Israeli hostage parent demands ADL stop using his | Political News

The father of an Israeli hostage who stays in Gaza has demanded that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) stop using his son to promote struggle “propaganda.”

Yehuda Cohen, the daddy of Nimrod Cohen, launched a assertion shared by an Israeli hostage household group, We Are All Hostages, where he condemened the U.S. group aimed at combating antisemitism for misrepresenting the household’s views.

The hostage father made clear that his household, alongside many different outstanding hostage households in Israel, has persistently known as for a ceasefire deal involving the return of hostages. Consequently, Yehuda demanded that the ADL and its chief Jonathan Greenblatt stop politicizing his household on behalf of its obvious pro-war agenda.

He wrote, “Dear Mr. Jonathan Greenblatt and the Anti-Defamation League, I am writing as the father of Nimrod Cohen to address a serious concern regarding a recent statement made by Mr. Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), in a video posted on X. In this video, Mr. Greenblatt claimed that my eldest son, Yotam, wishes to rejoin the war effort and that his mother’s reluctance stems solely from the fear of losing another son. This statement is unequivocally false.

“My household has persistently and publicly advocated for an rapid finish to the struggle through a hostage deal that ensures the secure return of all captives. Mr. Greenblatt’s misrepresentation of our place not only distorts our household’sstance but also dangers fueling narratives that misalign with the views of over 70% of Israelis who, according to current polls, help ending the struggle.”

The ADL, born in New York at the turn of the 20th century, has long been accused of weaponizing antisemitism to justify Israeli war crimes by conflating anti-Zionism, an ethnonationalist political ideology, with antisemitism, exacerbating divisions within the Jewish community over the contentious issue.

The father went on to detail a confrontation he had with Greenblatt the day before where Yehuda alleges that the ADL leader “deflected accountability to his speechwriters, provided no apology, and dismissed my request for a personal assembly to focus on the difficulty additional.”

Yehuda felt that the encounter was not only upsetting on a personal level but also worrisome on a grand scale.

“Mr. Greenblatt’s statements have broader implications, as they inadvertently help propaganda that falsely suggests widespread Israeli help for persevering with the struggle. This is a dangerous misrepresentation that undermines the pressing call for peace and the secure return of hostages.

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Due to the disappointing encounter with Greenblatt, Yehuda demanded that the ADL cut all ties with his household, writing, “In light of these events, I am left with no choice but to publicly request that the ADL immediately remove all posters and materials featuring my son from its offices and campaigns until Mr. Greenblatt issues a public apology for his false statements.

“Furthermore, I urge the ADL to align its messaging with our household’s clear place: the struggle should finish, and a hostage deal have to be prioritized to carry everybody home. Until such an apology is made and corrective motion is taken, I cannot allow the ADL to use my son’s image or story for fundraising or advocacy functions.”

The ADL has not acknowledged the letter at press time.

Nimrod, now 20, was taken hostage from a small military base on the Gaza border by Hamas on October 7, 2023, while completing his mandatory military service.

A harrowing video circulated online of him being dragged away on that consequential day, sparking a retaliatory Israeli offensive with no end in sight that has killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians and 2,000 Israelis while reducing Gaza to rubble.

While a faulty ceasefire deal struck in the spring allowed some Israeli hostages to return home in exchange for the freedom of tons of of hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, a everlasting ceasefire has not been reached almost two years after the Hamas assault.