Dumisani Washington: Anti-Zionist civil rights activists dishonor Dr. King’s legacy

"...having Angela Davis provide the keynote address at an event that purports to honor Martin Luther King is a bitter irony, and completely misguided. Such is the case with events at University of North Carolina of Chapel Hill on Monday, January 19, and University of California Santa Cruz on Wednesday, January 28."

 

Written by Dumisani Washington, a pastor, author, composer and music educator in Northern California on why Angela Davis is an inappropriate choice for a speaker at a Martin Luther King Jr commemorative event.

Originally appearing in the Times of Israel, he writes

In her 2012 article “Dismissal of Palestinians is reminiscent of Jim Crow days,” Ms. Davis stated, “If we have learned the most important lesson promulgated by Dr. Martin Luther King — that justice is always indivisible — it should be clear that a mass movement in solidarity with Palestinian freedom is long overdue.”

This is a classic example of quoting someone completely out of context. Anti-oppression movements are always worthy efforts, but it is crucial to understand who the actual “oppressor” is. Otherwise one will only exacerbate the plight of the people one seeks to liberate.

Israel is a liberal, thriving, multiethnic democracy and has been since its independence in 1948. Arabs, Christians, Muslims, and Jews all serve together in Israel’s parliament (Knesset). An Arab sits on Israel’s supreme court. Jews and non-Jews from dozens of countries live together in Israel (in peace). The Israeli military includes Christians, Muslims, Druze, women, and so forth. All ethnic and gender groups enjoy equal protection and representation under Israeli law. Israel is such a shining example of freedom and prosperity that there is a long waiting list of Palestinians who desperately want Israeli citizenship.

Almost fifty years later, Dr. King’s description of Israel is just as accurate. Surrounded by enemies who seek her destruction on a daily basis (Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda, and ISIS to name a few), Israel is indeed an “outpost of democracy” and an “oasis of brotherhood” and freedom.

Read it all here 

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther Kings' Legacy

From Black Star news:

Continuing a tradition of over 20 years in celebration of Black History Month, the Consulate General of Israel in New York together with the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York and the Jewish National Fund, will honor Dr. Clarence B. Jones, who served as a key adviser and speechwriter for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Reverend Dr. Jesse T. Williams Jr. of the Convent Avenue Baptist Church, with the distinguished Martin Luther King Jr. Award.

Ambassador Ido Aharoni, Consul General of Israel in New York, and Rabbi Michael S. Miller, JCRC-NY, will officially present the award. Dr. Jones and Rev. Dr. Williams are being honored for their commitment to the dream of freedom and equality, their efforts in spreading compassion and for uniting communities of all backgrounds.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Award has been presented by the Consulate General of Israel in New York for over 20 years to individuals and organizations that promote ethnic and cultural understanding. To celebrate this great visionary, together with the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York and the Jewish National Fund, the Consulate General of Israel in New York annually honors those whose work reflects Dr. King's legacy of hope and peace.

From the San Diego Jewish Week:

In his remarks, Dr. Jones expressed concern over the campaign to delegitimize Israel, and said that even if Israel has made some mistakes, it “doesn’t mean that gives you carte blanche to say ‘Israel is an Apartheid state’ or ‘Israel is a racist state.’” He also expressed disbelief when hearing of people who misinterpret Dr. King’s legacy by alleging that the great civil rights leader would not support the State of Israel today.

“I am always a little taken aback,” Dr. Jones said. “I am seeing people quoting [Dr. King] frequently out of context to develop a thesis, an argument, that he would not be in support of the State of Israel. That is absolutely insane.”

Dr. Jones stressed the steady bond that Dr. King had with Israel and the Jewish community and the importance of today’s Jewish and African-American communities making an effort to restore the close-knit ties they had during the Civil Rights Movement.

“No African-American leader of national stature was more passionate, privately and publicly, than Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in fostering a 24/7 working coalition with the Jewish community and his support for the State of Israel,” Dr. Jones said.

Dr. Jones closed his remarks by recalling Dr. King’s definition of a “wintertime soldier,” quoting Dr. King as saying, “’anybody can stand with you in the warm summer sunlight of an August summer. But only a winter soldier stands with you at midnight in the alpine chill of winter.’”

“From the standpoint of someone who has represented the great legacy of this extraordinary man, Martin Luther King Jr.,” Dr. Jones continued. ”I say to my African American brothers and sisters, speaking of the standpoint of the derivative relationship I had with Martin Luther King Jr., the time is now for every African American person, every person of stature in the African American community, to come forward and stand with Israel in the alpine chill of winter, to show that we are wintertime soldiers.”

Dumisani Washington: MLK Jr's pro Israel legacy

Written by Dumisani Washington, a pastor, author, composer and educator in Northern California. He is currently working on a book, Zionism and the Black Church: Why Standing With Israel Will Be a Defining Issue for Christians of Color in the 21st Century.  Dumisani formed the Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel (IBSI) in 2013, dedicated to strengthening the relationship between Israel and the Jewish people, and people of African descent through education and advocacy.

The Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel is doing good work.   Check them out on Facebook.

This article originally appeared in the Times of Israel

 Since his death, many groups have attempted to use the name of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as champion of their cause. His timeless quotes are applied to all things related to social justice, equality and political freedom. Of course, in addition to being a beacon for all of the above, Dr. King was also a staunch supporter of the State of Israel, and loyal friend to the Jewish people. Yet this historical, indisputable fact does not seem to faze anti-Zionists who also claim Dr. King’s posthumous blessing on their agenda. How do they reconcile such a blatant discrepancy? They simply label the Palestinians as victims and the Israelis as perpetrators, and voila: Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, becomes an obvious condemnation of the Jewish State.

The problem is, we have Dr. King’s unambiguous words supporting Israel, and none of his words to the contrary. In fact, his most full-throated endorsement of Israel may surprise you, not just because of its content, but its context.

 It was March 26, 1968 – 10 days before Dr. King’s assassination. He was the honored guest at the 68th Annual Convention of the Rabbinical Assembly for Conservative Judaism. During an interview in which Rabbi Gendler read questions submitted by the group, Dr. King was asked specifically about African-American support for Israel. The question itself is a topic for a separate article, but on to Dr. King’s answer: 

I think it is necessary to say that what is basic and what is needed in the Middle East is peace. Peace for Israel is one thing. Peace for the Arab side of that world is another thing. Peace for Israel means security, and we must stand with all of our might to protect its right to exist, its territorial integrity. I see Israel, and never mind saying it, as one of the great outposts of democracy in the world, and a marvelous ex­ample of what can be done, how desert land almost can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy. Peace for Israel means security and that security must be a reality.

These words are powerful at face value. What is even more powerful is the realization that King spoke them almost a full year after the 1967 (Six Day) War in which Israel preemptively attacked Egypt, Jordan and Syria. When the War ended, Israel had regained control of Judea and Samaria (West Bank), as well as Gaza and the Sinai desert.

Read it all here

Join the IBSI next week throughout the Bay Area

"Israel: A Cultural and Political Discussion", The pro-Israel legacy of Dr. King, and who the real abusers of the Palestinians' human rights are.

 Monday, Feb 17 - San Francisco State @ 4:30pm, Hillel House ( this a JIMENA /IBSI event featuring Rachel Wahba)
Tuesday, Feb. 18 - UC Berkeley @ 7:30pm, Wheeler Building, Room 0213
Wednesday, Feb. 19 - UC Davis @ 6:30pm, Giedt Hall, Room 1002
Thursday, Feb. 20 - San Jose State @ 7:00pm, Martin Luther King Library
Friday, Feb. 21 - UC Santa Cruz (exact time and place TBD)
Saturday, Feb. 22 - The Congregation of Zion (Stockton) @ 11:00am

 

Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel : Responding to trolls

Thanks to our friends at the Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel for pointing out the inherent racism that lurks in the heart of many anti-Zionists. IBSI is dedicated to strengthening the relationship between Israel and the Jewish people, and people of African descent through education and advocacy. Check them out on Facebook

On their facebook page, the IBSI included a  post on he pro-Israel legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.on their Facebook page, writing:

Dr. King was a pro-Israel friend of the Jewish people. There is an abundance of historical evidence to support this fact. True to his call as a champion of justice, he was also an advocate for the self-determination and well-being of the Arab (Palestinian) population. In Dumisani Washington’s upcoming book "ZIONISM & THE BLACK CHURCH: WHY STANDING WITH ISRAEL WILL BE A DEFINING ISSUE FOR CHRISTIANS OF COLOR IN THE 21ST CENTURY” he will discuss in detail Dr. King’s Zionist views, and why we can safely speculate on his stance if he were here today.

Provided is a link to one of Dr. King’s final public appearances before his assassination. In this document are some of the civil rights leader’s most powerful words supporting the Jewish State.

[On the evening of March 25,1968, ten days before he was killed, Dr. Martin Luther King, zikhrono livrakhah, appeared at the sixty-eighth annual convention of the Rabbinical Assembly. He responded to questions which had been submitted in ad­ vance to Rabbi Everett Gendler, who chaired the meeting.

[Here is a transcript of what was said that evening, beginning with the words of Professor Abraham Joshua Heschel, who presented Dr. King to the assembled rabbis.]

In response to the words of tolerance and vision from Dr. King, an anti-Israel troll responded

The IBSI did not take the bait, however, and responded in a way that honored the heritage and the legacy of Dr. King. 

In spite of their best efforts,  IBSI's page is being over run by trolls. Stop by,  like it, and thank the group for its support.

UPDATE:
An apology and a moment of redemption.