Black-Jewish
Relations Strained
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At last month’s annual Congressional Black Caucus conference,
there was tension in the air.
Participants voiced anger and disappointment over the defeat of two Black House
members beat by political newcomers backed by Jewish interests. Some went so far as to say
that a Black-Jewish rift now doesn’t bode well for the Democratic Party.
Jewish special interest groups worked hard to defeat Reps. Cynthia McKinney, D-Ga., and
Earl Hilliard, D-Ala., because of their strong support of Palestinians.
Both McKinney and Hilliard were criticized for their pro-Arab support. And, it probably
didn’t help her any when she invited Louis Farrakhan to campaign for her.
Although McKinney and Hilliard may have angered their constituents for other reasons, some
political experts say their defeat was payback from a wealthy Jewish lobby.
And, some African-Americans are not only angered by their involvement but by the lack of
involvement by the Democrat Party.
A group of CBC members has approached the party leadership to hold meetings to
work through some of these issues.
That is wise. Both sides need to declare a time-out until these issues can be resolved in
calmer times.
There is too much at stake for a Black-Jewish rift right now to cause trouble for a party
that needs to regain strengths for the really serious battles ahead.
(Martin is a freelance political columnist who lives in Washington, D.C. and Austin.)
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