Posted on 07/10/2002 11:00:58 AM PDT by Jean S
The relationship of blacks and Jews is steeped in the rich history of the civil rights struggle of the 1960s. Even earlier, blacks and Jews picketed, chanted and even died together in the labor movement.
But now it’s a relationship that’s in trouble.
Some members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) are quietly trying to repair the damage. But it’s too soon to know what it will take to mend the fractured ties.
For example, Rep. Eva Clayton (D-N.C.) initially planned to include Jewish colleagues in a congressional trip later this month to Princeville, N.C., the site of devastating floods of 1999. But the trip falls on a Friday and Saturday — days when Jews celebrate the Sabbath. So she abandoned the plan to include the Jewish members.
“We wanted to make sure we reached out to them,” said Clayton, who said she would be inviting the staffs of Jewish members.
“I always think there’s an opportunity for dialogue, to reaffirm the things we have in common,” she said. “I don’t think necessarily the rift was ever between the Jewish and black members. [But] there might have been organizations who had sought to influence an election.”
Nevertheless, the strain between blacks and Jews is being felt — both in Congress and on a national level— to the dismay of Democratic leaders.
Both blacks and Jews have traditionally leaned heavily toward the Democrats at the ballot box. But now President Bush has added to the strain by trying to lure Jews into the Republican camp, through his pro-Israel stance.
“What frightens me is the very orthodox Jewish people are going for Bush because of his concerns for Israel and the promises that he has given,” said Sylvia Wolfe Herman, a Delray Beach, Fla., resident and program chair for the United South County Democratic Club, one of the state’s largest political clubs.
Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) is skeptical of what he calls Bush’s “political ploy” to attract Jewish voters.
“I find it difficult to believe that the Jews would be so concerned about Israel that they would fall into the arms of Christian fundamentalists that now find it politically expedient to support Israel,” said Rangel, who is black.
He added: “Some people can love Israel and hate Jews, and the Jewish people ought to be cautious about who they make new friends with, and they should never ever forget their old friends because of minor differences of opinion.”
Two years ago, Reps. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.) and Ben Gilman (R-N.Y.), who is retiring from Congress, formed the Black/Jewish Congressional Coalition. Even though four Jewish lawmakers and eight black lawmakers signed up, the group has received little attention.
Nonetheless, each year Towns, who has a sizable Jewish constituency in his Brooklyn district, hosts a “Black/Jewish dialogue.” The event began in 1999, explained his aide Michael Cohen, because there was a new hawkish government in Israel and “a lot of black members weren’t familiar with the new government.”
A black lawmaker who has created a large migraine for the Democrats is Rep. Earl Hilliard (D-Ala.), a five-term lawmaker who was upset in last month’s primary by a black lawyer, Artur Davis.
Hilliard, who traveled to Libya in 1997, alienated the Jewish community nationwide with his pro-Palestinian approach while accepting funds from Arab-American organizations. Davis, meanwhile, collected $300,000 from nationwide Jewish groups who were incensed by Hilliard’s stance.
Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who is Jewish, said Hilliard’s Middle East positions and comments regarding Jews actually brought black and Jewish lawmakers closer together to talk out their differences. But he said the friction caused by Hilliard will be short-lived.
“It’s a pretty close relationship, so from time to time there are some flare-ups,” said Frank. “Probably married couples have over the course of a relationship had more arguments than they have with strangers.”
He added that Republicans would like nothing more than to cause problems between blacks and Jews. But that, he said, won’t happen.
The most recent round of tensions began last October when Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.) brazenly drafted a letter to a Saudi prince, asking him for the $10 million he had offered to then-New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (R) for the victims of Sept. 11. The mayor turned down the money after the prince made anti-Israel statements.
In her letter to Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, McKinney criticized Israel for its occupation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. She also blasted Giuliani for not taking the prince’s “most generous offer to assist Americans affected by the tragedies.”
McKinney has always made her pro-Palestinian stances known. So much so that last year a group of Jews in her district favored a redistricting plan that moved them into the congressional district of Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), who is also black, because they no longer wanted her to represent them.
For his part, Rangel expressed the logic of New York Jews having opposed Hilliard.
“It would seem to be the paranoia that exists in the survival of Israel would cause people to want to hurt anybody that was less than 100 percent supportive of the survival of Israel,” he said. “There have been statements that caused certain people to go out and campaign in the Jewish community for Davis, a man they didn’t know, against Hilliard because they disliked his policies.”
But Davis noted he has been cultivating relationships with Jewish groups for years.
“We certainly sought the help of the Jewish community two years ago,” said Davis, who unsuccessfully challenged Hilliard in 2000. “We continued those relationships — it simply bore more fruit this time.”
He explained that specific events — Sept. 11 and tension in the Middle East — impacted the support he received from Jews and “made Hilliard’s positions seem all the more outrageous and all the more extreme.”
