February 05, 2021
THE WEEK’S BIG 3
In the aftermath of the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, ADL launched PROTECT -- a “whole of society” offensive, comprising federal and state governments and the tech sector, to combat domestic terrorism. A senior State Department official announced that the Biden administration “embraces and champions” an internationally recognized definition of antisemitism. Despite urging from ADL, civil rights activists and others, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy decided against removing QAnon-supporting and conspiracy theorist Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) from committee assignments, prompting House Democrats to hold a floor vote on the matter.
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) ADL Proposes ‘Whole of Society’ Offensive Against Domestic Terrorism
“The plan ADL launched Wednesday, simultaneously with its annual report on murders by extremists, calls on the Biden administration to convene a Preventing Domestic Terrorism Summit bringing together state, federal and private sector officials.” JTA: LEARN MORE
+ ADL Resource: Murder and Extremism in the United States in 2020
2) Biden Administration ’Embraces and Champions’ IHRA Definition of Antisemitism
Addressing an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe meeting, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Kara McDonald says, ‘We must educate ourselves and our communities to recognize anti-Semitism in its many forms, so that we can call hate by its proper name and take effective action. That is why the IHRA working definition of anti-Semitism, with its real-world examples, is such an invaluable tool.’” The Times of Israel: FULL STORY
+ ADL Resource: Antisemitism Uncovered -- A Guide to Old Myths in a New Era
3) House Democrats Set to Remove Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from Committee Assignments
“Embattled Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, facing a House vote to strip her of committee assignments, said Thursday that she regrets some ‘words of the past,’ but she did not specifically apologize for her racist and violent rhetoric. The newly elected Georgia Republican asserted in a House speech that she was ‘a very regular American’ who posted conspiracy theories from QAnon and other sources before she began campaigning for Congress, but that those views did not represent her.” Associated Press: READ MORE
+ READ: ADL Letter to House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy re: Rep. Greene
KEY ADL SOCIAL STATEMENTS
- Last week was one of the most volatile weeks in memory for the stock market thanks to #WallStreetBets. Unsurprisingly, @ADL found ugly #antisemitic conspiracies swirling in the background with accusations of Jews of manipulating the global economy…
- Nearly 200 Black and Jewish leaders from across the entertainment industry have come together to form the Black-Jewish Entertainment Alliance…
- Today’s EO's to restore compassion to the asylum system & border policies, and speed immigrant integration, are a first step toward dispelling anti-immigrant hate. We joined this letter to @POTUS urging for an end to the unjustified bar to entry under Title 42. #RestoringWelcome…
IN THE COMMUNITY
- Militia alliance in Georgia signals new phase for extremist paramilitaries (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
- Omaha educators and ADL react to incident at Westside Middle School; Hitler quote written on marker board (CBS Omaha – Halley Taylor interviewed)
- Virginia Senate committee rejects hate crime expansion bill (NBC Charlottesville, VA)
ADL IN THE NEWS
- Right-wing extremism is on the rise, but ideological killings dropped significantly last year (INSIDER)
- How neo-Nazis used the internet to instigate a right-wing extremist crisis (Vox Recode)
- Saudi Arabia has been scrubbing its textbooks of anti-Semitic and misogynistic passages (The Washington Post)