Anti-Defamation Leauge's letter to bill o'reilly

ADL

Bill O'Reilly
The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly
c/o Westwood One
2020 M Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036


Dear Mr. O'Reilly:

We were deeply offended, as were many of your listeners who have contacted us, at your remark to a Jewish caller on the December 3 Radio Factor that, "if you are really offended" about attempts to convert Jews to Christianity, then "you gotta go to Israel then."

American Jews are Americans. Jews and other religious minorities are part of America's great tradition of religious freedom. The discomfort with proselytizing, or the intrusion of Christian teachings in public schools, is a very legitimate concern.

More dangerously, your remark plays into one of the oldest anti-Semitic canards about Jews, that they are not full citizens of a country and are not entitled to all of the rights afforded to the majority. The notion that religious minorities have no place in a Christian America and should leave may be acceptable for extremists, but it is unacceptable coming from a popular and respected media commentator.

We hope that in future you will be more sensitive to these issues.



Sincerely,

Abraham H. Foxman
National Director