Posted on 05/16/2005 4:34:27 PM PDT by Libloather
Blacks and Jews Split – again – over Farrakhan
by Makebra M. Anderson
NNPA Washington Correspondent
WASHINGTON (NNPA) – A prominent Jewish leader’s insistence that African-American leaders distance themselves from the Millions More March organizer Minister Louis Farrakhan is more likely to stir up more anti-Semitism rather than soothe frayed relations between Blacks and Jews, says Hip Hop mogul Russell Simmons.
He was reacting to criticism from Abraham H. Foxman, national director of Anti-Defamation League (ADL). In a letter addressed to national Black leaders, Foxman said it is unacceptable that mainstream African-American leaders would participate in a march whose conveners include Farrakhan and Malike Zulu Shabazz, head of the New Black Panther Party.
“While its stated goal of bringing together the African-American community is laudable, the involvement of Minister Louis Farrakhan and Malik Zulu Shabazz as co-conveners of the March taints the proceeding with the baggage of anti-Semitism and hate,” Foxman wrote. “When will someone in the African-American community stand up and say that the Million Man March had a positive message, but the pied piper is a racist and anti-Semite?”
Russell decided to stand up – against Foxman.
“…I know that your above quoted statements and the urging and pressure of the ADL for African American leaders to reconsider their support of the Millions More Movement and the 10th anniversary of the Million Man March will do nothing more than increase the polarization of relations between millions of African American and Jewish Americans. It is a sad commentary that your actions will only help to spread anti-Semitism rather than help to end it.”
As chairman of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding and the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network. Russell Simmons had been singled out by the ADL for appearing in an ad deploring anti-Semitism.
“It’s hypocritical for Mr. Simmons to lead a charge against anti-Semitism, while failing to denounce manifestations of anti-Jewish hatred within his own community.”
In his letter to Foxman, Simmons was unapologetic.
“Simply put, you are misguided, arrogant, and very disrespectful of African Americans and most importantly your statements will unintentionally or intentionally lead to a negative impression of Jews in the minds of millions of African Americans,” he wrote.
Replying to Simmons’ reply, Foxman posted a statement on ADL’s Web site accusing Simmons of advancing “some highly disturbing thoughts.” He said Simmons “engages in a blame-the-victim tactic in which he claims that if I continue to criticize the roles of Farrakhan and Shabazz and call on Black leaders not to give them legitimacy, that I would be causing anti-Semitism.”
Drawing on their own history of persecution, many Jews were active in the civil rights movement during the 1960s. However, as African-Americans demanded greater control of their struggle, pockets of tension developed, some that exist until this day.
A 2005 poll commissioned by ADL shows that 14 percent of Americans – nearly 35 million adults – hold “unquestionably anti-Semitic” views of Jews, down from 17 percent in 2002.
“The number of African-Americans with strong ani-Semitic beliefs continued to remain high and stable since 1992,” the ADL says. “The 2005 survey found that 36 percent of African-Americas hold strong anti-Semitic beliefs, four times more than the 9 percent for whites.”
Foxman said in a statement, “We continue to remain troubled and somewhat at a loss to understand why African-Americans consistently have such strong anti-Semitic propensities.”
In an interview with the NNPA News Service, Simmons says Foxman does not speak for all Jews.
“There are many, many, many voices with different opinions in the Jewish community,” he explains. “We don’t want this to be a march of defiance. The basis of this operation is love and upliftment for the African-American community. We don’t want to let anger be the reason we go to Washington.”
For years, the ADL has tracked and catalogued what it describes as Farrakhan’s anti-Semitism. Jesse Jackson’s association with Farrakhan became a major issues during Jesse Jackson’s 1984 bid for president, ultimately leading to Jackson’s disavowal of Farrakhan. It became an issue for then-NAACP Executive Director Benjamin Chavis and Congressional Black Caucus Chair Kewisi Mfume when they included Farrakhan in a summit on Black America. And Foxman was the lead critic of the original Million Man March.
