ADL National Director Abraham Foxman. Photo: Justin Hoch.

The Anti-Defamation League recently released their annual list of top issues affecting Jews in 2014 – and as usual, the liberal organization missed the mark. By far, the most important issue affecting Jews is assimilation – and that surpasses any other concern.

That aside, the ADL continued their longstanding liberal bent by mentioning partisan issues, including “the Supreme Court decisions allowing legislative prayer and free exercise rights for corporations; immigration reform; and racial bias in the criminal justice system.” Amongst their descriptions, they claimed one of the biggest issues was that, “In Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, the court found that private corporations have religious rights and can refuse to include certain forms of contraceptive coverage in the insurance coverage mandated by the Affordable Care Act.” (Surely the ADL did not ask Orthodox Jews about this description.)

These views are consistent with their press releases defending the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit, declaring that Section 3 of the 1996 “Defense of Marriage Act” (DOMA) was unconstitutional. The ADL has a statement on its website that says, “DOMA represents a form of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation that has no place in American society. This unanimous decision makes it clear that all legally married couples must be treated equally by the federal government.” Are these the most vital concerns for the entire Jewish community whom they claim to represent?

Further, the ADL says that one of the biggest issues facing Jews is that, “The shooting deaths of African-Americans at the hands of police officers – especially the cases of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and Eric Garner on Staten Island, New York – resulted in an outpouring of protests and demonstrations.” No mention whatsoever of support for law enforcement officials who are under attack nationwide.

Far too often, liberal Jewish leaders stand up for others’ rights more than Jewish rights – but one also wonders why the ADL doesn’t consider supporting law enforcement of vital concern to Jews?

The Anti-Defamation League is simply uber-liberal.

In January 2012, the head of the ADL, Abraham Foxman, told a Republican candidate that “religious appeals to voters are simply unacceptable and un-American.” In 2014, Foxman demanded an Israeli Knesset member apologize to American Secretary of State John Kerry for saying that Kerry “is not a fair mediator in peace talks because he has ‘anti-Israel roots,'” and that Kerry seeks “unequivocal answers that could only mean shrinking Israel’s borders.” The ADL has also stated that opposing a two-state solution to the Mideast conflict is “troubling on several levels.”

The ADL stands up loudly and regularly for liberal, divisive viewpoints. Their list would be better described as top issues that concern liberal Jews.