Black Leaders Should Defend Palestinian Human Rights
Based on ”Zionism & the Black Church” by Dumisani Washington
The following is based on an excerpt from ”Zionism & the Black Church” by Dumisani Washington
Especially since the civil rights era of the 1960s, arguably no other ethnic group has been targeted with anti-Israel or pro-Palestinian propaganda more than the Black American community. There has been the expectation on the part of Israel critics that Black people will be sensitive to the plight of the poor Arab Palestinians. Dr. King not only defended Israel’s right to exist within its “territorial integrity,” he also advocated for international aid for the Arabs of the region in what he called “that third world of hunger, of disease, of illiteracy.”
However, within each of the many Black for Palestine efforts that existed since the 1960s, there has been one constant, glaring omission—the Arab Palestinian leaders’ abuse and exploitation of their own people. In 1975, Black Americans to Support Israel Committee (BASIC) co-founder Bayard Rustin criticized PLO chairman, Yasser Arafat for abusing the people he claimed to represent.
It should be noted that the PLO’s terrorism is practiced on dissidents within the Palestinian community as well as on Israelis and their supporters. Arafat likes to talk of the PLO goal of establishing a “democratic” state, but here again we must distinguish between a word’s actual meaning and Arafat’s definition. The PLO is certainly no model of democracy; no one elected Arafat to represent the Palestinians; its authority is guaranteed by the “freedom fighter’s gun” to which Mr. Arafat referred at the U.N.
Still today, the list of human rights abuses afflicted by Hamas and the PLO is very long. So here are some examples. The leaders of the Arab Palestinian people:
Use minor children as soldiers or enemy combatants and intentionally place them in harm’s way. [1] (This is one of the most heinous parts of Yasser Arafat’s legacy.)
Use school textbooks, summer camps, and children’s television programs to indoctrinate children to hate or kill Israelis.[2] [3] [4]
Commit war crimes, including the murder of their women and children.[5]
Embezzle billions in international aid money while the Arab Palestinian people remain in poverty. Hamas and PLO leaders have personal net worths of millions, and some are worth billions.[6] [7] [8] [9] [10]
Block Palestinians from receiving needed medical services in Israel, but access Israeli doctors and hospitals for themselves and their families.[11] [12] [13] [14] [15]
Store missiles in or near active hospitals, schools, and mosques, then launch hose missiles into Israel from these locations.[16]
Ban freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Palestinian journalists are routinely harassed, imprisoned, or tortured.[17] [18] [19] (In 2020, Hamas arrested a young peace activist from Gaza for having a Zoom conversation with Israelis.).[20]
Ban free and fair elections. Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, was elected to a 4-year term in 2005. Hamas ruled Gaza with along its rival Fatah in 2006, then took complete control in 2007.[21] [22]
Allow the honor killing of women.[28] [29] (There have been recent attempts by the Palestinian Authority to end the practice of honor killing, but it persists).[30]
Torture and kill gay men.[31]
In his 2012 article entitled, Why Palestinians Want Israeli Citizenship, Arab Israeli journalist, Khaled Abu Toameh stated:
Many of those who have applied for Israeli citizenship are Christians from Jerusalem who are . . . afraid of ending up under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority or Hamas.
Ironically, obtaining Israeli citizenship has become a way for Palestinians to ensure their social, economic, health and education rights in the country.
There is no denying that applying for Israeli citizenship, in defiance of PLO and Hamas warnings, is also a political statement on the part of the applicants. They are actually making clear that they would prefer to live under Israel than any Arab rule.[32]
Black leaders must bring light to the suffering of the Palestinian people. Just as Dr. King spoke to the issues caused by poverty in the Arab Palestinian Territories, so must Black leaders be concerned about the Arab Palestinian people —Muslim and Christian. However, we must not fall victim to the disinformation and anti-Zionist rhetoric the way so many good-hearted people have done. Just because the State of Israel is no longer the fledgling nation rising from millennia of dispossession does not mean that her enemies are any fewer or less vicious. On the contrary, Israel’s enemies — like the Islamic Republic of Iran — are more resolute than ever to destroy the Jewish State. The battle for Israel’s right to live in peace is more crucial now than ever. As in the past, the voices of Black leaders are paramount in this battle.
Since IBSI’s founding in 2013, we have actively sought a Black pro-Palestinian person or group who defends Palestinian human rights—those who are willing to rebuke the Palestinians’ real oppressors. We have found none. For those who consider themselves defenders of Palestinian human rights, we simply ask, where is the support for the Palestinian struggle against Hamas? Where is the protest against the abuse of the PLO? Do you realize that terrorists are using you as cover for their violence and theft? There are brave men and women living under crushing Palestinian rule. When will you be their voice?
