Also see Anti-Defamation League Foundation (Non-profit)

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) was created as a civil rights advocacy group in 1913. Its historical primary focus has been fighting anti-Semitism. The Anti-Defamation League retains another 501(c)(3) affiliate, the Anti-Defamation League Foundation. ¹

Since 2015, under the leadership of liberal former Obama administration staffer Jonathan Greenblatt, the organization has been sharply criticized for acting more as a left-leaning pressure group than a non-partisan anti-Semitism watchdog.² Bethany Mandel, a right-leaning Jewish columnist, noted that the ADL under Greenblatt removed the words “anti-Semitism” from its mission statement.³

The ADL has taken a number of political positions that conservatives argue misuse the organization’s nonpartisan watchdog history and inappropriately place the organization at odds with politically conservative American Jews.⁴ For instance the ADL has taken a number of notably left-leaning positions on Israel related issues, often siding with the left-leaning J Street organization.⁴

The ADL has also been criticized by left-of-center organizations and individuals for its endorsement of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism, which classifies certain criticisms of Israel as antisemitic. They claim the move is intended to stifle criticism of the Israeli government and criminalize pro-Palestinian activism in the United States. ⁵

History and Background

Sigmund Livingston created the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in 1913 with a $200 sponsorship from the Independent Order of B’nai B’rith. Livingston created the organization in response to pervasive antisemitism in American culture at the time.⁶

ADL’s charge, according to Livingston, was “to stop, by appeals to reason and conscience, and if necessary, by appeals to law, the defamation of the Jewish people” and “to secure justice and fair treatment to all citizens alike.”⁶

ADL is credited with coining the phrase “a nation of immigrants” in its forward to then-Sen. John F. Kennedy’s 1958 book A Nation of Immigrants, which he wrote after ADL reportedly urged him to the task. In the forward, ADL proposed expanded immigration policies. ⁷ In 1963, during ADL’s 50th commemoration, then-President Kennedy received ADL’s “America’s Democratic Legacy” award to commemorate his immigration stance; and at the ceremony the President’s speech reiterated the phrase “We Are a Nation of Immigrants.”⁸

Mission Shift

In 2016, Alex VanNess, writing for the New York Post, noted that under longtime chief Abe Foxman, the ADL largely remained true to its historical priority of combating anti-Semitism. However, VanNess noted that under its new president, Jonathan Greenblatt, the ADL had moved “onto a partisan course at odds with this core mission.”⁹

Similarly, the New York Post editorial board wrote, “The Anti-Defamation League, a century-old Jewish civil-rights organization, has essentially become another J Street — an arm of the Democratic Party’s stable of pressure groups.”²

Echoing this criticism, in 2016, Isi Leibler, the former vice president and board of trustees chairman of the World Jewish Congress,¹⁰ chastised Greenblatt for “tilting the ADL policy away from its primary mandate of combating anti-Semitism and steering it toward partisan social action issues.” Leibler wrote, “the ADL board has knowingly empowered” Greenblatt, whose “outlook is not only liberal but effectively represents an echo chamber of left-wing Democratic politics” and that Greenblatt had taken a number of partisan liberal political and policy positions similar to that of the liberal organization J Street.¹¹

In January 2017, World Jewish Congress president Ronald S. Lauder criticized the ADL for “play[ing] politics” with President Donald Trump’s Holocaust Remembrance Day statement. According to Lauder, “manufactured outrage” implicitly typified by the ADL’s response to Trump’s statement, reduces “public sensitivity to the real dangers of anti-Semitism” that confront the Jewish community. ¹²

Post-2024 Activities

On July 5, 2025, during the National Education Association‘s (NEA) “2025 National Education Association Representative Assembly,” representatives voted in favor of a proposal which stated it “will not use, endorse, or publicize any materials from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) such as its curricular materials or its statistics. NEA will not participate in ADL programs or publicize ADL professional development offerings.” ¹³ The proposal also read that the union “will not…tolerate antisemitism, anti-Palestinian bias or hateful rhetoric or behavior.” ¹³ On July 18, the NEA board of directors voted to reject the proposal, with NEA president Becky Pringle releasing a statement that the NEA “opposes efforts to shut down debate, to silence voices of disagreement, and intimidation. … Not adopting this proposal is in no way an endorsement of the ADL’s full body of work…[w]e are calling on the ADL to support the free speech and association rights of all students and educators.” ¹⁴

On September 30, 2025, following the assassination of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk, the ADL announced it had removed its full “Glossary of Extremism and Hate” from the main website. The glossary had contained and listed over 1,000 organizations including TPUSA. The glossary labeled TPUSA a “Center of Extremism,” arguing the TPUSA was connected to “a range of right-wing extremists and has generated support from anti-Muslim bigots, alt-lite activists and some corners of the white supremacist alt-right.” ¹⁵ In a statement on its X (previously Twitter) page, ADL alleged that multiple entries in the glossary were “outdated” as well as “intentionally misrepresented and misused” and thus it chose to “retire the Glossary effectively immediately.” ¹⁶ The organization also stated, “[t]his will allow ADL to explore new strategies and creative approaches to deliver our data and present our research more effectively. It will keep us focused on ensuring we do what we do best: fighting antisemitism and hate in the most impactful ways possible.” ¹⁶

