By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The FBI said on Wednesday it cut ties with the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish group that tracks antisemitism, after conservatives criticized the group for including slain activist Charlie Kirk’s organization in a glossary on extremism.
In a social media post, FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau “won’t partner with political fronts masquerading as watchdogs.”
The ADL said it took note of Patel’s announcement and “has deep respect” for the FBI.
Patel’s announcement followed criticism of the ADL by right-wing voices, including billionaire Elon Musk, over its inclusion of Kirk’s Turning Point USA in a “Glossary of Extremism and Hate.” Kirk was assassinated in September.
After that criticism, the ADL removed the entire glossary from its website. The glossary had said Turning Point USA had a history of “bigoted statements,” a charge the group rejects.
ADL’s website says it “works closely with federal, state and local law enforcement” in fighting extremism and hate. It also notes the FBI had turned to it for data and research as far back as the 1940s.
U.S. officials have taken part in ADL events over the years.
Former FBI director James Comey, against whom President Donald Trump’s Justice Department has filed criminal charges, noted at a 2014 ADL summit that the FBI worked with the group to host civil rights and hate crime training for state and local counterparts.
AFTERMATH OF KIRK’S KILLING
The U.S. has witnessed many instances of right-wing backlash against critics and commentators whose views on Kirk after his assassination have upset conservatives.
Last month, “Jimmy Kimmel Live” was briefly taken off the air, political analyst Matthew Dowd was fired from MSNBC and columnist Karen Attiah was fired by the Washington Post.
Civil rights advocates criticized Kirk for rhetoric they called racist, anti-immigrant, transphobic and misogynistic, citing his remarks on Black, LGBTQ+, Muslim and immigrant communities.
Kirk’s supporters called him a defender of conservative values and champion of public debate who galvanized young voters for Trump.
ADL documents antisemitism and hate. Its critics say it equates antisemitism with criticism of Israeli policies, including Israel’s assault on Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian territories.
ADL’s website calls that conflation a misconception but adds that “certain forms of anti-Israel rhetoric and activism delegitimize Israel and its existence, and are antisemitic when they vilify and negate Zionism.”
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Jasper Ward in Washington; Editing by Katharine Jackson, Daniel Wallis and Diane Craft)
