BLACK ANTI-SEMITISM

Andrew Young, civil rights leader, former Mayor of Atlanta, and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, has shown himself to be a racist, the same as his civil rights colleague, Jesse "Hymietown" Jackson. In his role as head of Working Families for Wal-Mart, Young was featured in the August 17 issue of the Los Angeles Sentinel, a weekly newspaper claiming to be the main voice of the local African-American community.

In the Sentinel article, Young made derogatory comments about ethnic inner-city grocers while responding to accusations that his employer, Wal-Mart, drove mom and pop stores out of business. He replied to those accusations by saying: "But you see, those are the people who have been overcharging us - selling us stale bread and bad meat and wilted vegetables. And they sold out and moved to Florida. I think they've ripped off our communities enough. First it was Jews, then it was Koreans and now it's Arabs. Very few black people own those stores."

Well, at least Young did not blame just the Jews for selling spoiled groceries at inflated prices to black folks. If you recall, some years ago, Jesse Jackson referred to Jews as "Hymies" and to New York City as "Hymietown," implying that New York was overpopulated with and controlled by Jews. It is well known that the derogatory term "hymie" is just as offensive to Jews as the term "nigger" is to blacks. Both Young and Jackson, a couple of genuine hypocrites, claim to be friends of the Jews.

Over the years, numerous public opinion surveys have revealed that blacks generally have a very low opinion of Jews. Obviously influenced by anti-Semitic sterotyping, blacks are convinced that they have been exploited by greedy Jews. They believe that Jews are inner-city absentee landlords, and that Jewish "slum lords" charge blacks higher rents while neglecting the maintenance of rental properties.

Other beliefs held by blacks are: All Jews are rich, own all the banks and pawnshops, and exploit blacks to further enrich themselves. Jewish bankers refuse to lend blacks any money without charging them exorbitant interest rates, thus leaving them to the exploitation of Jewish pawnbrokers in black neighborhoods. Jewish store owners in black neighborhoods overcharge for poor quality merchandize. And of course the belief, as espoused by Andrew Young, that Jewish grocers sell blacks spoiled food at high prices.

It is ironic that blacks represent the largest anti-Semitic group in our country. Ordinary Jews, in large numbers, stood and marched side by side with blacks during the 1960s civil rights movement. Leaders of the Jewish community were among the most vocal and active supporters of black civil rights. Have blacks forgotten that of the three civil rights workers murdered in Mississippi in 1964, two were Jews? Andrew Goodwin and Michael Schwerner, two Jewish college students, along with James Chaney, were volunteers helping to register black voters when they were killed by members of the Ku Klux Klan.

Throughout history, Jews have been the victims of bigotry and discrimination. There were the inquisitions in Spain and other Catholic countries. There were the pogroms in Poland which led to the formation of ghettos. There was the holocaust during which six million European Jews were exterminated. (All of my grandparents disappeared into Nazi concentration camps.) Jews have always been oppressed in Muslim countries. In every country, there have been many hate evoking anti-Semitic myths. Blood libels and The Protocols of Zion are two of the worst.

Blood libels, poisonous accusations that Jews sacrifice little children of gentiles to use their blood for religious rituals, have been around since the 12th century. Muslim clerics in Egypt and the Middle East still resort to blood libels to foment hatred of Jews. THE PROTOCOLS OF THE LEARNED ELDERS OF ZION is a vicious anti-Semitic forgery which details a Jewish plot to rule the whole world. Originally disseminated in 1905 by the Russian Czar's secret police, this hoax was also disseminated by Henry Ford and Adolf Hitler to justify their anti-Semitism. It is still used in this country by Christian Identity groups like the Aryan Nations and the KKK, and by Islamists throughout the Muslim world.

Contrary to a common myth, not all Jews in America are rich, with most belonging to the middle class, and some living in poverty. For years, Jews in this country were denied employment by banks, insurance companies, and other large corporations. The Fords and Rockefellers, among other prominent Americans, were openly anti-Semitic. The hatred of Jews by the KKK equals their hatred of blacks. Klan members have a favorite saying: "A Jew is nothing but a nigger turned inside out."

Because Jews themselves have suffered so much from bigotry, they feel compelled to fight against any discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. That is why they were so prominaent in the civil rights movement. And that is why they are so prominent in the American Civil Liberties Union. Jews believe that if they expect to be free of discrimination, it is their duty to fight discrimination in all its forms. That is why, despite the prevalence of black anti-Semitism, they continue to fight against racism directed at African-Americans.

While most blacks appear to harbor strong anti-Semitic views, Jews do have some good friends among African-Americans who are thankful for the active support of the Jewish community in their fight against racism. Unfortunately, such friends are few and far between. And, with black friends like Young and Jackson, Jews don't need any enemies.