The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has invited controversial figure, CEO of Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Mr Jonathan Greenblatt, to address the topic ‘The dangers of antisemitism and online hate speech’ at an upcoming event.

• In January 2024, Mr Jonathan Greenblatt placed opposition to Israel on a par with white supremacy as a source of antisemitism, upsetting many grassroots activists and Jewish advocacy groups critical of Israeli policy.

•  In June 2024, the editors at Wikipedia voted to declare the ADL ‘generally unreliable’ on the Israeli-Palestine conflict.

•  In October 2024, the former head of ADL, Abe Foxman criticised Jonathan Greenblatt for not criticising Donald Trump for “the grotesque spectacle of antisemitism, racism, xenophobia and misogyny” at display while campaigning for elections at the Madison Square Garden rally.

•  In January 2025, ADL came under criticism for claiming Elon Musk’s ‘nazi salute’ was nothing more than an awkward gesture.

In essence, the group has foregone much of its historical mission to fight antisemitism in favour of doing advocacy for Israel. An employee quoted in a January 2024 Guardian article said “The ADL has a pro-Israel bias and an agenda to suppress pro-Palestinian activism.”

In 2021, about 100 social justice and civil rights groups signed an open letter urging other organizations not to work with the ADL.

We firmly believe that a speaker for such a critical topic should embody the values of integrity, neutrality, and respect for diverse viewpoints.

Therefore, we strongly urge HKU to withdraw its invitation, for his dividing views, one sided pro-Israeli bias and hate speech.