September 19, 2007

Belmont and Newton Also Withdraw From the ADL’s No Place for Hate

Two towns have joined Watertown in protest against the Anti-Defamation
League, which sponsors the "No Place for Hate" anti-hate crime
program.

Belmont’s Board of Selectmen voted on Monday to withdraw from the
program. Yesterday, Newton mayor David Cohen issued a statement
saying: "The recognition of the Armenian Genocide is an important step
along the path of freedom and justice, and crucial in combating other
genocides now and in the future."

The Anti-Defamation League is so controversial because of its stance
on the Armenian Genocide. Although they have the words
"anti-defamation" in their title, they do not support congressional
legislation that would formally recognize the Armenian Genocide as a
genocide. (For more information on why this matter is so important,
visit the BBC’s page on the history of the incident.)

It was the legislation part of the ADL debate that stirred up anger in
Belmont, even though the selectmen voted unanimously to withdraw. The
selectmen also voted 2 to 1 against an additional clause that would
tell the ADL to recognize the genocide and start backing the
congressional legislation. Selectman Dan Leclerc didn’t think it was
Belmont’s place to do that, and one person accused Leclerc and Angelo
Firenze of "treating [Armenians] as second-class citizens." But all
three selectmen said that the decision to withdraw from "No Place for
Hate" would still stand.

The anger may have spilled over because the ADL’s position on the
genocide isn’t outright denial, but it is still fuzzy. During the
fierce debate in Watertown, which resulted in Watertown’s withdrawal
>From the "No Place for Hate" program, the ADL’s regional director,
Andrew Tarsy, was fired for telling national leader Abraham Foxman to
recognize the genocide. Recognizing that anger against the ADL would
spread, Foxman said that the Armenian Genocide was "tantamount to
genocide," and he reinstated Tarsy. But – and most important of all –
Foxman didn’t say that it "was genocide" and refused to back
legislation saying it was.

By Caroline Roberts

Source: p