New York, NY, October 26, 1998…The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today strongly condemned the murder of Dr. Barnett Slepian in upstate New York.

Howard P. Berkowitz ADL National Chairman, and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:

We are outraged by the sniper killing of Dr. Barnett Slepian, a licensed obstetrician-gynecologist who lawfully performed abortions in his Buffalo clinic. His murder is a brutal act of terrorism. Justice demands that the perpetrator of this be immediately found, convicted and punished to the full extent of the law.

While anti-abortion groups have the right to voice their views, violence and murder are never legitimate political acts to promote an agenda. Those who laud the murder of Dr. Slepian as a victory for their cause must be unequivocally repudiated.

All Americans who uphold the values of our democracy, the rule of law and our Judeo-Christian heritage should condemn this heinous crime.

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.