— An official of the Moral Majority movement has come under fire from Sen. Alfonse D’Amato (R. NY) and the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith for his anti-Jewish remarks.
The Rev. Dan Fore, chairman of New York State’s recently formed chapter of the Moral Majority, who is pastor of the Metropolitan Baptist Church in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, said “I love the Jewish people deeply. God has given them talents he has not given others. They are his chosen people. Jews have a God given ability to make money, almost a supernatural ability to make money.” Fore added,” They control the media, they control the city.”
The Texas-born pastor made this statement in response to some Jewish leaders, especially Rabbi Alexander Schindler, president of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, who have been critical of the Moral Majority’s activities which they claim is fostering a climate in America which could lead to religious intolerance.
In a letter to Jerry Falwell, the leader of the Moral Majority, D’Amato termed Fore’s statement “dangerous” and urged that it “should be publicly and forcefully disavowed.” D’Amato said he was “very upset and frankly appalled by the statement” and added: “Rev. Fore and your organization, the Moral Majority, owes the Jewish people an apology for this statement.”
Nathan Perlmutter, national director of the ADL, said about Fore that “It is distressing that someone who declares that he loves the Jewish people ‘deeply’ should nevertheless repeat discredited and anti-Semitic cliches and stereotypes that falsely characterize Jews. He expresses feelings of love, which we welcome, but his ignorance of the broad spectrum and diversity of Jews can be exploited by haters.”
Falwell, himself, told of Fore’s remarks, stated: “I don’t think you can stereotype any people.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
