Press Release

ADL Supports Inclusion of 'World Trade Center Cross' in Permanent Memorial to 9/11 Victims at Ground Zero

New York, NY, September 9, 2011 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today issued the following statement with regard to the controversy surrounding the inclusion of the so-called "World Trade Center Cross" -- the cross-shaped steel beams found in the rubble at Ground Zero -- in the permanent memorial to the victims of the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11:

ADL fully supports the inclusion in the National September 11 Memorial & Museum of the metal beams in the shape of a cross found in the rubble at Ground Zero in the aftermath of the tragic attacks on 9/11.

Allowing this cross to be included in the memorial along with other artifacts found at the site does not constitute government endorsement of a religious message. Rather, it is an acknowledgement that these beams – part of the infrastructure of one of the towers – acquired historical significance by giving comfort to many who lost loved ones in the attacks, as well as those who spent days and weeks sifting through the ash and debris.

The beams have been a part of the scene at Ground Zero ever since 9/11, and their inclusion in the memorial is appropriate.

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.