African Jews: Panafricanism or Zionism Part II Parallelism
The Zionism movement in Europe for creation of a Jewish Home Land and the Panafricanism struggle in Diaspora for civil rights and the liberation of Africa from Colonialism have a historical parallel.
Both movements were struggling for their own dispersed population created ideological organizations called Zionism and Panafricanism. They were led by two bright intellectuals of their time:-
Theodor (Binyamin Ze’ev) Herzl and William Edward Burghardt Du Bois
Both were born in the same decade Theodor (Binyamin Ze’ev) Herzl May 2, 1860 in Pest, the modern Budapest, While Dubois was born February 23, 1868 in Great Arrington, Massachusetts. And both graduated from university with a Doctorate Degree as a minority in their respective society on the subject which most fit the need of their respective people. 1884 Herzl was awarded a Doctorate of law from the University of Vienna as being the first to come of the minority Jews community. According to their decade of age deferent in 1895 Du Bois became the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard the most distinguished American University.
Herzl He became a writer, a playwright and a journalist and founder of Zionist Congress and founded Zionism as an ideology, while Dubois was a Civil Rights Activist, cofounded NA ACP National Association the for the Advancement of Colored People and most of all Panafricanism. As an ideology which aspired to these days the unification of over 50 African countries since 1963.
And both populations were victims of Holocausts, Slavery, mass deportations and destructions at one point of their respective dispensation :-
Firstly six decades ago over 6 million Jewish perish in the Shoah in the life time of Herzl and Dubois .
The Secondly un accounted millions of Africans perish in the trans- Atlantic salve trade that lasted over 400 years. The abduction Africans started in 1442,according the late Roger Bastid over 20 Million Africans died in this inhuman traffic.
Thirdly the Hebrews were victims of ancient Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek, Roman Slavery even as early as 1500 BCE with a continues inhuman depilation and deportations
Herzl started Zionism as an arm to fight anti Semitism of his time in Paris in connection with the Capitan Dreyfus a Jewish officer victim of anti-Semitism in his classic book “ The Jewish State” which he declared:-
“At Basle I founded the Jewish State If I said this out loud today l would be greeted by universal laughter. In five years perhaps, and certainly in fifty years, everyone will perceive it”
William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, Founded pan African movement called for “two land struggle “ for the liberation of Africa as a home land for all people of African descent, and the emancipation of people of African descent in Americas. His Panafricanist movement becomes the corner stone to what is today known as the movement of Panafricanism.
The founding fathers of Zionism and Panafricanism Both Herzl and Du Bois followed the parallelism of their enlightenment period, that of the Jewish revival and the beginning of the emancipation of the people of African descent at home and Diaspora.
1897 both Joseph Herzl and W.E.B. Du-Bois 13 years after the beginning of Scramble for Africa held congress in parallel one for the creation of a home land for the Jews the other for the creation of liberated and independent home land for the people of African descent.
In 1897 symbolically William Edward Burghardt Du Bois 400 years after the 1st slave abducted in Americas, and 40 years before the creation of Ghana(1957) as the first independent state of Liberated Africa, with the help of Henry Sylvester-Williams, held the 1st African congress in Trinidad. Dubois made the famous declaration on his speech on the color bar in the 1s African Association ever held in history:
“The problem of the 20th century is the problem of the color line “
The 1897 Panafrican and Jewish congress were held a year after great African victory against European colonialism at Adwa by the King of Kings Menelik II of Ethiopia in 1896. The victory halted the Scramble for Africa that started after the Berlin Conference in 1884/85. Such historical victory gave a hope for all the people victim of subjugation and domination. It was highly veneered by the People of African descent. Menelik II of Ethiopia ushered the beginning of the emancipation and liberation of Africans at home and Diaspora. Many Europeans recognized his sovereignty and established a diplomatic representation at his court in Addis Ababa.
