New York, N.Y., February 16, 2001 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today commended the YMCA of the USA for protesting the biased, one-sided report on the Palestinians, issued by the world body of YMCA, that excluded the Israeli perspective on the ongoing conflict.

"We commend Kenneth Gladish, Executive Director of the YMCA of the USA, for speaking out against this biased, anti-Israel report and distancing his organization from it," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "To release a report that does not mention Palestinian violence or concern for Israeli victims, under the auspices of the international YMCA, provokes the situation more than subdues it. We encourage other members of the international YMCA to follow the lead set by the USA and speak out against this document."

Mr. Gladish, in a letter to the international YMCA, protested the "language, tone and characterizations" of the report, which refers to the land as "Palestine" and not Israel, and said it "can serve only to inflame the long-standing tensions in the region."

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.