The Anti-Defamation League: A Critical Reader

“Stunning, urgent, and utterly convincing ... We should be grateful to this book for finally making the case we all needed to hear” Judith Butler

“A stellar, groundbreaking collection that finally and convincingly exposes our so-called ‘leading anti-hate’ organization” Moustafa Bayoumi, author of How Does It Feel To Be a Problem?

“Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the ADL’s role in bolstering fascism and attacking left organizing today” Dima Khalidi, Director, Palestine Legal

“Explodes the myth of the ADL as a credible civil rights organization. Timely and courageous” Orisanmi Burton, author of Tip of the Spear

For over a century, the Anti-Defamation League has been regarded as one of the most prominent civil rights watchdogs in the US. Its data informs law enforcement and its talking points influence the headlines.

But behind the ADL’s progressive image lies a very different reality. The Anti-Defamation League: A Critical Reader brings together scholars, organizers, and activists to expose the ADL as a deeply reactionary and conservative force in American politics. From its roots in a Cold War-era framework of Western supremacy, to its modern day support for militarized policing, surveillance, and the repression of Palestinian rights, the ADL has long advanced a vision of justice rooted in empire, not liberation.

Contributors trace how the ADL has weaponized the charge of antisemitism to shield itself from criticism, silenced dissent, and undermined movements for racial justice, Palestinian freedom, and collective safety. As the call to #DropTheADL grows louder, so too does the need for urgent reflection and action.

Emmaia Gelman is the author of The Anti-Defamation League and the Racial State (2026) and founding director of the Institute for the Critical Study of Zionism. Heike Schotten is Professor of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She is the author of Nietzsche’s Revolution (2009) and Queer Terror (2018).