Dark Days
In the coming dark days of the 2nd WW for the Africans and Jews , Dubois declared when Fascist Mussolini gazed the only independent black kingdom in Africa and his pride 1938 :
“Ethiopia proud and Free has come to the thinking Negro African descent the symbol of the aspiration of Black people for independence for self determination and The animation of that is the best in Modern Civilization” W.D.B. Dubois”
Destiny endowed both Du Bois in Germany and Herzl in Vienna to study and master the German langue and mentality in post Bismarck era, and later to watch the epic of Nazism. When the Holocaust befallen on the Jewish people in the second world war Dubois immediately did not hesitate making the parallelism of the two victims that of the Ethiopians by Fascism and the Jewish by Nazism most of all his people in Americas declaring :-
“An attack on civilization, comparable only to such horrors as the Spanish Inquisition and the African slave trade”
In post war period both manifested a socialist outlook for a society as they are connected by the vibration of their epoch in their respected cosmogonigcal connection. Dubois created a landmark work in early U.S. Marxist sociology and became a member of US left while Herzl was helping the creation of socialist state of Israel through his consecutive congresses.
Herzl and Dubois Progenitors in the Jewish State
Herzl never thought in his wildest dream that the Africans will be claiming to be a Jew dispersed in the darkest forest of the African historical jungle. Even David Ben-Gurion never has the African Jews in his equation when he declared the Jewish state 62 years ago. The Jewish state was established according the Balfour Declaration in 1917 for the Jewish of European origin victim of Hitler’s atrocities after the WWI later the Holocaust of WWII. The first consideration for the Jews Home Land was Argentina later Uganda with no avail.
In Herzl time Africa just joined the world history through the victory of Menelik II in 1896 and the pre WWII Mussolinian genocide against the innocent Ethiopians.
All the Jews know the claim of the Ethiopians king that he descended form the Line of Judah and the Israelite Organization from Paris brought him a statute of Golden lion in his coronation in 1930. Though Herzl was a keen reader of the Holy book and the Antiquates of the Jews by Flavius Josephus, the Ethiopians were not in his master plan in the blue print of Jewish State as conceived in Basel Switzerland. He might have took them as Cushiem and considered Sheba as simple one of King Solomon’s mistresses like most of the Jewish religious leader attribute to Solomon. But Dubois his contemporary in his famous book The Negro in 1915 declared to the world about these peculiar nation:-
“Africa its very names reveal its mystery and wide-reaching influence. It is the Ethiopia the Greek, the “Kush and Punt of the Egyptians, and the Arabian and Land of the Blacks. To modern Europe it the “Dark Continent”…
The Melting Pot of creed and Color
The two great thinkers of their time today in the 21st century made a new renedez -vous with destiny. This was done through their progenitors in the Jewish State made and prepared by the Herzl in 1897 as a contemporary of Dubos’.
In the Jewish State today the Ethiopians the most beloved of Dubois and the people of African descent joined the dream of Herzl. The Ethiopians are the new Bet-Israel or the Flasha-Moras and the African Americas are the Black Hebrews. Both groups are victim of intolerance by the same people Herzl fought for in pre and post 1st and 2nd WW period against Racism and anti-Semitism. Let us hear Herzl tell us what he thinks about the situation in Israel today:-
“How can Jews, who demand emancipation in Russia, rob rights and act selfishly toward other workers upon coming to Eretz Israel? If it is possible for many a people to hide fairness and justice behind cannon smoke, how and behind what shall we hide fairness and justice? We should absolutely not deceive ourselves with terrible visions. We shall never possess cannons, even if the goyim shall bear arms against one another for ever. Therefore, we cannot but settle in our land fairly and justly, to live and let live. “(Meir Dizengoff (writing as “Dromi”) “The Workers Question,” Hatzvi, September 21, 22, 1909)
Since the Mass immigration operation Moses and Shelomo from Ethiopia in the mid 80’s and early 90’ racism in Israel against black in Africans is getting worst every day.
Ben-Yehuda in his dictionary defined the Word Cush as being back and “Negro” . Cush was the Ethiopia’s generic term in the Bible. Here it is taken as the contest of cursed seed of Noah. The exact word without stigma is Shakor meaning Black . Today in Israel Blacks are seen as inferior in the new social cast system in the contrary to the paradigm set by Herzl. In the last 6 decades the Israeli Sabras (1) are shown high tolerance in socialization the African Jews in particular and the Blacks in general. When it comes to the news immigrants they have demonstrated the stereotype they inherited from their foster society.
