ADL director calls Beck's smears of Soros as a collaborator “over the top” and “horrific”

Foxman calls Beck's attack “repugnant.” On November 11, ADL national director Abraham Foxman released a statement condemning Beck for claiming, during his falsehood-laden three-part series on Soros, that Soros collaborated with the Nazis during the Holocaust. Foxman's statement said, in part, “Glenn Beck's description of George Soros' actions during the Holocaust is completely inappropriate, offensive and over the top. For a political commentator or entertainer to have the audacity to say -- inaccurately -- that there's a Jewish boy sending Jews to death camps, as part of a broader assault on Mr. Soros, that's horrific. While I, too, may disagree with many of Soros' views and analysis on the issues, to bring in this kind of innuendo about his past is unacceptable. To hold a young boy responsible for what was going on around him during the Holocaust as part of a larger effort to denigrate the man is repugnant.”

Beck responds to criticism by attacking ADL

Beck on NY Times report about ADL criticism: “They will destroy themselves.” On the November 12 edition of Premiere Radio Networks' The Glenn Beck Program, Beck responded to the criticism from the ADL, saying:

After the program last night, some of the executives came down on the floor. And they said, "The New York Times is writing a story on you tomorrow." And I said, “OK. What a surprise that is.” And they said, “And so it begins.” And I said, “What is the angle?” They said, “Well, The New York Times is writing a story that you are an anti-Semite because the ADL, the Anti-Defamation League, has come out and made a statement against you that you are doing this and what you're saying is anti-Semitic about George Soros.”

And they started planning on different things -- that how they should respond and everything else, and I said, “It's not worth it, guys. It's just not worth it. They will destroy themselves. Anybody who watches the show knows the truth.”

And I know the point is that a lot of people don't watch the show, and the disinformation campaign is phenomenal. There's a story this morning in the London Guardian, and the source that they use to quote that I'm anti-Semitic is Media Matters. You mean the one that got the million-dollar check from George Soros to make sure that they got me off the air?

Beck claims letter shows Foxman contradicted himself. On his November 12 radio show, Beck cited an October 22 letter from Foxman that called Beck “a friend of the Jewish people, and a friend of Israel” as evidence that Foxman had contradicted himself. Similarly, Beck wrote in his November 12 subscriber newsletter:

ADL's massive flip flop on Beck

The Anti-Defamation League has launched an attack on Glenn, claiming that the special on George Soros was somehow anti-semitic. No one has been a bigger friend to the Jewish people and to Israel than Glenn. You'd think the ADL knew that - oh wait, they did! And they made that especially clear in a letter PRAISING Glenn for his support of Jewish people and of Israel. That letter of praise, from ADL's National Director Abe Foxman, was written waaaaay back on October 22nd - OF THIS YEAR! Looks like the ADL was for Glenn Beck before they were against him. Glenn explains more on the flip flop on radio today.

Beck claims ADL's condemnation is part of a “Soros-started” “smear campaign.” Discussing a November 11 New York Times story on the ADL's criticism of him, Beck said on his November 12 show that Foxman came “out against me in The New York Times today, saying that I'm an anti-Semite and that anti-Semitic things were said on my show this week. And now they are starting a smear campaign -- this is all Soros-started -- starting a smear campaign against me because I'm anti-Semitic. I'm sorry, but I think I have a pretty darn clear record on being a friend to the Jews.”

Beck directs staff to find out “if there's any George Soros money that has gone to ADL.” Later in the show, Beck said to his staff, “You know what? Could you do me a favor? Just check on the amount of money Open Society” -- a reference to Soros' philanthropic foundations -- “has given ADL. See if there's any money exchanging hands here. See if there's any George Soros money that has gone to ADL.”

Beck again repeats smears and falsehoods about Soros

Beck repeats the falsehood that Soros “confiscat[ed] the goods and lands of Jews.” On his November 12 radio show, Beck again made the false accusation that Soros “confiscat[ed] the goods and the lands of Jews as a 14-year-old boy as they went to their death.”

Beck on Soros: “Jews in Israel don't consider him Jewish.” Beck also claimed on his radio show that he does not believe that “Jews control both the elites and the masses” or that they are “responsible” for “the speculative excesses of capitalism.” Beck said the fact that Soros is Jewish is “irrelevant” and went on to state that the “Jews in Israel don't consider him Jewish. He may have been born Jewish, but that's it. That's it. That's it. It's irrelevant. He is anti-Israel. Period.” Co-host Pat Gray added, “He's probably anti-Jewish.”