Anti-Defamation League Staffer Publicly Quits Over Israel-Hamas ‘Messaging’

A senior researcher with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) quit on Thursday over the Jewish nonprofit’s “messaging” around the Israel-Hamas war.

In a thread posted on the social media platform Bluesky, Stephen C. Rea, who focused on online hate and harassment as a member of the ADL’s Center for Technology and Society, said he resigned because he “couldn’t square my morals and politics with the direction I saw the org going in.”

“I think that ADL does a lot of great work, and trust me, there are some AMAZING people there (many of whom agree with me…),” Rea wrote. “But there are times when you have to stand up and say ‘enough.’”

He emphasized that he would “never begrudge anyone for staying or going to work for ADL,” pointing out that quitting was a luxury he had thanks to health coverage through his partner.

Intel Reveals ‘Greatest Threat’ to Americans From Israel-Gaza War

The ADL’s latest moves were “a personal red line for me, and some things are more important than a job,” Rea wrote.

ADL director Jonathan Greenblatt has spurred indignation on the left for labeling Palestinian human rights campaigners as “extremists,” and reports of dissent among ADL staffers emerged earlier this year due to Greenblatt’s framing of anti-Zionism as antisemitism. Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas less than two weeks ago, Greenblatt has excoriated liberal Jewish groups calling for a ceasefire and criticizing Israel for what they see as a Palestinian genocide. On Wednesday, Greenblatt posted a tweet on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, expressing disbelief that “far-left radical” protesters had occupied a congressional office building to protest against overwhelming Israeli strikes in Gaza.

“Who in their right mind can watch Hamas terrorists commit atrocities, brutally murder civilians, kidnap children & elderly, & then protest Israel’s right to defend itself???” Greenblatt wrote. “... Stop with the absurd accusation that Israel commits acts of genocide. It’s factually incorrect & dangerous slander. These radical far-left groups don't represent the Jewish community. Far from it. They represent the ugly core of anti-Zionism —> antisemitism.”

This, Rea posted on Bluesky, is “throwing red meat to the people who want to do the *most* harm,” and “couldn’t be part of it any longer.”

“It’s so disappointing, and imho unnecessary,” he wrote.

Rea on Thursday told The Daily Beast that he did not want his resignation to be “a distraction” to his former colleagues, who continue to do “incredible work under difficult circumstances.”

“Personally, I think that the ADL does more good than harm in the world on balance, despite whatever disagreements I have about the particular messaging around current events,” Rea said.

In an email, an ADL spokesperson told The Daily Beast, “As a matter of policy, ADL does not comment on personnel matters. However, we will say that ADL and our staff are steadfast in our support of Israel, that our body of work speaks for itself, and that we are grateful for the tireless efforts of the entire ADL team in the wake of the largest mass murder of the Jewish people since the Holocaust.”

Greenblatt did not respond personally to a request for comment.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now.

Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now.