ADL intimidates those who speak out
A letter from Ed Toner

Dear Editor, Home News and Tribune; (New Brunswick NJ)

Your article about the ADL giving sensitivity training to Somerville police left the casual reader with the impression the ADL is working to eliminate hatred. This is not always the case. They are used to silence criticism of bloody Israel, a secular nation.

I am now a retired TWA Captain, as well as a retired LCDR USN. During the 1970's, I flew many trips to Tel Aviv. What I saw there was just the opposite of what I read about the place in the newspapers. The media claims that Israel was "The only Democracy in the Mid-East" were shockingly wrong. Israel is as much a two-tier society today as Germany was in 1939. They just inverted the place, put the Jews on top, and the Gentiles underfoot.

This was not outwardly noticeable at first. The place was obviously Jewish, but I figured, "Naturally, it's The Jewish State". There were a few minor inconveniences but all in all, a layover in the Tel Aviv Hilton was considered a good one.

The crews were given the same rooms each trip, so I got the same housekeeper, who I assumed was a nice Jewish lady. As is the custom, I brought her a small box of chocolates each trip. She was very thankful. On one occasion, I got talking with her. It was Saturday, and she was working. I asked her if she was violating Jewish law by working. To my surprise, she told me she was not Jewish, but an Orthodox Christian.

We spoke further about how things were for a Christian in The Jewish State. "Bad, real bad, Captain" was her reply. I questioned her further and got such a hard luck story as to be almost unbelievable, but this was a very open and honest woman. She told me of the discrimination she faced on a daily basis, the hardships of having to live in a segregated area far from work, the lower wages paid to Christians, pat-down body searches by Israeli soldiers at check points, and so on. She was in tears when she finally finished. I was very mad.

I started writing critical letters to the editor of local newspapers describing what was going on in Israel. Getting information critical of Israel, before I had access to the internet, was difficult.

Finally, I discovered titles and addresses of good sources of information on the subject. Soon, I had a compact library of material. My letters became more hard-hitting, and more difficult to rebut. Enter Mr. Suall, of the ADL. In a letter to my Chief Pilot, he complained loudly about how there was an anti-Semite flying TWA's airplanes, to Tel Aviv, of all places.

How does TWA expect its Jewish passengers feel with a maniac like this flying them? I was hauled in to the office and asked to explain myself. I did. I told my boss I was exercising my freedom of the press, and I was not involving the company in my letters. I also pointed out that the Gentiles in Israel were Semites, whereas most of the Jews were not.

Apparently Suall became enraged that no action was taken. More letters followed in which I was described as insane, dangerous, a poor pilot, a drunk, a wife beater, a child abuser, etc. and for G-d's sake, shut this man up!. All this was nonsense, of course. I have a lovely Irish wife and 6 healthy, happy children. When asked by the boss what I had to say for myself, I called Suall a liar. I asked if there was any proof of what he said. There was none. By this time I brought the union into the picture. I was a member of the Air Line Pilots Association. It was agreed that so long as I did not mention TWA, or ALPA in my letters, it was hands off.

I wanted to sue the ADL with these letters as the basis of a libel suit. The union contract called for my jacket to be available to me, and that I was entitled to be copied on any negative material in it. There was nothing in it. It was then I discovered that there were 2 jackets, one of which was kept from me, which was in violation of the contract. I went to Queens DA Mario Merolla and told him about this, and pointed out that libel was a criminal as well as civil offense in NY (I was working out of JFK). He promptly told TWA to cease this, and hand over the other jacket. By the time I went back to the office, it had "accidentally" gone into the shredder. Too bad, but the harassment ceased, and I continued my career to get 30 years in, retiring in 1987 at the age of 56.

The ADL is a branch of B'Nai B'Rith, itself an exclusive organization, whose membership is limited to Jewish men, only.

If I were the Chief of the Somerset County Police Academy, I would be wary of the advice of this group.