A deep and growing divide separates liberal progressive Jewish leadership in the Diaspora from the political and cultural reality of today’s Israel. While many Diaspora Jewish institutions increasingly champion universalist causes under slogans like tikkun olam, Israel has taken a different path—one grounded in sovereignty, tradition, and national pride.
Over half of Israel’s Jewish population is now Sephardic or Mizrahi—communities rooted in tradition, family, and patriotism. Their worldview has helped elect governments unapologetically committed to Jewish identity, security, and continuity—values that often clash with the increasingly progressive leadership of the American Jewish Diaspora.
Victory at the Zionist Congress
Against this backdrop, we proudly announce a crucial win: a tribunal of the World Zionist Congress has ruled in favor of Betar USA, restoring our rightful status as delegates of World Likud within the Zionist Organization of America Coalition.
We will now take our seat at the upcoming Zionist Congress, which oversees the allocation of over $5 billion in Zionist funding. Our candidacy had been challenged by Kol Israel, a slate led by liberal U.S. Jews, including ADL executives. This follows a politically motivated and unjust suspension.
With our standing affirmed, our first act will be introducing a resolution on behalf of World Likud to declare the ADL a hostile organization to the State of Israel.
The ADL’s Decline
Once a respected bulwark protecting Jews against antisemitism, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has morphed into a progressive organization that has repositioned from defending Jews to promoting an activist agenda often actually hostile to Jewish tradition and Zionism.
Perhaps no moment revealed this ideological shift more than Betar USA’s inclusion in the ADL’s “Glossary of Hate”—lumped in with David Duke and Louis Farrakhan! Our offense? Supporting Jewish sovereignty, "settlements", and self-defense.
From Defender to Enforcer of Ideology
The ADL now frames halakhic Judaism, Jewish nationalism, and even basic Zionism as forms of “intolerance.”
In 2022, it pushed “gender-expansive” education in Jewish day schools, pressuring yeshivot to adopt language and policies that directly contradict Torah and halakha. Respect for all people is essential—but the ADL’s demand for ideological conformity turns Torah values into bigotry, and traditional Jews into dissidents within their own institutions and also is not connected to their mission of defending Jews from discrimination.
A Liberal Progressive Monopoly
The ADL’s senior leadership and board are dominated by a narrow liberal progressive elite. Sephardic, Mizrahi, and religious voices are virtually absent—perhaps that is not by accident, but by design.
Its priorities reflect this monoculture. The ADL has:
-Opposed religious liberty in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby
-Celebrated the dismantling of traditional marriage laws
-Championed BLM as a “vital force”—despite its anti-Israel platform
-Prioritized progressive causes with little connection to Jewish survival
The result: a self-declared Jewish institution parroting coastal American liberalism—and not representing the global Zionist movement.
Enabling Israel’s Enemies
In 2020, the ADL praised Black Lives Matter, despite the movement’s alignment with groups accusing Israel of genocide and endorsing Hamas. Even amid recent anti-Israel riots on college campuses, the ADL has remained largely muted.
Through its embrace of intersectionality, the ADL redefines Jews as “white-adjacent” oppressors, recasting Zionism as colonialism. It marginalizes Jewish suffering in favor of progressive narratives.
Criminalizing Self-Defense
At Betar, we teach what our founder Ze’ev Jabotinsky preached: Jews must defend themselves—with clarity and courage. The ADL calls that extremism. We document anti-Israel bias in education. We call out anti-Zionist academics and activists. We stand for Jewish strength. The ADL calls it hate.
They promote “incident trackers” and interfaith forums with pro-intifada clerics while vilifying Jewish groups who dare to defend their communities. This isn’t defense. It’s surrender.
Critics from Across the Spectrum
It must be recognized that in America and Israel there is a conservative Trump administration and a traditional Netanyahu right-wing government. And Prominent voices—Jewish and non-Jewish alike—have condemned the ADL
-Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA:
“The ADL used to fight antisemitism. Now it fights conservatives. It has been hijacked by the far left and is now pushing transgender ideology, open borders, and censorship. Their mission has been perverted beyond recognition.”
-Chaya Raichik, founder of Libs of TikTok:
“The ADL labeled me anti-LGBTQ simply for posting what’s actually happening in schools. They don’t protect Jews anymore—they protect leftist ideology. They’re not anti-defamation—they are the Defamation League.”
-Christopher Rufo, anti-CRT activist:
“The ADL has become a political weapon masquerading as a civil rights group. It uses the veneer of Jewish identity to label its political opponents as dangerous.”
-Stephen Miller, White House Deputy Chief of Staff:
“The ADL has become a progressive pressure group that supports censorship, open borders, and the erosion of American and Jewish values.”
-End Wokeness, popular X account:
“The ADL literally labeled the phrase ‘It’s OK to be white’ as hate speech. They’ve lost all credibility.”
These critics span the ideological spectrum—but they share one truth: the ADL no longer seems to defend Jews. It defends progressivism.
A War Over Zionism’s Soul
Zionism has always contained ideological diversity—from socialist pioneers to Revisionist nationalists. But today, liberal progressive Diaspora leaders aim to erase Jewish nationalism from the Zionist movement entirely. They support conditioning U.S. aid to Israel, echo global critiques of the IDF, and push plans that require Jewish retreat from ancestral lands. Their problem isn’t war—it’s Jewish strength.
The ADL and many other organizations like them refuse to support PM Netanyahu and the Ministers in his government. They condemn and shun the leaders of the Jewish State who were elected by Israelis and even create havoc. Just recently, violent leftist mobs attacked Metzudat Ze’ev—home to Likud, Betar, and the Jabotinsky Institute. These weren’t fringe actors—they’re part of a growing movement to delegitimize traditional Zionism from within.
Betar’s Mission at the World Zionist Congress
Founded by Jabotinsky, Betar is one of the oldest Zionist movements in the world. We’ve produced Israeli Prime Ministers. We’ve led youth movements across continents. And we’ve never wavered from our commitment to unapologetic Jewish sovereignty.
At the upcoming Zionist Congress, we will fight for resolutions that affirm:
-That the ADL is not true to its mission and has become hostile to real Zionism
-That Zionist funds must serve Zionist purposes—defending "settlements", strengthening Jewish identity, and promoting aliyah
-That Jewish self-defense is a necessity, not extremism
-That organizations promoting universalist ideologies at the expense of Zionism do not represent the Jewish people
Conclusion: Time to Choose
We are at a historic crossroads. One path leads toward the slow erosion of Jewish identity—through assimilation and progressive politics disguised as Judaism. The other path leads to strength, sovereignty, and the unshakable belief that Zionism must be lived—not apologized for. We choose the latter.
Betar will not be silenced. We will not apologize for defending our people. The heirs of Jabotinsky will not be erased by those who distort his legacy.
The ADL is no longer a shield. It’s a mask. And behind that mask is an ideology that weakens the Jewish soul. Enough. The progressive Diaspora Jew poses a clear and present threat to Israel.
Ronn Torossian is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, author, and philanthropist