Now, I know that's an obnoxious thing to say, and I apologize. But I just had to say it.

Of all the stands I've taken over the years in this column, none has gotten me more negative feedback than my firm contention, my deep belief, that anti-Semitism is no more.

As I've said many times, that's not to say there is no anti-Semitism. Clearly there is. Clearly there are people who say and do hateful, hurtful, even violent things to and about Jews, driven by the hatred of Jews. There always have been, there are and there always will be.

When I say that anti-Semitism is no more, what I mean is that it is no longer a factor affecting our daily lives. There was a time when Jews lived in countries where anti-Semitism was a fact of life that resulted in our persecution, our conversion, our annihilation. That no longer exists in any systematic way on any country on earth.

And there was a time in this country, when Jews could not live in certain neighborhoods, get into certain universities, rise to certain positions. That, too, is no longer the case.

Today, anti-Semitism is a nuisance, but that's it. It does not in any real way have any real impact on us.

That has been true for awhile now, though most Jews have been strongly resistant to believing or accepting that. Which is why I have so often so vehemently heard from people who have told me how nuts I am for suggesting it. Many Jews have felt insulted by me saying there is effectively no more anti-Semitism, with some even punishing me for daring to say it.

And, of course, no one has been more resistant to the idea that the era of anti-Semitism is over than old Abe Foxman, head of the ADL. Anytime there has been even the slightest peep of anti-Jewishism, Abe has declared it the coming of the second Holocaust.

Which is where the I told you so comes in.

Things evidently have gotten so good for the Jews than even Abe has been forced to admit it.

To quote the story from the JTA news service, "The level of anti-Semitism in the United States has tied a historic low point, according to an Anti-Defamation League poll.

"The survey found that 12 percent of Americans hold anti-Semitic views, down from 15 percent in 2007 and matching the 12 percent figure recorded in 1998."

The level of anti-Semitism in the United States is at a low point. Even the ADL says so, and they never bring us good news. Fully 88 percent of Americans do not, that's not, hold anti-Semitic views. Of course, being Jews, all we can think of is the 12 percent.

You know things are good for the Jews, when even Abe Foxman has to say so, has to admit that anti-Semitism is virtually gone. Just as I've been saying.

Now, wouldn't it great if Abe went on to tell us that, the ADL having done such a good job, there really is no longer a reason for it to raise and spend so much money to fight something that no longer exists, and that it is now changing its name and its mission from anti, and devoting itself to positively build Jewish life.

Hey, I can dream. Of course, Abe did do the first part, pretty much attributing the historical low of anti-Semitism to his organization, but he then, of course, went on to tell us to continue to be scared, very scared.

Said Abe, "there continues to be violence targeting Jews and an increasing use of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. We can't dismiss that 12 percent of the American people means there are still over 30 million Americans that hold anti-Semitic views."

Aha. So because some militia nuts in the woods of Idaho or some ignorant teens in Alabama think Jews have all the money and run the world, Jews should keep fearing, keep worrying, keeping thinking there are lots of people ready to destroy us. 30 million people. Scary.

Anti-Semitism may be a thing of the past, but I'm afraid we'll never be able to say that about Abe Foxman.

I know some of you don't like it when I pick on Abe, but the fact is that while I'm trying to be amusing about this, I truly think he does the Jewish world some serious harm.

Throughout our history, Jews have had to focus much of our energies and efforts on avoiding danger. We were surrounded by enemies, have been forced from our homes, from our countries, suffered all kinds of horrible things. And so we didn't have the luxury to fully devote ourselves to strengthening our communities.

Thankfully, those days are over. No longer do we have to devote our resources, our best and brightest to fending off our enemies. We have our own Jewish country, powerful and vibrant. American Jewry has unlimited opportunity and unprecedented acceptance. There is not a nation on earth where Jews cannot live as Jews.

And so now should be the time we attend to internal matters, to fixing Jewish problems, maximizing Jewish creativity, exciting and engaging Jewish youth, making the most of Jewish good times.

Abe's inability to let go of the past is robbing us of our present and hindering our future. Just a few years ago, he actually wrote a book contending that conditions for Jews today are very similar to how they were for the Jews of Europe in 1939.

That is nothing short of obscene.

Anyone who knows anything about how things were in 1939 knows they are nowhere any way even remotely close to how things are for Jews today. Not in the same universe. And to keep saying they are, all evidence to the contrary, keeps Jews needlessly scared, worried, neurotic, holds us back, prevents us from understanding our reality and acting accordingly.

Clearly, I am no fan of Abe. When I saw how he reacted to the good news in his very own poll, I became even less so. But when I saw how he handled the matter of one Ronan Tynan, I seriously began questioning whether he has lost his mind. Or, at the very least, whether he is so desperate about and fearful of the good news about the historically low level of anti-Semitism, that he is simply flailing about to keep himself in the headlines.

Ronan Tynan is an Irish tenor living in New York. From time to time, he sings "G-d Bless America," during the seventh inning stretch of New York Yankees games.

Recently, it was revealed that Tynan was overheard making an offensive joke about Jews.

Tynan was hunting for an apartment with a real estate agent. When they got to one building, the agent, knowing Tynan sings for the Yankees, jokingly reassured him about the apartment's owners. "Don't worry," he said, "they're not Red Sox fans," referring to the Yankees arch rivals.

Tynan responded: "I don't care, as long as they are not Jewish." He was not joking.

Understandably, and thankfully, his remarks caused outrage in New York. So much so that the Yankees, to their credit, said Tynan would not be singing at any Yankees playoff or World Series games this year, as had been scheduled, and probably not at any Yankees games in the future.

Now you would think this is exactly the kind of story Abe would love, would use to buttress his never-ending argument that anti-Semitism is alive and well. After all, he uses stories like this all the time to show that the new Hitler has reached Highland Park and is on his way to Skokie.

Did Abe react like that, say how this is a cautionary tale, proof positive that anti-Semitism is still all around us?

Nope. Not at all. Nada. Nein.

What Abe did do was, get ready now, not only blow the whole thing off, but, after Tynan perfunctorily apologized, as is standard procedure when such cases become public, Abe called Tynan a "good man" who just made an "inappropriate comment."

And that's not all. Abe then, get ready now, invited Tynan to sing "G-d Bless America" at the ADL's annual meeting, where, get ready now, Tynan was given a standing ovation.

Guy makes an anti-Semitic remark, says he'd rather deal with Red Sox fans than Jews, which to a Yankees fan is no small thing, and Abe rewards the guy with an honor at the ADL's annual meeting, no less, where the guy is given a standing ovation, no less.

Just when I thought Abe could not sink any lower.

Now, to my point about anti-Semitism, no I don't think Tynan is any danger at all to the Jews and yes, people like him will say stupid, hurtful things from time to time. It ain't no big deal and we need not to make a whole tzimmes out of it, overblow it or see it as more than the nuisance it is.

Fine. But that doesn't mean we got to honor the guy, just let him off the hook as if what he said isn't offensive, and as if he shouldn't pay some price. And sure as hell doesn't mean the ADL faithful should be giving the guy a standing ovation and a round of applause.

Letting go of an obsession with seeing everything as an anti-Semitic threat reminiscent of 1939 is one thing. The ADL ought to try it.

But letting go, as the ADL did, of decency and sanity and Jewish pride, is something very much else.