On October 1, 2025, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director Kash Patel announced the agency would be ending a “training and intelligence-sharing partnership” with the ADL. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Patel stated “James Comey wrote ‘love letters’ to the ADL and embedded FBI agents with them – a group that ran disgraceful ops spying on Americans…That era is OVER. This FBI won’t partner with political fronts masquerading as watchdogs.” ¹⁷

In October 2025, the ADL and Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) released a comprehensive study that found that 55 percent of Jewish Americans had experienced at least one form of antisemitism in the past 12 months and that 57 percent believed that antisemitism is now a normal Jewish experience. The study also found that 20 percent of respondents were either physically assaulted, physically threatened, or verbally harassed because of their Jewish identity in the past year, while over 30 percent witnessed an incident of actual or threatened antisemitic violence. Researchers from Columbia University helped conduct the study. ¹⁸

In November 2025, the ADL launched its “Mamdani Monitor,” project to track the policies of then-New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and his administration before he took office on January 1, 2026. ADL national director and CEO Jonathan Greenblatt claimed the project sought to monitor the “safety and security” of the New York Jewish community. Then-Mayor-elect Mamdani responded to the project, claiming “anyone is free to catalog the actions of our administration. I have some doubts about Jonathan’s ability to do so honestly, given that he previously said I had not visited any synagogues, only to have to correct himself.” ¹⁹

Controversies

Antisemitism Double Standard

In 2017, the Anti-Defamation League issued a report detailing 36 individuals known for their antisemitic or hate-based positions. The report focused exclusively on right-wing extremists while completely ignoring any left-leaning antisemitic individuals. ²⁰ Liel Liebovitz called attention to this “double standard” ²¹ in an article for the Jewish publication Tablet, concluding that  “as Jews face real hate from left and right alike, we need and deserve an organization that places principles over politics.”²¹

Similarly, Ran Baratz, former media advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wrote that the ADL under Jonathan Greenblatt adopted a “sober and appropriately harsh description” of right-wing antisemitism but conversely was astoundingly apologetic when addressing left-wing antisemitism. ²²

Under Greenblatt, the ADL has aligned the fight against antisemitism with other left-wing “civil rights” movements such as the push for expanded immigration and the expansion of LGBT rights. But many of the current civil rights activists in those movements give precedence to Palestinian solidarity “over the old solidarity with American Jews.”¹

The New York Post’s Alex VanNess noted that the “ADL has also promoted the Black Lives Matter movement […] despite BLM’s support for [Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions against Israel] and open hostility toward Israel.”  VanNess noted that “Greenblatt [had] accused American Jews of living with ‘white privilege. ⁹

Baratz noted that “Black Lives Matter has spoken in rabid anti-Jewish and anti Israel terms” and yet the ADL has refused to condemn the movement. NPR noted that ADL’s CEO Greenblatt said that he sees the Black Lives Matter activism as “deep and real,” despite the fact that on multiple occasions “Activists from the Black Lives Matter movement, […] bitterly attacked the ADL over its connection with Israel.”¹

Elon Musk Gesture Controversy

In January 2025, following the second inauguration of President Donald Trump, Elon Musk thanked a crowd of supporters using a gesture that some argued resembled a Nazi salute. Musk denied the gesture was a Nazi salute, and the ADL defended Musk, claiming the gesture was “an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute.” ²³

However, days after defending Musk, the ADL condemned Musk for making a series of Nazi-related jokes on X following the gesture controversy. In a statement criticizing Musk, the ADL stated, “making inappropriate and highly offensive jokes that trivialize the Holocaust only serve to minimize the evil and inhumanity of Nazi crimes, denigrate the suffering of both victims and survivors and insult the memory of the six million Jews murdered in the Shoah.” ²⁴

No Place for Hate Educational Programs

In 2025, the Anti-Defamation League’s No Place for Hate educational programs became the subject of renewed debate following studies suggesting that its anti-bias and anti-oppression curricula may inadvertently increase defensiveness and antisemitic attitudes among participants. The research, conducted in collaboration with the Rutgers Social Perception Lab, found that exposure to ADL materials emphasizing identity and systemic oppression produced higher levels of hostility compared to neutral, values-based texts. The findings prompted broader discussion about the effectiveness of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) frameworks and the ADL’s evolving role as both a civil rights organization and a moral educator. ²⁵

