ADL Says Calling Someone A "Nazi" Puts Them In Danger
The irony is lost on him.
In his book It Could Happen Here: Why America Is Tipping from Hate to the Unthinkable-and How We Can Stop It, Anti-Defamation League (ADL) CEO Jonathan Greenblatt acknowledges that calling someone a nazi puts their safety at risk.
He writes:
“Certainly the demonization of Zionism and the efforts to equate Zionists with Nazis bodes ill for the safety of American Jews. I say this because virtually nobody in any segment of society believes that Nazis have a place in public life. Society does not condemn those who oppose Nazis. If the notion that Zionists are Nazis goes mainstream, given that the overwhelming majority of American Jews believe in Zionism, the danger will be profound.”1
In other words, Greenblatt believes that calling someone a “nazi” puts their physical safety at risk. Mainstream news articles support this claim when they suggest that violence against those called nazis is okay with headlines like “Is It Okay To Punch a Nazi?”2 If someone believes it is okay to “punch a nazi,” then suggesting that someone is a nazi implies that the speaker is telling others that it is okay to punch that person.
The irony is lost on Greenblatt that one of the primary functions of his organization is to compare political opponents to nazis. If Greenblatt is right that calling someone a nazi puts their safety at risk, then his organization has repeatedly threatened the safety of their enemies, including survivors of genital cutting. If Greenblatt understands the implications of his actions, either he doesn’t believe his own rhetoric, or he does and he wants his enemies dead.
Some suggest that false political accusations like calling someone a “nazi” should be laughed off. While false accusations deserve mockery, those who make them believe that if they make them loud enough and frequently enough it will result in violence against their intended targets. One of the ADL’s primary political concepts is the “Pyramid of Hate,” which suggests that when hateful language reaches a certain level it will manifest as discrimination or violence. From their perspective, when they call a person or group a “nazi” they are engaged in stochastic terrorism.
Before determining how to respond to these accusations, we must be aware of the intentions of those who make these accusations. In his book, Greenblatt makes those intentions clear. Most believe that when someone wants you dead and takes action towards that end, you should engage in whatever legal measures are necessary to ensure your safety. I want everyone to remain safe. How do respond?
Greenblatt, Jonathan. It Could Happen Here: Why America Is Tipping from Hate to the Unthinkable-and How We Can Stop It. Mariner Books, 2023, p. 88.
Also, page 88? Quite the dog-whistle, Greenblatt.
Stack, Liam. “Attack on Alt-Right Leader Has Internet Asking: Is It O.K. to Punch a Nazi?” The New York Times, 22 Jan. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/01/21/us/politics/richard-spencer-punched-attack.html.