Last summer, Hilliard voted against the renewal of sanctions against Iraq and Libya. Within the past year, he also voted against two “show of support” resolutions for Israel.
“There’s always a few people who want to chip away at that relationship,” said Davis of blacks and Jews. “We’ve been the two voting blocks that are most supportive of the Democratic Party. That alone dictates that we have a lot in common.”
A bitter Hilliard warned that Jewish groups would go after other lawmakers serving predominately black districts including McKinney, Donald Payne (D-N.J.) and Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.).
But Frank disagreed: “If you’re in solid shape in your district, all the money in the world can’t ruin your campaign.”
In January, Hilliard had spoken of the “black pressure” involved in maintaining a pro-Palestinian stance.
“I see more and more blacks identifying with Arabs and Muslims than I do with Jews,” Hilliard told The Hill at the time. “They see Arabs being treated differently from other people. They identify with them on their history of discrimination.”
When asked if Jews haven’t historically been treated similarly, Hilliard explained, “But you don’t see it now, particularly when you see Arabs profiled like we are.”
William Stewart, a political science professor at the University of Alabama, said Hilliard has harmed relations between blacks and Jews.
“We hope that his inflammatory remarks won’t cause more enmity between blacks and Jews,” said Stewart.
Asked if Hilliard is considered anti-Jewish, he replied, “I know he is pro-Arab. I won’t just automatically assume that he’s anti-Jewish. He hasn’t said anything like Louis Farrakhan, that it’s a gutter religion or anything.”
Rangel was hesitant to admit that the pro-Palestinian stances of McKinney and Hilliard have caused image problems with Jewish colleagues and the Democratic Party. He did acknowledge, however, that there have been differences and a lack of camaraderie between the two groups.
“It never entered my mind that they would be representing the Democratic Party,” Rangel added. “That’s ridiculous to believe that they are spokespeople for the party. Neither one of them are active in party politics, and if I had to make a guess, they would be critical of the party.”
He acknowledged that “there was some concern that members of the CBC had with outsiders supporting opponents to Hilliard, and it appeared as though it was a Jewish thing.”
Rangel jokingly pointed out that both the so-called Republican Black and Jewish Caucuses have disappeared with the recent losses of Gilman and GOP Conference Chairman J.C. Watts (Okla.).
“So that ends the Jewish Caucus and the Black Caucus for Republicans,” he said, failing to mention Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), a freshman, and the only remaining Jewish lawmaker in the Republican Party.
Christian Republicans will continue to pray for Israel and support the Jewish people, and for our neighbors of all colors, shape and sizes...whether they fall for the Democrat lies or not.
We need our hometown papers back....
Rangel has it backwards, as a Jew I can say liberal blacks have never been allies of my "people". Which by the way Rangel I'm American you African nitwit-- you are not entitled to call me a "Jew" unless I can call you Nigga-- like the black boyz do on thier rap albums.
I became conservative upon leaving college and realizing blacks had a monopoly on suffering and discrimination. Once I had to earn a living I found the black "entitlement" attitude apalling. I regrett all the work "my people" did to help the blacks during the civil rights movement (however, sice all men were created equal it is wonderful they recieved full protection of the law like any other American citizen). But in this liberal-spin, propaganda driven "gimme my reparations" environment, where liberal blacks believe they can blackmail other Americans and thereby recieve a free ride, NO JEW SHOULD ALIGN THEMSELVES WITH THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
You liberal Jews are as bad as the appologists for arab-backed terror at the U.N. and E.U. Realize that the Blacks have engaged in Boycotts against Israel, propigated revisionist history regarding the Holocaust and targeted Jews with Blood libel (Jessie "Hymietown" Jackson and Louis "JewsAreBloodsuckers" Farrakan demonstrate this on a daily basis).
Rangel seeks to deflect our attention from the true danger to our existence by bringing up the specter of conservative Christians-- don't buy into this bull sh*t, its a red herring. God bless the conservative christians-- don't tell me who my allies should be Rangel. Conservative Christians have deplored the genocide being commited against innocent Israelies at the hands of arab terrorists in Israel since 1948. Tell your black colleague from Georgia to accept the blood money from the Saudis because the Jews are waking up to the politics of liberal blacks... don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining Rangel... more and more "JEW" money is flowing to Republican caimpaigns to defeat black liberal incumbants... how you like them apples my brother?
The P.C. liberal Jews would label you anti-semetic, but let me give you a big BUMP, you are right, liberal Jews are stupid and intelectually dishonest since the Torah, Talmud and Old Testament don't support Abortion, limiting the right to defend ourselves nor relegating a minority (blacks)to depenence upon the state. It is axiomatic that teaching blacks how to fish is more uplifting for Rangel's people than giving them the government cheese...er, I mean fish.
Freethinkers, must resist the fear of such labels, and continue to voice their opinions. Jesse Jackson and his clouns are not the only voice for black people. Thanks
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.