Criticism from Left-of-Center groups

IHRA Definition of Antisemitism

In 2023 and 2024, the ADL and its leadership publicly argued that anti-Zionism and opposition to Israel can be forms of antisemitism and have used that perspective in the organization’s public messaging and reports. In 2023, the ADL endorsed the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism, which includes certain criticisms of Israel in its examples, and has encouraged related U.S. policy and legislative initiatives as well as United Nations proposals to adopt the IHRA definition. Critics note the ADL has included protests against Israel and anti-Zionist activism as part of antisemitism metrics when conducting studies on the rise of antisemitism in America. Still, the ADL has attempted to distinguish between free speech and criticism of Israel and more manifest expressions of antisemitism. ^{26 27}

Criticism by Palestinian Nationalist Groups

Several Palestinian nationalist and left-wing groups have criticized the ADL’s definition of antisemitism and support for Israel, claiming that criticism of Israel and Zionism do not constitute antisemitism. Prominent Palestinian nationalist group Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) maintains a campaign called “Reject the ADL,” asserting that the ADL uses its civil-rights authority to silence critics of the Israeli state by promoting the IHRA definition of antisemitism and targeting Palestinian nationalist activism in the U.S. JVP argues the ADL’s actions repress free speech and reduce trust in the organization’s neutrality, particularly as it relates to the ADL’s education and civil-rights advocacy. ⁵

In January 2024, Palestinian nationalist group IfNotNow issued a statement responding to an ADL report that IfNotNow claims conflated pro-Palestinian activism with antisemitism. The group argued this approach obscures the battle against actual antisemitism by prioritizing criminalizing speech over combating genuinely bigoted attitudes towards Jews and Judaism. ²⁸

In May 2022, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), JVP, and National Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) released a joint statement reaffirming their support for the Palestinian side of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. The statement followed criticism from ADL national director and CEO Jonathan Greenblatt who equated the pro-Palestinian groups with white supremacists and the 2021 U.S. Capitol rioters. Greenblatt also declared that any form of anti-Zionism constituted antisemitism. CAIR, JVP, and SJP condemned what they called Greenblatt’s “baseless allegations,” which they say falsely conflated their criticism of the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank with anti-Jewish racism. ²⁹

Criticism from Democrat Party

In 2024, the United States House of Representatives voted on H.R. 1449, a formal bill to adopt the IHRA’s definition of anti-Semitism. U.S. Representatives Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Cori Bush (D-MO), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) refused to support the bill and criticized institutions like the ADL for their efforts to support the bill; they were the only Democratic representatives who opposed the bill. ^{30 31}

Before the United States Senate version of the bill passed, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) proposed and helped pass an amendment to the bill that clarified that criticism of the Israeli government does not constitute anti-Semitism. ³²

Issue Positions

Israel before October 7, 2023

The Anti-Defamation League has been criticized for its alignment with Democratic Party policy on the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Jonathan Greenblatt criticized the Republican Party’s 2016 platform for not including an endorsement of a two-state Israel-Palestinian solution. ³³ On this issue, former World Jewish Congress official Isi Leibler criticized Greenblatt for going “totally beyond the ADL’s [nonpartisan] mandate” and “breach[ing] all conventions” by involving the organization “in such partisan political issues. ⁴

In 2016, Greenblatt became the first ADL president to give a speech to the left-of-center group J Street. Leibler again blasted Greenblatt’s speech for taking a number of left-leaning partisan positions unrelated to the organization’s overall mission of fighting anti-Semitism. According to Leibler, during the speech, Greenblatt:

“effectively endorsed moral equivalence between Israelis and Palestinians, complained of our failure to recognize the legitimacy of the Palestinian narrative, questioned Israel’s democratic structure, engaged in partisan electoral politics and condemned the Republican platform as “anti-Zionist for omitting a two-state structure, and insisted that boycott, diversion and sanctions (BDS) groups – which he admittedly condemns – are “animated by a desire for justice.”⁴

After Greenblatt wrote an article arguing that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “chose to raise an inappropriate straw man regarding Palestinian policy toward Israeli settlements.”³⁴ Leibler argued that whether or not American Jews agree or disagree with Netanyahu, “for the head of the ADL, a major mainstream Jewish organization, to condemn Netanyahu […] was unprecedented and totally unacceptable.”¹¹

The New York Post’s Alex VanNess wrote, “The ADL has downplayed the anti-Semitic nature of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement — the ultimate goal of which, its founder has openly admitted, is the destruction of Israel.⁹ In 2017, the ADL came out against an Israeli law that bans entry to Israel by foreigners who publicly call for boycotting the Jewish state or its settlements as part of the BDS movement.³⁵

Israel after October 7, 2023

Following the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attack against Israel, the ADL condemned Hamas, terrorist entities in the Middle East, and expressed its support for the State of Israel. The ADL called for the return of all Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on October 7. The ADL also launched a campaign to track a rise in antisemitic incidents and attacks in the United States following October 7, especially on college campuses. The organization published a report that found antisemitic incidents increased 140 percent from 2022 to 2023 in America. ^{36 37}

In January 2025, the ADL supported a peace proposal to bring Israeli hostages home. In a statement on the peace plan, the ADL expressed gratitude to the outgoing Biden administration and incoming Trump administration for shepherding the plan. ³⁸

