New York, N.Y., November 1, 2000 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed outrage at a statement issued by an Amnesty International official suggesting Israel’s actions against the Palestinians "may amount to war crimes," and called on Amnesty International to refrain from such destructive comments.

"This is a situation in which the Palestinians are the ones who began the cycle of violence and continue to rely on violence on a daily basis," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "Amnesty International’s statement is a gross distortion of reality and counterproductive to efforts to get the Palestinians to halt the violence they initiated. Israeli soldiers are using great restraint in the face of live ammunition and Molotov cocktail-throwing rioters. For Amnesty International to issue a statement of this nature is outrageous and destructive."

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.