[1] From “Hamas’s new army of children,” by K. A. Toameh, 2015, Gatestone Institute (https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/5230/hamas-army-children).
[2] See “Palestinian textbooks teach war not peace,” by E. Cox, 2018, The Jerusalem Post for more information.
[3] See “Hamas's child abuse camps,” by K. A. Toameh, 2015, Gatestone Institute for more information.
[4] See “Hamas recruits children to terror squads via TV programs,” by E. Halevi, 2007, Arutz Sheva for more information.
[5] See “Hamas, Islamic Jihad war crimes against children and women,” by B. Tawil, 2019, Gatestone Institute for more information.
[6] See “Palestinians: ‘The mafia of destruction’,” by K. A. Toameh, 2016, Gatestone Institute for more information.
[7] See “EU accuses Palestinians of wasting €2 billion in aid,” by E. Millar, 2013, Times of Israel for more information.
[8] See “Gaza’s millionaires and billionaires — how Hamas’s leaders got rich quick,” by D. Danan, 2014, The Algemeiner for more information.
[9] See “The richest terror organizations: #3 – Hamas,” by I. Zehorai, 2018, Forbes for more information.
[10] See “How many millionaires live in the ‘impoverished’ Gaza Strip?” by K. A. Toameh, 2012, Gatestone Institute for more information.
[11] See “Palestinian leaders use Coronavirus to attack Israel,” by K. A. Toameh, 2020, Gatestone Institute for more information.
[12] See “Hamas turns away truckloads of Israeli humanitarian aid destined for Gaza,” by E. Halon, 2018, The Jerusalem Post for more information.
[13] See “Abbas' wife hospitalized in Israel,” by E. Senyor, 2014, Ynet News for more information.
[14] See “Hamas leader’s daughter receives medical care in Israel,” by M. Newman and AP, 2014, Times of Israel for more information.
[15] See “Palestinian Authority prevents Gazans from leaving strip for urgent medical treatment in Israel,” by J. Khoury, 2017, Haaretz for more information.
[16] See “Why Hamas stores its weapons inside hospitals, mosques and schools,” by T. McCoy, 2014, The Washington Post for more information.
[17] See “Palestinians: Arresting, torturing journalists,” by K. A. Toameh, 2019, Gatestone Institute for more information.
journalists
[18] See “Palestinian security forces routinely torture critics, rights group says,” by O. Holmes, 2018, The Guardian for more information.
[19] See “Palestinian journalist: Car arson won’t stop me from criticizing PA,” by K. A. Toameh, 2020, The Jerusalem Post for more information.
[20] See “Gaza peace activists face prison for holding video call with Israelis,” by A. Rasgon, 2020, The New York Times for more information.
[21] See “President Mahmoud Abbas: The Palestinian ‘untouchable’,” by K. A. Toameh, 2016, Gatestone Institute for more information.
[22] See “Can Palestinians in Gaza revolt against Hamas?” by K. A. Toameh, 2019, Gatestone Institute for more information.
[23] See “Who will save the Christians in the Gaza Strip?” by K. A. Toameh, 2012, Gatestone Institute for more information.
[24] See “The beleaguered Christians in Bethlehem,” by K. A. Toameh, 2009, Gatestone Institute for more information.
[25] See “Get them out: It’s time to evacuate Christians from the Gaza Strip,” by D. van Zile, 2019, The Jerusalem Post for more information.
[26] See “Palestinians speak out about torture in PA prison,” by J. Burns, 2017, Al Jazeera for more information.
[27] See “Why are Palestinians dying in Hamas prisons?” by B. Taeil, 2020, Gatestone Institute for more information.
[28] See “Palestinian woman murdered in honor killing after posting Instagram video with fiancé,” by N. Ghoneim, 2019, Egyptian Streets for more information.
[29] See “As so-called ‘honor killers’ get away with murder, Palestinians say law, judges outdated,” by D. Lieber, 2017, Times of Israel for more information.
[30] See #166.
[31] See “Palestinians: No place for gays,” by K. A. Toameh, 2018, Gatestone Institute for more information.
[32] From “Why Palestinians want Israeli citizenship,” by K. A. Toameh, 2012, Gatestone Institute.
Muslims kill
80k black and 45k Christians in Nigeria since 2015
Where is the outrage