The ADL has also opposed the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, an international movement to economically delegitimize the State of Israel. ³⁹ In March 2025, the ADL condemned the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) for using what it considered anti-Semitic and pro-BDS educational resources, including a poster of a masked combatant shooting an arrow with a Palestinian flag and the caption “Free the Land: By Any Means Necessary, Boycott! Divest.” ⁴⁰

Again in December 2025, the ADL expressed opposition to the BDS movement when it applauded Microsoft shareholders who voted to reject a BDS-aligned proposal at the company’s December shareholder meeting. ⁴¹

Trump Administrations

In December 2016, Politico described the ADL as “a frequent and vociferous critic of President-elect Donald Trump and members of his incoming administration” and noted that the organization faced criticisms it had “drifted too far to the left” in its opposition to Trump. ⁴²

During the 2016 presidential campaign, the ADL frequently criticized then-candidate Trump consistently requesting that he “distance himself from white supremacists” and “lambasting his call for a ban on Muslim immigration.”⁴² Trump responded by calling the group’s charges of anti-Semitism during the campaign “ridiculous”⁴³ and “completely false.”⁴⁴

Trump campaign advisor (later United States Ambassador to Israel) David Friedman went a step further and accused the ADL of fabricating anti-Semitism claims “on the eve of the election […] to scare Jewish people into voting for Hillary Clinton” and “advance liberal policies.”⁴⁵

After Trump’s election, the ADL continued to oppose his Administration’s policies. The organization was “‘at the forefront of opposing Trump’s refugee policy,’ launching public education campaigns and advocacy efforts against it.”⁴⁵

Additionally, the organization has sought to pin an uptick in the occurrences of anti-Semitism on President Trump. In November 2016, approximately two weeks after Trump was elected President, the ADL’s CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said that the amount of anti-Semitism in mainstream America was at levels not seen “since the 1930s.”⁴⁶ Then in April 2017, the ADL issued a report that linked the election of Donald Trump to a resurgence in anti-Semitism.⁴⁷

Conservative author Jonathan Tobin wrote in National Review that in its rush to attack President Trump for causing an uptick in anti-Semitism, the ADL and its allies had turned anti-Semitism from a cause that unites both parties and their leaders into “a political football” in “a dangerous game that has now blown up in their faces.”⁴⁸ The ADL had attempted to tie Trump’s election to a series of bomb threats against Jewish institutions; the perpetrators of almost all the hoax threats were identified as an Israeli teenager⁴⁹ and a disgraced left-wing journalist seeking to get revenge on his ex-girlfriend.⁵⁰

In April 2025, ADL national director and CEO Jonathan Greenblatt withdrew his support for the second Trump administration’s plan to detain and deport pro-Palestinian activists. Greenblatt initially supported the administration’s actions against anti-Israel protesters but walked back his position, criticizing President Trump for sacrificing “our constitutional freedoms in the pursuit of security.” ⁵¹

In July 2025, the ADL accused President Trump of using an antisemitic term. At a July rally, Trump celebrated the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, claiming, “No death tax. No estate tax. No going to the banks and borrowing from, in some cases, a fine banker—and in some cases, shylocks and bad people.” The ADL condemned the use of the term “shylock,” arguing the term “evokes a centuries-old antisemitic trope about Jews and greed that is extremely offensive and dangerous” and asserting, “President Trump’s use of the term is very troubling and irresponsible.” ⁵²

Keith Ellison

In November 2017, as then-U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) was being vetted for Democratic National Committee vice-chair, the ADL tweeted that Ellison was “a man of good character” even though he had previously made a series of anti-Semitic remarks. Only after additional tapes of Ellison speeches came to light did the ADL change its view, calling the remarks “deeply disturbing and disqualifying.”⁵³

In light of the ADL’s stern condemnation of President Trump and his associates, the ADL was criticized for failing to apply the same vetting standards against Ellison as it had against Trump’s team. According to a Politico report, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency argued that the ADL “was much more measured in its assessment of Ellison than it was of [former Trump advisor Steven] Bannon.” ⁴²

Domestic Agenda

In 2015, the ADL was “disappointed” by delays in implementing the Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate;⁵⁴ in 2016, the organization filed a legal brief in support of the contraception mandate.⁵⁵ A New York Post commentator characterized the action as “taking sides on a highly partisan issue with no clear connection to bigotry of any kind, but also disregarding concerns over religious freedoms raised by members of the Orthodox Jewish community.”⁹

ADL has argued that gender issues are “essential” to the organization’s work, and the organization fights for gender-based labor handouts, and for unfettered abortion.⁵⁶ In 2017, The ADL criticized a U.S. House bill that sought to ban abortions after 20 weeks’ gestation and criticized President Trump’s reinstatement of a rule that bars “U.S. foreign aid from going to any NGO that provides abortion services.”⁵⁷

