Israel Matzav

ADL, Wiesenthal Center blast award to Carter

A broad range of Jewish groups continues to condemn Yeshiva University's decision to give an award to former President Jimmy Carter. Two of the latest to weigh in are the Anti-Defamation League and the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Abraham Foxman, the ADL’s National Director, told The Algemeiner: “The students were wrong – they are entitled to be wrong and inappropriate and we are entitled to say that honoring former President Carter is wrong, especially for  a Jewish institution…and indeed for any institution.  Desmond Tutu, who is more problematic than Jimmy Carter when it comes to issues relating to Israel, was also honored.  I wouldn’t do it.  I wouldn’t vote for it, I wouldn‘t support it.  We need to do a better job educating – wrongly stigmatizing Israel does not help to resolve the problems.  Hopefully if we instill those values, future mistakes like this will not be made.”

Foxman added that “the University responded properly,” to the controversy.

Likewise Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, told The Algemeiner that the students did not “exercise due diligence .”

“Had they done so,’ he added, “they would have discovered that Mr Carter has never resolved his conflict with the Jewish state. His serial bias against Israel is well-documented. That alone should have led tomorrow’s lawyers, whatever their ethnicity or religion,  to conclude  that President Carter should not receive such an honor.”

This award has likely been in the works for months. Why did no one hear about it until the last week? 

Labels: Jimmy Carter, Yeshiva University

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:27 PM