Political Concerns of Blacks and Jews

I read with amazement the article by Kilgore and Wolf. Regrettably, as with most writers who have broached this subject, Kilgore and Wolf failed to seriously address the black side of the dispute.

It is a grave mistake to place the candidacy of the Rev. Jesse Jackson at the core of this ethnic conflict. He is merely a convenient scapegoat whose high visibility, political persuasion and unfortunate slip of the tongue have provided a long-standing and ready target for Jewish complaints against black leaders. The prolonged focus on Jackson’s alleged anti-Semitism has also kept blacks on the defensive and thereby once again precluded a candid dialogue between blacks and Jews.

From the black perspective, such a dialogue must begin with an examination of Israel’s military support of the white supremacist government of South Africa. Unquestionably, South Africa is using weapons purchased from Israel to attack its neighbors and to repress its domestic opponents. Black people are well aware of this, but have received very little serious support from American Jews to use their influence to end it.

In the same vein, most recently black members of the Los Angeles City Council, backed by local anti-apartheid organizations, voted against a measure that would allow Bear, Stearns & Co. (which has financial ties to South Africa) to underwrite $14.7 million in bonds to finance the $30-million Museum of Tolerance.

Jewish leaders successfully defeated the opposition, dismissing the political significance of the issue to black people.

Furthermore, Jews have exploited the alleged “anti-Semitism” of Jackson and Black Muslim leader Louis Farrakhan, but they are strangely mute about the blatant racism of the late Israeli leader Moshe Dayan and the Jewish Defense League’s Irv Rubin.

In our rush toward intergroup dialogue, let us not unconsciously overlook deep-rooted black grievances against Jews, which have precious little to do with (PLO leader) Yasser Arafat, Farrakhan, Jackson or the California primary.

KWAZI GEIGGAR

Los Angeles