The Anti-Semitism Monopoly

Recently, while defending Democratic congresswoman Rashida Tlaib from charges of anti-Semitism over her Holocaust comments, Jeremy Burton, the head of Boston’s umbrella Jewish community organization, asserted a cartel monopoly for establishment Jewish leaders on the privilege “to determine what is, or is not, antisemitic.” “[W]e must insist,” he wrote, “that the mainstream of our own community gets to make that determination. Institutions and leaders who represent the sensibility of our community will call it as they see it, both on the left and the right.” As examples of sensible mainstream Jewish institutions and leaders who should be granted this exclusive call on anti-Semitism by the “responsible media,” Burton identified the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), as well as, by implication, himself and his Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Greater Boston.

Much has been written about the ADL’s recent calls on anti-Semitism, how these calls have differed between the left and the right, and why the ADL et al. might demand a monopoly over anti-Semitism accusations at this current stage in American political history. But, as a right-leaning Jewish lawyer and activist who has been on the receiving end of one of Mr. Burton’s anti-Semitism determinations, I have a certain personal perspective on how an anti-Semitism monopoly might be enjoyed by likes of Mr. Burton and the ADL if they ever get the power to enforce it.

Earlier this year, Burton and the ADL’s New England regional director, Robert Trestan went to the Boston police and falsely accused me of an anti-Semitic hate crime for sending them “emails that are offensive/ harsh in nature in regards to their work.” Ironically, in my harsh emails, I ridiculed them for being soft on leftist and Islamist anti-Semitism.

Even IF Mr. Burton is Jewish, it is highly doubtful that he has been near a synagogue in years. He wants to claim, along with the corrupt, lost-its-purpose-along-the-way ADL, exclusive privilege to identify what is, and what is not anti-semitism. Based on his statements, you can be sure that this guy wants that “privilege” so that he and his buddies can use the label for political purposes, not to protect Jews.

At one time, ADL did some good. But in the last X years, it’s been subverted by far far leftist politics and/ or? About all it seems to be nowadays is a fundraising outfit (relying on its name and record of accomplishments from 40 or 50 years ago) and yes, a far leftist propagandist - taken over by politics, and bad politics at that. Advocating for some pretty bad secular “causes” while letting down aggrieved Jewish people including on occasion at least where it promised legal help where there was clear and active anti- Semitic attacks —- a new organization to replace the corrupted ADL is greatly needed, imho

I want to state this again: the so-called "official leadership of the American Jewish community" is NOT the official Jewish leadership. The true Official Jewish Leadership always has been, is now, and forever shall be the Torah Sages. In fact, liberal Jews are in the Halakhic category of tiynoqot shenishbu, sucklings abducted and raised by non-Jews (or heretics) who therefore don't know any better.

I suppose it's too much to ask, but I wish people would stop restricting history to only the past two thousand years. Judaism was around long before that time, and no one accused them of "making money out of nothing" or fluoridating the water or killing children for Pesach or ripping urinals out of restrooms or whatever nonsense the Jew-haters spew. Judaism is defined by itself, not by its relationship to a religion which it predates by a thousand years.

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