Unlike 10 years ago, when Colin Powell, Bill Clinton, National Urban League President Hugh Price and many others were vocal critics of Farrakhan’s leadership and views, this fall’s march has already attracted Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and D.C.Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, among others.
Simmons says Farrakhan should be praised for what he did 10 years ago.
“When you keep demonizing Farrakhan in front of the Jewish community and you put him Number One on your list, that might be another way to raise money,” Simmons says. “I like to take his notes that say no Muslim can hate a Jew. Why don’t you take the high notes in his most recent speeches and sell those.”
The WHAT? One of these days, Farrakhan will be put behind bars for hate speech...
Foxman wrote. “When will someone in the African-American community stand up and say that the Million Man March had a positive message, but the pied piper is a racist and anti-Semite?”
The only positive message at the million man march was the one that Eartha Kitt gave.......but the so-called million turned their backs on her and walked away. (Kitts message was the same THEN as Cosby's is NOW)
Farrakhan is an anti-Semitic, anti-White bigot, and any African-American that supports him is a hypocrite.
I wonder what Jesse Jackson's reaction would be if at a Jewish rally, some fringe rabbi said anti-Black things.
I will never,ever understand how an American black can be anti-semitic.
The Jews did more for the civil rights movement than almost any other single group.
Jews were killed for the civil rights movement.
I don't get it!
Have you ever heard the expression, "No good deed goes unpunished"?
"The only positive message at the million man march was the one that Eartha Kitt gave."
What about the one Peter Griffin made?
...and I like to believe that no Muslims were responsible for 9-11, but sadly neither statement is true.
"Why don’t you take the high notes in his most recent speeches and sell those.”
Which ones, the ones where Calypso Louie talked about how his followers would be justified in "strapping on a bomb"?
This is an outgrowth of the Black Power movement of the '60s. Much of the Nation of Islam's rhetoric influenced it, and that rhetoric remains.
But you're right. Jews stood up with us when it counted. It's counterproductive to be black and anti-Semitic. It's detestable to be anti-Semitic, period.
What about the one Peter Griffin made?
I dunno......either I missed it or yawned at it or it didn't stand out like Eartha's. Did they reject HIM too?
I'm wondering where the Disco Summit Action Network disappeared to. Are they still stayin' alive?
For many, it's just the "Religion of Peace" at work.
Well, he informed all the people there that they were responsible for all the violence in the world. Or at least he did on Family Guy, not sure if it happened in real life.
The Civil Rights movement in this country had to do with race not ethnic origin therefore it was mainly Black VS White thing...
Again I think Black Radicals mind set look at the world as one in Black and White..Jews are white they are lumped into the White race therefore they are looked at as oppressive that is how some Black Radicals feel about white folks...
But let us be blunt.
A lot of people say that the reason the Black-Jewish alliance frayed was because of the Black Power movement. A convenient excuse but not the reason.
The reason is that it served its purpose. By 1970 the old Gentleman's Agreement country club antisemitism was dead. By 1970 Jews were accepted in America as white people. By 1970 the old exclusionary codes were smashed and there were no more doors to be broken down for them. By 1970, Jews were rich white people and as the rise of neoconservatives showed no longer had common political interests with the black left.
In the days when blacks were powerless, whites could force black spokesmen to denounce "bad blacks" like Marcus Garvey or Paul Robeson or Malcolm X or Muhammad Ali to retain the favor of liberal whites. No more. When Foxman foolishly demands that blacks denounce Farrakhan as foolishly as he demanded that Christians repudiate Mel Gibson he expects black leaders to humiliate themselves by declaring that they are willing to turn on other blacks to please whites.
Blacks remember those days of "good black vs bad black" and that is why they are very protective of their public figures and close ranks quickly, as OJ Simpson discovered.
So were whites. I don't get how anyone can follow a racists.
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