ADL honors US homeland security secretary
Janet Napolitano receives award for her leadership in fight against terrorism and violent extremism
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) honored Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano for her leadership in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, Ynetnews has learned.
Napolitano received the ADL William and Naomi Gorowitz Institute Service Award, which salutes outstanding achievements in combating terrorism, extremism and injustice, during the League’s Shana Amy Glass National Leadership Conference, April 29 in Washington, D.C.
"At this time of great challenge and evolving threats, our nation is fortunate to have Secretary Napolitano at the helm of the Department of Homeland Security," said ADL director Abraham Foxman.
"Secretary Napolitano knows that countering radicalization and violence is frequently best achieved by engaging and empowering individuals and groups at the local level to build resilience against violent extremism - a mantra the League also advocates. Her actions show that while law enforcement plays an essential role in keeping us safe, so too does engagement and partnership with communities."
During her remarks, Secretary Napolitano highlighted the Department’s efforts to collaborate on security efforts with Israel, through initiatives such as the Container Security Initiative, which identifies and screens high risk cargo before it enters the US, and other collaborative efforts to combat illegal cash smuggling and transnational crimes. She thanked ADL for its cooperation on law enforcement training on hate crimes and extremist threats.
ADL and the Homeland Security Department have worked closely to provide security resources and information to Jewish institutions and organizations nationwide.
The agency’s top personnel have participated in ADL’s law enforcement seminars and training, including the Advanced Training School, the National Counter-Terrorism Seminar in Israel and the Law Enforcement and Society: Lessons of the Holocaust program.
Past recipients of the ADL Gorowitz award include: former CIA Director George Tenet; former FBI Director Louis J. Freeh; and US Senator Charles E. Schumer.