Today the Jews immigrating to Holy Land had brought and perpetuated the roots of their hate from the different ethnic minorities they originated from. The Israeli melting pot if any is seems nonexistent calling those darker Cushiem (2) and Mulatos Ginigin. (3)
More than the greater division Ashkenazi (4) Vis Sephardic here comes Yemenite Jews with darker complex to occupy the last strata as the early immigrant of the Herzl’s Jewish State. When it comes to the Indian Jews the road was cleaned by the Yemenite but one thing they have to do Berit Mila(5) and Netifat Dem(6) which is blood splitting to be accepted to the main stream of Israeli melting pot. The bad news for many stereotyped Jews were the arrival of the “Cushiem” according to the term of Ben Yahuda’s early definition in his dictionary. They were recognized by the Sephardim Rabbi Ovadia Yosef as a full flagged Jew; he is the most important living halachic authority in post war Israel. The stereotypes criticized his move as a revenge for the treatment given to him by the Ashkenazim when he emigrated from Iraq. The Ethiopian Cushiem has to be fully converted since they were considered in the beginning to be taken as a humanitarian Aid for Africa. They start having another name more than the generic term “Cushiem” which is Memezerim (7). When an Israeli is mad at you he will call you Memezere, it is the worst of all the insults. These Africans not only they are memzeriem but also considered as the source all the disease on earth and they need to be put to a ghettos Shkunates like Ashkelon, Ashdod etc. These are place once habited by the Arabs first given to the news immigrant Sepharads. When the Sephardim start to integrate with the Ashkenazim moving to main Israeli cities they became more racist than the Ashkenazim themselves who lived and were majority suffered in the Horrible Holocaust. Passing through the Shaoah that will not give anyone an outright excuse to persecute others. Today the generation of the Exudes is phasing out and those Arabic and Iberian Jews are getting out stock too for further Alya form the countries of their origin. The new comers are those from Ethiopia with cross on their foreheads. These are Ethiopian Orthodox Christians once who were Hebrews and later endorsed Christianity known as “Falasha “Moras”. They are considered as the Russian Orthodox Christen converted Jews who immigrated to Israel. The Ethiopian central plateau over 30 Million souls now practicing Christianity could have the right to be “Felasha Mora “according to the Sheba Solomon Paradigm and the news DNA Coheniem test. Let us imagine 5o years from now all Israelis will be Cusihiem and memzerim at all cost if these continues. It is a high time for Israel get its polices together by respecting the people of African descent as a full fledged citizens.
Here comes the last scenario in the Israeli conflict trodden melting pot. Last but least all the Ibogs about 30 million soul are calming to be Jews from Nigeria, but they need another Ovadia Yosef to recognize them. That might be the new Ethiopian Qese (8) of the next generation born in Israel to assure their place in the political scenario they will definitively recognize them as a full-fledged Jews. We forget the South African Jews of Zimbabwe, the Shonas called Lembas their DNA is found to be more Jewish than the Ashkenazim and Sephardim together.
At last one thing is left that it would be better the Jews to come to the dream of Dubois than the Africans go to Herzl’s, since the Israeli melting pot seems impossible qualitatively to integrate the Africans due to the deep rotted stereotype they brought with them from centuries of anti Semitism and racism, or quantitatively to make an Exodus for the people of African origin in mass when more and more trumpets are blown for the ingathering of the “Lost tribes”.
Semites and Africans
We did not say a word concerning the Palestinians place in Herzl’s Jewish State. Their DNA is more Semitic than most of the Ashkenazim who lost it in theirs dispersion traversing the Caucus Mountains. With all these black numbers increasing through immigrations or border crossing the Palestinians must claim one man one vote calling the spirit of Mandela. This is as the best way out as a temporary solution for one land two people alternative. Today two state solution seems far , bloody , costly and if realizable but at what price?
When it comes to the American Gringo Jews the situation has been different. They have lived among the what the call “Cushiem” in America like that of the Afrikaner Jewish in the Apartheid Azania. In Americas the Arabs and the Jews role in the Slavery is commensurately large. Today Black anti-Semitism and Jewish racism has also immigrated to the Holy Land. Israel is pushing the Egypt to stop immigration of African through Sinai to the holy land. Once again the Semitic alliance :- Jews and Arabs join when it comes to act against the Africans, one by building barriers walls, and the other by shooting innocent refugees crossing the borders. They failed dramatically when it comes to solve the Palestinian Question together ?
