New York, NY, March 22, 1996...The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today deplored the vote by the House of Representatives to repeal the ban on semi-automatic assault weapons, and called it "a step backwards in our national struggle to combat the violence which plagues America."

ADL National Chairman David H. Strassler and ADL National Director Abraham H. Foxman issued the following statement:

The vote by the House of Representatives to repeal the ban on semi-automatic assault weapons is a misguided and cynical act of obsequience to the gun lobby which is contrary to the best interests of our nation. It is, in particular, a step backwards in our national struggle to combat the violence which plagues America.

As an organization devoted to exposing and counteracting anti-Semites, racists, extremists, and others who represent a threat to our democratic principles, it has long been our view that our security concerns as Americans and as Jews are best served by making firearms more difficult for white supremacists, neo-Nazi skinheads, Klansmen, militias and other extremists to obtain, rather than by encouraging their proliferation.

The assault weapons ban which the House would abandon has been a useful tool not only to combat violence in America's cities, but also to counter the threat posed by the organized hate movement. It is hard to imagine, in a season of tragedies spawned by terrorism in this country and abroad, how this House action serves any constructive purpose whatsoever.

We will work to ensure that this repeal is not replicated in the U.S. Senate.

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.