Torah-observant Messianic Israelites, publicly denounced antisemitism as Black Hebrew Israelite ideology has been thrust into the spotlight and critiqued in November through a pair of high-profile controversies. One being, African-American celebrity and self-professed Black Israelite Kanye West (Ye) who made a series of controversial statements on media platforms regarded as anti-semitic.
One of the largest organized bodies of this Black-Israelite community in north America, The Great Awakening International, in a statement titled ‘Official Statement on Antisemitism’ published on November 16th, divorced themselves from anti-semetic controversy associated with the headlining Ye, who has in the past identified as a member of the group.
“We, the leadership of the Great Awakening International , publicly denounce any form of antisemitism against all people regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, or ethnicity”, opened the letter stating clearly the inclusive nature of the group.
The Hebrew Israelite movement is a black nationalis theology that dates back to the 19th century, as defined by the US government, and its doctrine asserts that African Americans are God’s true chosen people because they, not the people known to the world today as Jews, are the real descendants of the Hebrews of the Bible. The movement grew popularity in inner-city neighborhoods on the East Coast, and Hebrew Israelite churches have since mushroomed throughout Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma and Oregon.
In the statement, The Great Awakening International leadership declared, “We are a body of Torah-observant Messianic Israelites who are the descendants of the twelve tribes of Israel. Antisemitism within its proper context sheds light on acts of racism, hate, violence, harassment, and prejudice against Israelites of Semitic heritage”. The statement quoted Bernard Lewis’s article titled, “Who Are the Semites?”. The leadership makes reference to the modern Black History writer who propagates the belief that African-Americans are Black Hebrews, semetic descendants of Shem, the eldest of the three sons of Noah (Lewis, 2022)”.
The statement’s introduction went further explain that semitic refers to a group of languages which include Hebrew, Arabic, and Aramaic and other ancient languages in the Afro-Asiatic family such as Phoenician and Akkadian.
“As descendants of the twelve tribes of Israel, we are of Semitic stock and cannot be antisemitic against our own people. We stand with those who oppose all forms of antisemitism around the world. For us as descendants of ancient Israelites who fled to Africa, antisemitism is often materialized as racism on many levels: structural, institutional, interpersonal, and internalized. We all have witnessed its devastating effects, including horrific losses of life due to police violence, as well as the systems of institutional racism”.
To avoid being labelled as apologists, the pro-Black church made it clear that they were not alliance with the Europeans. “We are not affiliated with European Jewry, we do not submit or adhere to the ADL, SPLC, or Modern Rabbinic Jewry as authoritative in determining Israelite ethnicity,” the statement.
The church in its bluntness also clearly sent a message of solidarity, grounded in the shared history of oppression which the group has in common with the greater semitic community. “Our people have suffered unmeasurable atrocities of monstrous proportions. Africans of Israelite heritage have been subjugated to the Trans-Saharan slave trade, the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, the North American Holocaust, the South American Holocaust, the West African Holocaust, the South African Holocaust, the Congo Holocaust, the Australian Holocaust, the Indian Holocaust, and the Asia Pacific Holocaust,” they said listing events recorded genocides endured by other groups of people other than semetic jews.
Nothing the denial of recognition of the Black Israelite nationhood, and the labelling of the group as extremist. “The most pervasive of all these atrocities is the denial of the historical fact that Black Americans and other descendants of the African Diaspora are descendants of Biblical Israelites. Today, we continue to experience the consequences of hate for Israelites on various societal levels. We have been wrongfully labeled as a hate group by the diabolic system that seeks to oppress our people,” the leadership lamented.
In a call to action Great Awakening International said,”Every person must speak up and speak out, but we must do more than just speak truth to power, we must act and advocate to eradicate antisemitism”. The church also called for a shared-burden approach to anti-semitism, noting the need for solidary across race and class. ” These actions cannot fall onto the shoulders of those targeted by antisemitism under the guise of racism. Those who have historically had power and privilege must also act, as standing by idly or silently is to be complicit in perpetuating racist systems and structures against Israelites”, the leadership emphasized.
Great Awakening International highlighted anti-semitism as a product of racism requiring deliberate anti-racist action. The leadership took responsibility for the failure to address racism and anti-Blackness within the Israelite community, and indicated plans for more dialogue to address antisemitic racism as a global issue. “We will continue to work internally with our leadership, Zekenim, Morim, Morot on several initiatives,” the statement promised.
