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One of the most prominent Jewish advocacy and anti-bigotry organizations in the US removed over 1,000 pages of extremism research from its website late Tuesday.

The action came after online backlash from rightwing influencers and the X platform owner, who had criticized the group for its recently removed database on radical ideologies.

Content of the Removed Glossary

The ADL’s resource contained more than 1,000 listings that provided background information on organizations and belief systems linked to bigoted, antisemitic, and otherwise hateful events.

Pages covering neo-Nazi groups, paramilitary groups, and anti-Jewish theories now redirect to the main page for the group's extremism research.

Criticism from Elon Musk and Rightwing Profiles

The tech billionaire and well-known rightwing accounts on the social media platform had focused on the ADL in the past week over the glossary, which included an listing on deceased far right activist Charlie Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA.

He also attacked the organization for its page on Christian Identity, responding to posts on X that incorrectly equated that extremist movement with Christians as a whole.

In fact, the term refers to a ideology which advocates for a religious conflict against Jewish people and other minorities.

ADL’s Statement on the Removal

The Anti-Defamation League did not directly address the backlash in its statement on the decision and instead stated the move would allow the organization to “explore new strategies and creative approaches to present our data and present our research in a better way”.

“Considering over 1,000 listings written over many years, the ADL Glossary of Extremism has acted as a resource of authoritative information on a broad spectrum of subjects for years,” the organization stated in a statement. “However, an increasing number of listings in the Glossary were no longer current.”

The organization also noted that a series of entries were intentionally distorted and misused, and that their experts have continued to develop more comprehensive materials and innovative methods to supply details about anti-Jewish sentiment, extremism, and hate.

Broader Criticism and Organizational Challenges

The deletion of the resource coincides with the ADL has faced intensifying criticism in the past few years from staff and analysts over its shrinking focus to emphasize pro-Israel positions and its frequent defense of Elon Musk.

The organization has lost donors and had one prominent executive resign after CEO the CEO's comments commending or defending the billionaire, which has failed to prevent the tech mogul from publicly attacking the organization.

Original Goal of the Glossary

The ADL launched its database in recent years, touting it as a first-of-its-kind tool designed to help journalists, the general audience, and police agencies understand extremist groups and their beliefs.

“We are confident it is the most comprehensive and user-friendly reference on extremist speech currently available to the general public,” said Oren Segal of the extremism research division in a statement at the time. “We maintain that an informed public is essential to the protection of democratic systems.”

The organization's page hosting the 2022 announcement now returns a message stating: “You are not permitted to access this site.”

History of Tensions with Elon Musk

The X owner has long targeted the ADL and previously threatened to sue the group for its work documenting the rise of antisemitic content on his digital network.

Yet, the ADL and its CEO came to his defense earlier this year when additional Jewish organizations and lawmakers condemned what they described as him making authoritarian-like gestures following Donald Trump’s swearing-in.

The organization described it as an “uncomfortable action in a time of excitement”.

Latest Comments and Additional Initiatives

Musk frequently commented about the ADL’s inclusion of Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA in its database in the past week, calling the group a “bigoted organization” and suggesting it encouraged violence.

The entry for TPUSA did not state that the organization was an radical group, but featured a compilation of incidents of its officials and activists associating with radicals or uttering “racist or discriminatory comments”.

The following day, he persisted to post about the organization and reiterated his assertion that it was a “bigoted entity”.

He also joined a separate conservative pressure campaign, this time backing calls to avoid the streaming service because a cartoon series included a trans character.