ADL “fights tirelessly” for left-of-center immigration and refugee relocation policies.⁵⁸ The organization denounced President Trump’s proposal to defund sanctuary cities and supported granting legal status to a large number of illegal immigrants.⁵⁹

The ADL also supports policies that seek to reduce the number of individuals incarcerated for committing crimes by letting criminals avoid prosecution and limiting mandatory minimum sentences.⁶⁰

The majority of the ADL’s efforts center on combating what it considers right-of-center extremism and anti-Semitism in the United States, most notably through its databases that monitor what it calls hate symbols and its campaign to censor free speech online. ^{61 62}

Leadership

Chief Executive Officer and National Director

Jonathan Greenblatt became the CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League and maintained his position as a trustee of the Anti-Defamation League Foundation. During Greenblatt’s tenure, the ADL has expanded its Center on Extremism which analyzes and monitors right-wing groups and anti-Israel groups. Greenblatt launched “Never Is Now,” the largest annual convening in the world focused on anti-Semitism, and created the Center for Technology and Society in Silicon Valley to fight online anti-Semitism. He also developed the Sports Leadership Council to engage athletes and sports teams in opposition to anti-Semitism. Greenblatt also oversaw the ADL’s Stop Hate for Profit campaign which organized businesses, celebrities, nonprofits and policy makers to censor views on Facebook deemed antisemitic. ⁶³

Greenblatt is the author of It Could Happen Here, a book that claims the United States could produce another Holocaust-type event of political violence against Jews and other ethnic minority groups. Before joining the ADL, Greenblatt worked on the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition team and eventually served in the Obama White House as Special Assistant to President Barack Obama and Director of the Office of Social Innovation. ^{63 64} In 1992, Greenblatt worked at then-Governor Bill Clinton’s Arkansas campaign headquarters. ⁶⁵ He then worked as an aide in the White House during the Clinton Administration. ⁶⁶

In 2002, he co-founded Ethos Brands, the business that launched Ethos Water. Ethos was acquired by Starbucks Coffee Company in 2005. Following the acquisition, Jonathan was named vice president of global consumer products at Starbucks and joined the board of the Starbucks Foundation. ⁶³

In 2009, Greenblatt founded All for Good (AFG), the largest database of volunteer opportunities on the Internet. He also worked as CEO of GOOD Worldwide, a media company, and as an executive at REALTOR.com. He has previously worked as an adjunct faculty member at the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and as a senior fellow at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is a Henry Crown fellow of the Aspen Institute, where he was the director of the Impact Economy Initiative project which received funding from George Soros’ Open Society Foundations (previously the Open Society Institute). ^{63 67} He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Greenblatt received his bachelor of arts from Tufts University and his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. ⁶³

Board of Directors

Nicole Mutchnik is the chair of the ADL Board of Directors. She sits or has sat on several boards, including the Women’s Political Committee, the Luskin School of Public Affairs at UCLA, the Aspen Institute Leadership Council, Civicas Women’s Civic Action Network, and the Mayor Bass Transition Advisory Committee. She is a co-founder of the California Democracy Fund, and previously worked in government and politics, having served Governor Gray Davis (D), Treasurer Kathleen Brown (D), Speaker of the California Assembly Bob Hertzberg (D), and the organizing committee of the World Cup. She received her bachelor’s degree in international affairs from UCLA and completed her graduate studies in government administration at the University of Pennsylvania. ⁶⁸

Sharon Nazarian is the vice chair of the ADL board of directors. She is the president of the Y&S Nazarian Family Foundation, which has a regional office in Israel named the Ima Foundation. The foundation focuses on education, public policy, and philanthropy. Nazarian is also the founder of the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies at UCLA. She previously worked for the ADL as its senior vice president in international affairs, a position she held from 2017 to 2022. In this role, Nazarian met with heads of state, foreign ministers, and Jewish community leaders across the world and led the ADL’s initiatives to combat antisemitism and racism. She also oversaw the ADL’s Israel office. She is the vice chair of the west coast board of the American Society of the University of Haifa, sits on the board of governors of Haifa University, and was a member of the Berkeley Institute’s inaugural advisory board. Nazarian is also a member of the chairman’s circle of the National Democratic Institute, sits on the board of the Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Nazarian received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California (USC) in journalism and international relations. She also received her master’s and doctoral degrees from USC in political science, specializing in political economy and economic development. ⁶⁹

Financials

In 2024, the Anti-Defamation League reported $162,931,957 in total revenue, $129,785,524 in total expenses, and $98,456,729 in total assets. ⁷⁰ This marked a more than four-fold increase in year-to-year revenue from 2023, when the ADL reported only $38,294,911 in total revenue, $57,939,187 in total expenses, and $67,064,785 in total assets. ⁷¹ In 2022, the ADL reported $105,430,775 in total revenue, $100,194,254 in total expenses, and $93,995,360 in total assets. ⁷²

