News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) Professor Richard Dawkins, a senior British evolutionary scientist and outspoken atheist, drew fire on Monday for saying that Jews “more or less monopolize American foreign policy.”  Religious Jews are a small group, Dawkins said, but are “fantastically successful” in lobbying the US government.  Dawkins, who is currently in the US in an attempt to promote atheism and fight religious influence, expressed hope that atheists would be similarly successful in determining government policy.

A number of Jewish leaders responded immediately, with ADL head Abe Foxman calling Dawkin’s remarks “classic anti-Semitism.”  Malcom Hoenlein, a senior official in the Conference of Presidents of Major American Organizations, was quoted by Yediot Acharonot as saying the statements represented “the poisoning of the elite.”  Even top scientists can “demonstrate ignorance and fall victim to misinformation,” said Hoenlein, adding “This impact spreads within the intellectual community, and then trickles down to the general populace.”