In his personal diatribe against me and the Anti-Defamation League ("The ADL has lost its way under Abe Foxman," Haaretz, August 27 ), Anshel Pfeffer gets it wrong in so many ways it's hard to know where to begin.

Let's set the record straight: I have no problem with people disagreeing with us on issues. Take the controversy over the proposed Islamic cultural center and mosque near Ground Zero. There are legitimate different perspectives. However, when those, like the ADL, who believe the mosque should be relocated because it would harm rather than help the process of healing, are accused of bigotry against Muslims or of denying religious freedom - that is demagoguery that is almost as bad as the demagoguery from the other side that exploits the controversy to demonize all Muslims and Islam.

So too with Pfeffer. I have no problem with the fact that he disagrees with us on issues. But when he broadly distorts our operation, our methodology and our approach - I must respond.

The ADL is widely recognized as having played a significant role in the United States in making anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry, particularly in the public sphere, unacceptable. American society hasn't achieved perfection by any stretch of the imagination, but it has made tremendous progress. And the ADL has played a significant role in that.

In contrast to what Pfeffer wrote in his column, we are constantly evaluating whether statements made by individuals or groups are anti-Semitic or not. We spend as much time rejecting claims of anti-Semitism as we do exposing them. We understand that credibility is critical to the ADL, and we want people to listen when we point out a problem.

The charge that we claim all criticism of Israel is anti-Semitic is absurd. We make distinctions. We understand that Israel, like any country, is subject to criticism for its policies. But when Israelis are compared to Nazis, when the deicide charge is applied to Israel's treatment of Palestinians, when Israeli leaders are the subject of blood libel - then we call it anti-Semitism.

When exaggerated critiques of Israel are disseminated and boycott movements emerge, though such overt discrimination may not be motivated by anti-Semitism, it creates an environment in which anti-Semitic acts become more acceptable.

Where Pfeffer is particularly misguided is in his assessment of the ADL's role in dealing with threats to Israel or Jews around the world. We in the American Jewish community learned after the Holocaust that we have a special role and responsibility to help our brethren elsewhere. First, because we were aware of what didn't happen in the 1930s and '40s. Second, because we were living in a country where, as Jews, we had equal rights and could speak out and lobby. And third, because America became the world leader and was in a unique position to help protect Jews abroad. The ADL'S work with the American government on behalf of Israel, Soviet Jewry and others, speaks for itself.

One of the strengths of the ADL is that it doesn't limit its work to dealing with questions of Jewish security. We have broad-ranging education programs to teach Americans and others about pluralism, respect and acceptance. We use our voice not only to stand up for Jews. It is not an apologia but a simple fact that the ADL has stood up, like few others, since 9/11, against anti-Muslim bigotry in America.

Particularly surprising is the fact that Pfeffer falls prey to the idea that when the ADL speaks out, it gives credibility to those who claim Jews "control everything." As someone partly raised in Europe, he should know better than most that attacks based on alleged Jewish control have little to do with the real world, and are at the irrational core of anti-Semitism. Jews are the victims of this, not the creators. The lesson we learned after the Holocaust was: We cannot afford to be Jews of silence. There is no guarantee of success by standing up, but it is a far better option than standing by.

We are proud of our work at the ADL. We continue to serve the interests of Jewish safety and the promotion of a world where respect and acceptance can triumph over hatred, prejudice and bigotry.

Abraham H. Foxman is the national director of the Anti-Defamation League. His books include "The Deadliest Lies: The Israel Lobby and the Myth of Jewish Control" and the forthcoming "Jews and Money: The Story of a Stereotype (Palgrave Macmillan ).

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.