NEW YORK, Sept. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today praised the Democratic National Committee for reinserting language into the party platform statement that recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, but still questioned why it was removed in the first place.

The reinsertion of the language, "Jerusalem is and will remain the capital of Israel," which was included in the 2008 party platform but omitted in 2012, was approved this afternoon by a voice vote on the convention floor in Charlotte, North Carolina.

"We welcome the amendment referencing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and we applaud the DNC for listening and for being responsive to the concerns raised by supporters of Israel," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "But we are still troubled that it was removed, and it should never have happened in the first place. This has been a longstanding policy statement on the DNC platform going back decades."

ADL included language referencing Jerusalem as Israel's capital in its written submission to both the Republican and Democratic platform committees.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.

SOURCE Anti-Defamation League