March 30, 2007

Letter to the Editor: “Romney Made a Mistake” Published in The Forward

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Romney Made a Mistake

Published in The Forward

A March 16 letter to the editor ignores Henry Ford's shameful legacy of antisemitism and the influence that his publications continue to have on modern-day antisemitic rhetoric and writings ("Ford Motor Co. Helped Israel in the Early Years").

The letter writer is correct in asserting that "when we forget history we lose our identity." Here is what the Anti-Defamation League has written about the history of Ford's bigotry: "Due to the fame of its publisher, Henry Ford Sr., ‘The International Jew,' a four-volume antisemitic work first published in the 1920s, has been a particularly powerful tool for haters trying to validate their hostile beliefs."

The National Jewish Democratic Council never implicated the Ford Motor Company or the Ford family in its criticism of Governor Mitt Romney or Henry Ford. In fact, on numerous occasions we proactively affirmed that neither the company nor the family is implicated in Henry Ford's legacy of bigotry.

As for Ford himself, his vicious antisemitism is a matter of historic record. We stand by our comments that a presidential announcement is all about symbolism, and that Romney's judgment was severely flawed.

Ira Forman
Executive Director
National Jewish Democratic Council
Washington, D.C.