January 29, 2021

THE WEEK’S BIG 3

Three months after pledging to ban all content that “denies or distorts the Holocaust,” Facebook still has yet to fully respond to the problem, according to a new report from ADL, which gave Facebook a “D” for its efforts. A newly elected member of Congress who identifies with the QAnon cult and has called deadly school shootings in Connecticut and Florida “false-flag” operations by gun-control supporters joined the House Education and Labor Committee. With the country still reeling from the Jan. 6 insurrection attempt, the Biden White House laid out its first steps towards a strategy to counter the ongoing prospect of more far-right violence, and the DHS issued a warning that domestic extremists are emboldened in the wake of the attack and may be planning further acts of mayhem.

Read on for more on these headlines, news you can use to fight hate and the latest info about ADL from around the country.

1) Holocaust Denial Content on Facebook Remains Prevalent Three Months After Mark Zuckerberg Pledged to Remove It

“Among the pieces of content cited by the ADL that Facebook did not take down: a post promoting an anti-Semitic video that claims to expose ‘lies’ about the Holocaust and a private Facebook group dedicated to “Holocaust Revisionism.” USA Today: READ MORE

+ Press Release: ADL Gives Twitch High Marks for Efforts to Combat Holocaust Denial on Their Platform

+ Jonathan Greenblatt tweet: On #HolocaustRemembranceDay, #WeRemember. Holocaust denial runs rampant on social media, so @ADL decided to grade social platforms on their policies and enforcement. The results? Platforms are not doing enough to enforce their stated policies- especially Facebook…

2) QAnon-Supporting Congressmember Assigned to House Education Committee

“Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-GA), the freshman Republican from Georgia, made a series of bizarre and outlandish remarks before her time in Congress that rival former Rep. Steve King's talk of white supremacy. The congresswoman promoted an outlandish, QAnon-adjacent conspiracy theory about Hillary Clinton cutting off and donning the face of a child.” Axios: LEARN MORE

+ READ: ADL Letter to House Leadership Concerning QAnon Adherents and Committee Assignments

+ Jonathan Greenblatt tweet: Someone who has advocated for violence & called a school shooting a "false flag," has no place on a committee overseeing education. @GOPLeader: reverse this immediately...

3) White House Outlines Strategy to Combat Domestic Extremism

“Press Secretary Jen Psaki described it as a ‘fact-based’ approach that will focus on countering the ‘serious and growing national security threat.’ Psaki outlined three steps that the Biden administration would take to evaluate the broader situation, which goes beyond the Jan. 6 insurrection attempt at the Capitol building and encompasses the vast threat of a lingering, MAGA insurgency that the attack portended.” Talking Points Memo: FULL STORY

+ Jonathan Greenblatt tweet: So important that @DHSgov is bringing attention to violent domestic extremists, some of whom were emboldened by the attack on the U.S. Capitol. Recognizing and naming a threat is always the first step in successfully combating it…

+ Nearly 1 In 5 Defendants In Capitol Riot Cases Served In The Military – NPR’s All Things Considered

KEY ADL SOCIAL STATEMENTS

• Incredibly disturbing to see @RepBoebert associating w/ people supporting 3%ers…
• Thankful this administration is reversing the bigoted and harmful policy banning #transgender people from the military. Any American willing & able to serve our country deserves the chance to and we salute all our heroes in the military for their service…
• The “zero tolerance” policy tore apart thousands of families – some of which have yet to be reunited. We have fought this inhumane, traumatizing policy from the start. Rescinding it is a needed step in the ongoing effort to fix our immigration system…

IN THE COMMUNITY

• Anti-Defamation League slams Oregon GOP for calling US Capitol attack a ‘false flag’ (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
• Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, City Council Approve Resolution Condemning Capitol Attack (CBS Pittsburgh)
• 80 white supremacists rally in Loop: ‘Definitely troubling’ (Chicago Sun-Times)

ADL IN THE NEWS

• Capitol Hill Riot Exposes Recent Surge in Antisemitism (CBS This Morning – Jonathan Greenblatt interviewed)
• Destructive protests by anarchists and extremists signal divided left as Biden administration begins (The Washington Post)
• Holocaust education is essential — but we have to reimagine it (The Forward – Sharon Nazarian op-ed)