Why aren't more African Americans supporting Israel?
| The Zionist Devil |
I have recently had several spirited conversations with an old friend from high school over the Israel and Hamas conflict and the larger questions surrounding Israeli settlements, the Palestinian Intifadas and a dual state solution. My friend, a self-proclaimed Zionist and American Israel Public Affairs Committee member, often lamented that Israel was misunderstood and could not figure out why more African Americans were not vocal supporters of Jews (which he often conflated with the Israeli state).
He
brought up typical talking points: "Dr. King was a Zionist and a
supporter of Israel" and "Jews sacrificed during the Civil Rights
Movement for the freedom of African Americans." Though there is some
truth to the former statements, there is also history of economic
exploitation (real or perceived) of black communities by some Jews,
which has led to a contentious relationship.
Israel presents a
complicated conundrum for African Americans, one that cannot be
satisfied by looking at small isolated circumstances or particular
historical figures. It is where the African American dream of
nationalism and self-determination meets the nightmare of internal
colonialism. It leaves progressive African Americans with nationalist
leanings in a state of cognitive dissonance.
Theodore
Herzl's words in "The Jewish State" could easily be mistaken for those
of famed black nationalists such as Martin Delaney or Marcus Garvey. The
most important element of Herzl's work is that he viewed Jews as a
nation and not simply a religion. African Americans historically dreamed
of making the transition from ostracized ethnic group to economic and
social freedom, the way that Herzl outlined for Jews. But today, one
rarely hears anyone speak of a separate state for African Americans.
More often, there are local "buy black" campaigns, which are forms of
economic nationalism.
There
have been several proponents of Black Nationalism throughout history,
however. Small groups like the Republic of New Afrika laid claim to the
southeastern region of the U.S. for an independent nation-state with
full sovereignty for African Americans, since the economy of that land
was built on the backs of black slaves. Malcolm X called for the
acquisition of land and nationhood. Garvey called for western blacks to
consider making continental Africa, their ancestral homeland, the
location where they could live free from oppression. While these may
sound similar, Herzl's theories were in large part realized, making
Israel truly remarkable and in some ways the envy of the oppressed
world.
On May 14, 1948, while African Americans still suffered
under the indignities of Jim Crow, the State of Israel was born after
the British terminated their mandate over Palestine. Only three years
removed from a mass genocide, Israel absorbed refugees from all over
Europe. The oppressed Jewish people finally had what the Black Panther
Party of the late 1960s longed for: the power and ability to determine
their own destiny. However, African Americans have stopped short of
supporting Israel en masse, and it is not because the communities are
anti-Semitic (though there is an element of anti-Semitism in some
parts). The opposition comes from seeing what appears to be internal
colonies existing in Gaza and the West Bank. Tanks were rolling through
the streets filled with rubble in the Gaza Strip mere days before they
were rolling through the streets of Ferguson, Mo. In the eyes of many
African Americans, just as the United States defeated its colonial
rulers to become a free republic, freedom did not include enslaved
Africans. It appears to many blacks in this country that Palestinians
were turned over from one European colonizer to another.
The
Israeli public relations machine has done a good job reporting very real
security concerns to conservative media outlets, but it has failed to
reach for the hands of African Americans, who comprise 45 million
potential allies. To answer my friend's question, Israeli leaders should
reach out to black media and explain why they are not a colonial power
but an example of triumph over colonialism and then be prepared to
answer difficult questions about the future of a two state solution and
peaceful coexistence with their Muslim neighbors. They must articulate
that their long standing conflicts are not due to religious hatred for
Islam, a faith many African Americans either practice or have great
respect for. If they are unwilling or worse unable to do so, they will
continue to have vocal opponents and remain a racially polarizing entity
here in the U.S.
Jason Nichols is a lecturer in African American Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. His email is mc.haysoos@gmail.com.
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