New York, NY, July 28, 2008 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) applauded a Defense Department report which exposed the role that anti-Semitism and anti-Israel attitudes played in the removal of a security clearance for a Jewish Department of Defense (DOD) employee. ADL also called for a broader investigation into the issue.

The League had written to Defense Security Robert M. Gates urging an inquiry into the treatment of David Tenenbaum, and other DOD employees who struggled with clearance issues because of their being Jewish or having associations with Israel.

The report of the DOD Inspector General admitted that "Mr. Tenenbaum was subjected to unusual and unwelcome scrutiny because of his faith and ethnic background, a practice that would undoubtedly fit a definition of discrimination…"

Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:

We applaud the Defense Department's forthrightness in admitting that David Tenenbaum was discriminated against because of his Jewish faith and connections to Israel. We are confident that Secretary Robert M. Gates' leadership contributed to an environment at the DOD where a thorough investigation was able to be conducted and this candid report released. 

However, we continue to hear about Jewish employees who are being denied security clearances, or have those clearances removed, because of personal ties to Israel, one of our nation's closest allies.  The Tenenbaum case sheds light on just one example and we are concerned that other American Jews have also had similarly egregious problems with their security clearances merely because of their associations with Israel.

We call upon the Defense Department to investigate whether there is a pattern of discrimination against Jewish employees because of their relationship with Israel or Israeli citizens.   There should be no room for such discrimination in any government institution.