Funding

The ADL has received significant funding from large businesses, including J.P. Morgan, Apple, Uber, and MGM Resorts, in addition to a $1 million contribution from the CEO of 21st Century Fox, James Murdoch. ⁷³ Several charitable and philanthropic foundations have also issued grants to the ADL, including the left-of-center Ford Foundation and the Adelson Family Foundation (AFF) founded by the late casino magnate Sheldon Adelson. ⁷⁴

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2. Editorial Board. “The Anti-Defamation League turns anti-Israel, possible hush money from a Clinton ally & other notable comments.” New York Post. September 15, 2016. Accessed March 5, 2018. https://nypost.com/2016/09/15/the-anti-defamation-league-turns-anti-israel-possible-hush-money-from-a-clinton-ally-other-notable-comments/
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17. Pellish, Aaron. “Kash Patel pulls the plug on ADL’s FBI training on extremism.” Politico, October 1, 2025. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/01/kash-patel-pulls-the-plug-on-adls-fbi-training-on-extremism-00591105
18. “Federations-ADL Study: Over 50% of American Jews Faced Antisemitism in 2024.” Jewish Federations of North America. October 6, 2025. Accessed December 28, 2025. https://www.jewishfederations.org/blog/all/federations-adl-study-over-50-of-american-jews-faced-anti-Semitism-in-2024-502506
19. Inskeep, Steve. “ADL creates new ‘Mamdani Monitor’ project to track his administration policies.” NPR. November 7, 2025. Accessed December 28, 2025. https://www.npr.org/2025/11/07/nx-s1-5599931/anti-defamation-league-mamdani-monitor-jonathan-greenblatt
20. “From Alt Right to Alt Lite: Naming the Hate.” Anti-Defamation League. Undated. Accessed March 5, 2018. https://www.adl.org/education/resources/backgrounders/from-alt-right-to-alt-lite-naming-the-hate
21. Leibovitz, Leil. “New Adl Guide Blasts Right-Wing Anti-Semites, Gives Left-Leaning Bigots A Pass.” Tablet Magazine. July 19, 2017. Accessed March 5, 2018. http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/241213/new-adl-guide-blasts-right-wing-anti-semites-gives-left-leaning-bigots-a-pass
22. Baratz, Dr. Ran. “The Anti-Defamation League Has Betrayed Its Cause.” July 12, 2017. Accessed March 5, 2018. https://www.dailywire.com/news/18526/anti-defamation-league-has-betrayed-its-cause-dr-ran-baratz
23. Timotija, Filip. “ADL says ‘awkward’ Musk gesture ‘not a Nazi salute’: ‘This is a delicate moment.’”  The Hill. January 21, 2025. Accessed December 28, 2025. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5097676-elon-musk-defended-salute-criticism/
24. Basu, Zachary. “ADL condemns Musk’s Nazi “jokes” after salute controversy.” Axios. January 23, 2025. Accessed December 28, 2025. https://www.axios.com/2025/01/23/elon-musk-nazi-joke-adl
25. Finkelstein , Joel. The ADL’s Medicine Is Causing the Disease, October 26, 2025. https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/adl-medicine-causing-disease?utm_campaign=16263016-Newsletter%20Monitoring&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz–mHTTWcU9Ks57beOvWX1_QiXrn_gnYiHF0cAlwyFlNDaIqMeFvUkKjj9so5I7Odstnkd4ZgEUhwPKx3wTx-oQaQujNBQ&_hsmi=387053509&utm_content=387053509&utm_source=hs_email.
26. “Letter Urging Inclusion of IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism in UN Action Plan.” ADL. May 18, 2023. Accessed December 29, 2025. https://www.adl.org/resources/letter/letter-urging-inclusion-ihra-working-definition-antisemitism-un-action-plan
27. Crary, David. “Anti-Defamation League says anger at Israel is now the driving force behind antisemitism in the US.” The Associated Press. April 24, 2025. Accessed December 29, 2025.  https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/anti-defamation-league-says-anger-at-israel-is-now-the-driving-force-behind-antisemitism-in-the-us/
28. “IfNotNow Responds to ADL Report.” IfNotNow. January 10, 2024. Accessed December 29, 2025. https://www.ifnotnowmovement.org/press/ifnotnow-responds-to-adl-report
29. “CAIR, JVP, and National SJP Issue Joint Statement Responding to ADL’s Attack on Groups Supporting Palestinian Human Rights.” CAIR California. May 25, 2022. Accessed December 29, 2025. https://ca.cair.com/press-release/cair-jvp-and-national-sjp-issue-joint-statement-responding-to-adls-attack-on-groups-supporting-palestinian-human-rights/
30. “Tlaib Statement on H.Res. 1449.” Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. November 20, 2024. Accessed December 29, 2025. https://tlaib.house.gov/posts/tlaib-statement-on-h-res-1449
