Foxman 's support for gay rights in America placed him at odds with many Orthodox Jews . Concerning the former , which involved his protest in 2000-2001 of a case ( '' Boy Scouts of America v. Dale '' ) in which " the Supreme Court ruled that the Boy Scouts of America could exclude a gay scoutmaster because of his sexual orientation " , it was reported that , " For many Jewish groups that work with the Boy Scouts – mainly Reform temples and Jewish community centers – the ensuing year has been marked by soul-searching , as they grappled with whether they should end their ties to the organization because of the organization 's stance on gays " , and that , " Within the Jewish community , Orthodox groups supported the ruling , saying civic organizations should be empowered to determine their own message - but most Jewish organizations condemned it as endorsing discrimination . " According to that report published a year later , in 2001 , " the Anti-Defamation League 's national director , Abraham Foxman , and its national chairman , Howard Berkowitz , said in a statement at the time : " We are stunned that in the year 2000 , the Supreme Court could issue such a decision . ... This decision effectively states that as long as an organization avows an anti-homosexual position , it is free to discriminate against gay and lesbian Americans . " Foxman has received criticism from Jewish and non-Jewish quarters for his antagonist approach to the 2004 film '' The Passion of the Christ '' and its director , Mel Gibson . In September 2003 , during the pre-release controversy , Foxman called Gibson " the portrait of an anti-Semite " . The next day he said , " I 'm not ready to say he 's an anti-Semite " , but that Gibson " entertains views that can only be described as anti-Semitic " . In November 2003 , Foxman said of Gibson , " I think he 's infected , seriously infected , with some very , very serious anti-Semitic views . " When Diane Sawyer asked him in February 2004 if Mel Gibson is an anti-Semite , and whether '' The Passion of the Christ '' is an anti-Semitic movie , Foxman said " no " to both questions . Foxman was also criticized for his initial response to Gibson 's apology for his behavior during his 2006 DUI arrest , and for giving second billing to the Seattle Jewish Federation shooting that occurred on the same day . Foxman accepted Gibson 's second apology , although he continued to censure Gibson publicly , saying in 2008 , " In his heyday , he was No. 1 in Hollywood , the most sought-after star , the people 's choice , the icon . Then he revealed himself as an anti-Semite , and look where he is today . That 's the beauty of America . " Foxman continued to condemn Gibson for '' The Passion of the Christ '' , saying in 2008 , " What he was doing was giving credibility , on film , in our lifetime , to deicide . Where is Mel Gibson today ? He did his movie , and one day , he revealed himself to the American people . He 's no icon anymore . " In July 2007 , Foxman 's opposition to a congressional resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide drew much criticism . " I do n't think congressional action will help reconcile the issue . The resolution takes a position ; it comes to a judgement " , said Foxman in a statement issued to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency . " The Turks and Armenians need to revisit their past . The Jewish community should n't be the arbiter of that history , nor should the U.S. Congress . " Sharistan Melkonian , chairwoman of the Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts , accused Foxman of engaging in " genocide denial " in an interview with '' The Boston Globe '' . Various New England communities threatened to sever ties with the ADL-sponsored " No Place for Hate " program in response . In August 2007 , Foxman publicly affirmed the position of the Anti-Defamation League , " that the consequences of the Ottoman government 's actions were indeed tantamount to genocide " , but that a United States Congressional recognition of this history was unnecessary , and not helpful . He went on to state , " We continue to firmly believe that a Congressional Resolution on such matters is a counterproductive diversion and will not foster reconciliation between Turks and Armenians . We will not hesitate to apply the term ' genocide ' in the future . " Foxman additionally sent a letter to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressing regret over the difficulty his position caused for the government of Turkey : " We had no intention to put the Turkish people or its leaders in a difficult position . " Several critics have spoken against Foxman 's opposition to the Park51 Islamic community center near the World Trade Center site , citing hypocrisy , since ADL 's mission statement says it seeks " to put an end forever to unjust and unfair discrimination against and ridicule of any sect or body of citizens " . Fareed Zakaria , a recipient of ADL 's Hubert H. Humphrey First Amendment Freedoms Prize , has returned the prize and its $ 10,000 honorarium , saying that he " can not in good conscience hold onto the award or the honorarium that came with it " . Zakaria has " urged the ADL to reverse its decision "
Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
Abraham Foxman