New York, NY, November 17, 2000 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed dismay at the National Conference of Catholic Bishops’ statement on the situation in the Middle East, saying it "sidesteps the underlying problem of the Palestinian Authority’s unwillingness to curb the violence."

Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:

We are dismayed by the position taken by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops on the situation in the Middle East. In their efforts to deal with this issue even-handedly, they sidestep the underlying problem of the Palestinian Authority’s unwillingness to curb the violence or to protect Jewish holy sites from being vandalized and desecrated. We appreciate their calls for a return to negotiations and for secure borders for Israel, but this cannot happen without the full cessation of hostilities on the part of the Palestinians.

Furthermore, the Catholic Bishops call for international guarantees for the protection of religious holy sites, but access to these sites have never been denied under Israeli sovereignty. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for when the Arabs have had control of these sites.

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.