31. Abunimah, Ali and Nassar, Tamara.“AOC votes to back Israel lobby’s bogus ‘anti-Semitism’ definition.” Electronic Intifada. November 21, 2024. Accessed December 29, 2025.  https://electronicintifada.net/content/aoc-votes-back-israel-lobbys-bogus-anti-semitism-definition/50066
32. Gilson, Grace. “US Senate panel amends bill to state that criticism of Israeli gov’t is not antisemitism.” The Times of Israel. May 1, 2025. Accessed December 29, 2025. https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-senate-panel-amends-bill-to-state-that-criticism-of-israeli-govt-is-not-antisemitism/
33. “ADL ‘disappointed’ GOP platform excludes two-state solution language.” Jewish Journal. July 13, 2016. Accessed March 5, 2018. http://jewishjournal.com/news/nation/187356/
34. Greenblatt, Jonathan. “Sorry Bibi, the Palestinians Are Not ‘Ethnic Cleansing’ Jewish Settlers.” Foreign Policy. September 13, 2016. Accessed March 5, 2018. http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/09/13/sorry-bibi-the-palestinians-are-not-ethnic-cleansing-jewish-settlers-netanyahu-adl/
35. “ADL is second establishment Jewish group to oppose Israel’s anti-BDS law.” Jewish Telegraph Agency. March 8, 2017. Accessed March 5, 2018. https://www.jta.org/2017/03/08/news-opinion/united-states/adl-is-second-establishment-jewish-group-to-oppose-israels-anti-bds-law
36. Greenblatt, Jonathan. “Antisemitism is a contagion: On Oct. 7, we must re-commit to fight It.” ADL. October 7, 2024. Accessed December 28, 2025. https://www.adl.org/resources/article/anti-Semitism-contagion-oct-7-we-must-re-commit-fight-it
37. “Anti-Israel and Anti-Zionist Campaigns.” ADL. Accessed December 28, 2025. https://www.adl.org/about/adl-and-israel/anti-israel-and-anti-zionist-campaigns
38. “ADL Statement on Announcement of Israel-Hamas Deal.” ADL. January 15, 2025. Accessed December 28, 2025. https://www.adl.org/resources/press-release/adl-statement-announcement-israel-hamas-deal
39. “The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Campaign (BDS).” ADL. May 24, 2022. Accessed December 28, 2025. https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounder/boycott-divestment-and-sanctions-campaign-bds
40. Levy, Yuval. “Massachusetts Teachers Association gives teachers antisemitic, BDS materials.” The Jerusalem Post. March 22, 2025. Accessed December 28, 2025. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-847103
41. “JLens and ADL Applaud Microsoft Shareholders’ Vote to Reject BDS-Aligned Proposal 9 at Annual Meeting.” Business Wire. December 9, 2025.  Accessed December 28, 2025. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251209381539/en/JLens-and-ADL-Applaud-Microsoft-Shareholders-Vote-to-Reject-BDS-Aligned-Proposal-9-at-Annual-Meeting
42. Glueck, Katie. “ADL combats criticism of being too tough on Trump.” Politico. December 1, 2016. Accessed March 7, 2018. https://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/anti-defamation-league-trump-232049
43. Diamond, Jeremy. “Donald Trump’s ‘Star of David’ tweet controversy, explained.” CNN. July 5, 2016. Accessed March 5, 2018. http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/04/politics/donald-trump-star-of-david-tweet-explained/
44. Guttman, Nathan. “Donald Trump’s Final Ad Evokes ‘Centuries-Old’ Anti-Semitic Dog Whistles.” Forward. November 6, 2016. Accessed March 5, 2018. http://forward.com/news/national/353563/donald-trumps-final-ad-evokes-centuries-old-anti-semitic-dog-whistles/
45. Posner, Sarah. “Trump is dividing American Jews over domestic politics, not Israel.” The Washington Post. February 15, 2017. Accessed March 7, 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2017/02/15/trump-is-dividing-american-jews-over-domestic-politics-not-israel/?utm_term=.37c2be100a05
46. “US anti-Semitism worst since 1930s, ADL leader says.” Times of Israel. November 17, 2016. Accessed March 5, 2018. https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-anti-semitism-worst-since-1930s-adl-leader-says/
47. Flanagin, Jake. “Report: The link between the election of Donald Trump and resurgent anti-Semitism is now undeniable.” Quartz. April 27, 2017. Accessed March 5, 2018. https://qz.com/969170/report-the-link-between-the-election-of-donald-trump-and-resurgent-anti-semitism-is-now-undeniable/
48. Tobin, Jonathan S. “It Was Dishonest to Blame Trump for Anti-Semitism.” National Review. March 27, 2017. Accessed March 12, 2018. https://www.nationalreview.com/2017/03/jewish-center-bomb-threats-israeli-arrest-trump-antisemitism/.
49. Bekiempis, Victoria. “Juan Thompson pleads guilty to anti-Semitic bomb threats.” NY Daily News. June 13, 2017. Accessed March 12, 2018. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/juan-thompson-pleads-guilty-anti-semitic-bomb-threats-article-1.3244210.
