New York, NY, March 5, 2026 … (ADL) the Anti-Defamation League issued the following statement in response to recent political and public discourse about the escalating conflict with the Iranian Regime.
Statement from Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO:
Since the start of hostilities with the Islamic Republic of Iran last weekend, we are witnessing an alarming pattern of escalating, inflammatory rhetoric from voices across the political and ideological spectrum. This rhetoric distorts reality and fuels dangerous antisemitic narratives.
While not everyone is guilty of this, too many voices are engaged in this dangerous game.
Let’s be clear:
- Pro-Israel organizations and supporters are not ‘anti-American’ just because they are advocating for a strong bilateral relationship with a fellow democracy and one of our most stalwart allies in the world.
- Labeling Israel as an “apartheid state” or accusing it of “genocide” are not acts of responsible policy critique. These charges are inflammatory, factually inaccurate and play directly into efforts to delegitimize the Jewish state and inflame hatred.
- Rhetoric that solely blames the Jewish state or frames American policy as manipulated by Jewish influence is not just indisputably false, it echoes some of history's most dangerous antisemitic tropes.
It is a sad irony that an operation against the world’s largest sponsor of antisemitism has prompted so much antisemitism.
Yes, our leaders and the American public can and should debate all aspects of this operation. This is essential to the democratic process. But we cannot forget that rhetoric that evokes or plays on anti-Jewish tropes – regardless of intent – does not exist in a vacuum. It adds to an environment where Jewish people face greater hostility, increased discrimination and intensifying violence.
ADL calls on all public figures – elected officials, political candidates, public commentators –to refrain from reckless statements, unfounded charges, and wild conspiracies that echo the ugliest chapters of history and place Jewish communities in real danger.
ADL is the leading anti-hate organization in the world. Founded in 1913 to protect the Jewish people, ADL works to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and secure justice and fair treatment to all. In the face of rising antisemitism and extremism, we protect, advocate, and educate, through a mix of programs and services using the latest innovations and technology, and seek to create a world without hate. More at www.adl.org.