“The Jews have not only suffered particularly from racist persecution, they have done more than any other people to expose and condemn racism,” Cleaver wrote from a jail cell in 1976.
“Generations of Jewish social scientists and scholars have labored long and hard in every field of knowledge, from anthropology to psychology, to lay bare and refute all claims of racial inferiority and superiority. To condemn the Jewish survival doctrine of Zionism as racism is a travesty upon the truth.”
It is clear why pro-Israel organizations spend millions of dollars reaching out to minority groups like U.S. blacks to educate them about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“Recently, I’ve seen increasing efforts from anti-Israel organizations to court members of minority communities to support the pro-Palestinian narrative,” said CUFI’s national campus coordinator, David Walker.
“These organizations prey on the ignorance [regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict] of the minority communities by offering one side of the story that often showcases Israel dishonestly, and thus in the poorest light. Supporters of BDS [the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement] try to export the anti-Israel reasoning to minority associations by appropriating the successful struggle against real apartheid in South Africa.”
Asked whether he sees a significant rise in the black community’s support for Israel, CUFI’s Washington cited media bias as a rallying point.
“Over the past year, I have had multiple black pastors request more information about how their congregations can stand with Israel,” he said. “This is due in large part to the unfair treatment Israel receives in the media, and a desire to do something to help.”
(JNS)