50. Reuters. “U.S. indicts Israeli-American teen hacker for bomb threats against Jewish centers.” Haaretz.com. March 01, 2018. Accessed March 12, 2018. https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/u-s-indicts-israeli-american-for-bomb-threats-against-jewish-centers-1.5865652.
51. Eshman, Rob. “The ADL reversed its support for Trump’s student deportations. You should too.” Forward. April 3, 2025. Accessed December 28, 2025.   https://forward.com/opinion/710017/adl-trump-student-deportations-jonathan-greenblatt/
52. Ewing, Giselle Ruhiyyih. “Anti-Defamation League decries Trump’s use of ‘centuries-old antisemitic trope’ at rally.” Politico. July 4, 2025. Accessed December 28, 2025. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/04/trump-antisemitic-trope-response-00440000
53. Schwartz, Amy. “The Future of the Anti-Defamation League.” Moment Magazine. January 13, 2017. Accessed March 7, 2018. http://www.momentmag.com/future-anti-defamation-league/
54. “ADL Disappointed by Supreme Court Decision That Further Delays Implementation of Contraception Mandate.” Anti-Defamation League Website. May 16, 2015. Accessed March 5, 2018. https://www.adl.org/news/press-releases/adl-disappointed-by-supreme-court-decision-that-further-delays-implementation
55. “ADL Files Amicus Brief Defending Affordable Care Act’s Contraception Mandate.” Anti-Defamation League. February 18, 2016. Accessed March 5, 2018. https://www.adl.org/news/press-releases/adl-files-amicus-brief-defending-affordable-care-acts-contraception-mandate
56. “Anti Defamation League: Women’s Equity.” Anti-Defamation League Website. Undated. Accessed March 5, 2018. https://www.adl.org/what-we-do/discrimination/womens-equity
57. Garlick, Melissa. “The Fight for Reproductive Justice Continues.” Anti-Defamation League Website. December 29, 2017. Accessed March 5, 2018. https://www.adl.org/blog/the-fight-for-reproductive-justice-continues
58. “Anti Defamation League: Immigrant & Refugee Rights.” Anti-Defamation League Website. Undated. Accessed March 5, 2018. https://www.adl.org/what-we-do/discrimination/immigrant-refugee-rights
59. “ADL Denounces White House Immigration Plan.” October 9, 2017. Accessed March 5, 2018. https://www.adl.org/news/press-releases/adl-denounces-white-house-immigration-plan
60. “Resolution on Criminal Justice Reform.” Undated. Anti-Defamation League. Accessed March 5, 2018. https://www.adl.org/education/resources/backgrounders/resolution-on-criminal-justice-reform
61. “Combat Extremism.” ADL. Accessed December 28, 2025. https://www.adl.org/what-we-do/combat-extremism
62. “Disrupt Online Hate and Harassment.” ADL. Accessed December 28, 2025. https://www.adl.org/what-we-do/disrupt-online-hate-harassment
63. “Jonathan Greenblatt.” Anti-Defamation League. Accessed December 28, 2025. https://www.adl.org/who-we-are/leadership/staff/jonathan-greenblatt
64. Heilman, Uriel. “White House aide Jonathan Greenblatt to succeed Abe Foxman as ADL chief.” Jewish Telegraph Agency. November 6, 2014. Accessed December 28, 2025. https://www.jta.org/2014/11/06/news-opinion/united-states/white-house-aide-to-succeed-abe-foxman-as-adl-chief-1
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67. VanNess, Alex. “Jonathan Green­blatt is destroying the Anti-Defamation League.” NY Post, December 12, 2016. https://nypost.com/2016/12/09/jonathan-greenblatt-is-destroying-the-anti-defamation-league/
68. “Nicole Mutchnik – Chair, Board of Directors.” ADL. Accessed December 28, 2025. https://www.adl.org/who-we-are/our-organization/our-board-of-directors/nicole-mutchnik
69. “Dr. Sharon S. Nazarian – Vice Chair.” ADL. Accessed December 28, 2025. https://www.adl.org/staff/dr-sharon-s-nazarian
70. “Anti Defamation League –  2024 Federal Form 990.” ProPublica. Accessed December 28, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131818723/202531259349301513/full
71. “Anti Defamation League –  2023 Federal Form 990.” ProPublica. Accessed December 28, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131818723/202401369349302470/full
72. “Anti Defamation League –  2022 Federal Form 990.” ProPublica. Accessed December 28, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131818723/202343199349318379/full
73. “US Anti-Defamation League flooded with donations after neo-Nazi violence.” Business Day. August 22, 2017. Accessed March 5, 2018. https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/world/americas/2017-08-22-us-anti-defamation-league-flooded-with-donations-after-neo-nazi-violence/
74. Data compiled by Foundationsearch.com subscription service, a project of Metasoft Systems, Inc. from forms filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Queries conducted March 13, 2018.