Notes
- 1. Sabras Israeli born Jews
- 2. Cushiem Africans, Blacks, “Negros”
- 3. Ashkenazi European and North American Jews
- 4. Sephardic Jews from the middle east and Asia minor including the Iberian Peninsula
- 5. Berit Mila Circumcision
- 6. Netifat Dem Blood splitting
- 7. Memezerime batard or born form illegal marriage
- 8. Qese Ethiopian priestess practicing according to the ancient Hebraic law and today’s orthodox Christian priests share the same name off times called Khan from Cohen in Hebrew.
Muse Tegegne, Prof. of Sociology
Jerusalem- IDF Major Acused Of Using The ‘N’ Word Against Ethiopian Soldier
Jerusalem – An Ethiopian soldier serving at an Air Force base in southern Israel petitioned the High Court of Justice Thursday over racial slurs hurled at him by a senior officer.
The soldier asked the court to order IDF officials to explain why disciplinary action was not being taken against a major whom he claims called him an “annoying nigg*r.”
The private filed the petition against several high-ranking officials, including the IDF chief of staff and the Air Force commander.
The soldier claims the major told his commander: “That nigg*r soldier of yours pisses me off.” When told that the soldier in question was there and could hear the comments, the major said: “I know.”
After the incident the soldier says his commander gave him a day off, which he used to schedule a meeting with the base commander. The latter, for his part, arranged a meeting between the major and the soldier two days later, during which the former said he did not remember uttering those words and that they may have been taken out of context.
“I know you have personal problems, and I’ll do my best to help you from here,” the soldier says he was told by the senior officer.
He claims that beyond this, he received no apology from the major, adding that no disciplinary measures were taken against the senior officer who continued to serve as his commander.
The soldier then complained to the IDF complaints commissioner, who replied that despite the racism apparent in the remark, he saw no reason to intervene because high-ranking officials at the base had already taken care of the matter and the major had shown remorse.
In the petition, the private says that on another occasion, the major refused to shake his hand. The petitioner also questions why the officer was not being discharged from his position and why criminal proceedings were not being initiated against him.
“Israeli society suffers from severe ailments in everything relating to the absorption of the Ethiopian community, and we must respond harshly to racism in order to fight and minimize this, publicly and punitively,” the petition says.
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Israeli minister in Ethiopian racism row
By Tim Butcher in Jerusalem
Published: 12:01AM BST 03 Aug 2007
Israel’s interior minister faces accusations of racism after he suggested suspending the policy of allowing Ethiopians with Jewish ancestry to move to the country.
In remarks that incensed the large Falasha community already in Israel, he implied that Ethiopians were fleecing the state by leaving the economic hardship of their birthplace and enjoying comfortable new lives in Israel.
“Who needs them?” he said in an interview with The Jerusalem Post. “They are all Christians. We need to take care of the future of Israel and this immigration will never finish.”
His comments were denounced as racist by senior members of the Falasha community who pointed out that Jews from white countries were allowed into Israel without any question from the authorities.
“The way he is expressing himself has a smell of racism about it because he would not say such statements to any other immigrants from America or Russia,” said Avraham Neguise, chairman of the Representatives of Ethiopian Immigrant Organisations in Israel.
“His remarks are unacceptable and irresponsible. The state of Israel is the home for every Jew and is it not the minister’s private home.
“These people have been described and identified as part of Jewish Ethiopian community by the chief rabbinate. They are our blood, our flesh and our bones.”
Ethiopians who come to Israel often complain of not being able to find good jobs and experiencing discrimination.
Some claim that Israel imposes a quota of 600 Falasha being allowed into Israel each month.
Others complain that Israel used the Falasha cynically to boost the population as part of the demographic battle with the Palestinians, who have a high birth rate.
The Falasha are said to be the descendants of one of the lost tribes of Israel that trekked south and set up home in the Horn of Africa.
The claim was strong enough to convince Israeli rabbinical authorities in the 1980s and 1990s when 90,000 were allowed into Israel.
The first Falasha to move to Israel were unquestionably Jewish. But a new group calling themselves the Falash Mura emerged.
They were Ethiopians living a Christian lifestyle but who claimed to have been forced to convert to Christianity from Judaism.
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