way.

[drmomentum[$]]

It's got to be tough to do what Mr. Tarsy did. Although, I assume it is a sense of justice and integrity which led him to that job in the first place.

[erik_kosberg]

"U.S. and Turkey Thwart Armenian Genocide Bil"

No hypocrisy here. Move along. Nothing to see.

[rmthunter]

Interestingly enough, there's been a lot of chat on the blogosphere about the resounding silence from the ADL on the right-wing characterizations of anyone who disagrees with them as "Nazis" -- after years of condemning any such rhetoric on the left.

Of course, the pro-Israel contingent in the administration is still very strong.