Fact check: Did the ADL support apartheid in south africa?

1. Summary of the results

Historical records clearly show that the ADL was actively involved with the South African apartheid regime, though not through direct policy support but through surveillance activities. The organization settled a legal battle in 1993 for $178,000 after being caught spying on anti-apartheid activists ^{[1] [1]}. Specifically, an ADL operative named Roy Bullock was documented to have sold confidential information to South African intelligence for $15,000 and reported on black South African exiles and American anti-apartheid activists ^{[2] [2]}.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question oversimplifies a complex historical situation by suggesting a simple yes/no answer regarding "support." While the ADL did collaborate with the apartheid regime through information sharing, this doesn't necessarily indicate ideological support for apartheid policies. It's worth noting that current ADL activities and positions, as referenced in some sources, focus on different matters entirely, such as their relationship with American Muslims for Palestine ^[3].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question itself could be considered leading, as it suggests a direct policy-based support for apartheid, when the documented evidence points more specifically to surveillance and information-sharing activities. Several parties had interests in this situation:

• The South African government benefited from receiving intelligence about anti-apartheid activists
• The ADL likely had its own institutional interests, though these aren't explicitly stated in the sources
• Anti-apartheid activists and civil rights organizations benefited from exposing these activities, as evidenced by the successful legal settlement ^{[1] [1]}

The documented financial transactions ($178,000 settlement and $15,000 payment for information) provide concrete evidence of the relationship between the ADL and the apartheid regime, though the full context of these relationships may be more complex than the sources indicate.