New York, NY, December 7, 2015 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) condemned Donald Trump’s calls to bar entry into the United States for all Muslims, calling the plan “deeply offensive.” Earlier today, Mr. Trump said in a statement he was calling for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.”
Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO, issued the following statement:
Mr. Trump’s plan to bar people from entry to the United States based on their religion is unacceptable and antithetical to American values. The U.S. was founded as a place of refuge for those fleeing religious persecution, and religious pluralism is core to our national identity. A plan that singles out Muslims and denies them entry to the U.S. based on their religion is deeply offensive and runs contrary to our nation’s deepest values.
In the Jewish community, we know all too well what can happen when a particular religious group is singled out for stereotyping and scapegoating. We also know that this country must not give into fear by turning its back on its fundamental values, even at a time of great crisis. As we have said so many times, to do otherwise signals to the terrorists that they are winning the battle against democracy and freedom.
As a 501c3 nonprofit organization, ADL takes no position on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for office.