THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
52 Friday, December 26, 1' N
The Tragi-Comedy of the Black Hebrew Illegally Living in Israel
By DR. MILTON J.
STEINHARDT
The recent declaration of
the Israeli government de-
nying the law of Return as a
basis for settling the
Chicago Black Hebrews in
Israel at government ex-
pense brings in focus a vex-
ing problem of the last de-
cade. The events that fol-
lowed these new arrivals in
Israel in 1969 challenges
our credulity.
One is inevitably in-
terested in the historical
and social background of
these Black Hebrews, their
religious convictions and
practices, education, skills
and not least their
psychological motivation.
Historically, the aspira-
tions of the blacks for inde-
pendence, to escape the op-
pression, is not unlike that
of the Jews. Hence the Jews
in the U.S. contributed with
money and even their lives
to help blacks as fellow vic-
tims of intolerance. One
notes with interest that one
black, Marcus Garvey,
about 1923, likened himself
to Herzl and called. his fol-
lowers "Zionists." Black
leaders were undecided
whether to adopt Muslim or
Hebrew names as a means
of new identity.
The Chicago group, led by
Ben Ammi Carter, has
many baptized followers
who pray to Jesus. They
have not knowledge of
Jewish laws, and they prac-
tice polygamy. The group
assumed the name "Bnai
Zakin Sar Shalom," wore
red robes and turbans, and
accumulated a considerable
stock of ammunition.
According to Israel J.
Gerber in his book "The
Heritage Seekers" (J. David
Publication), Ben Ammi
Carter tried to blackmail
Chicago Jews to obtain
money for Kosher foods. He
insisted on full control of
any financial help offered.
This was not granted. He
then accused the Jews of
being anti-black racists.
When Ben Ammi decided
to settle his followers in
Liberia it was in the role of a
"Soul" Muslim. Another
"brother" of the same con-
tingent, Blackwell, came to
Israel ostensibly as a tourist
but actually to gather in-
telligence. He joined a
kibutz and was treated
warmly.
This pleasant experience
proved very persuasive for
the blacks to give up their
miserable existence in
Liberia and move to Israel
as the true "Black Hebrews
of the Bible." They even
argued that the Israelis now
in Israel are interlopers and
should be returned to
Europe.
The secretary of the Li-
berian government blasted
Ben Ammi as an outright
liar, that his government
was never notified of their
arrival, that Ben Ammi
Carter misrepresented the
composition and compe-
tence of the contingent, that
they refused reasonable
work, and that Carter was a
fraud and his followers un-
desirables. Carter and
Blackwell then entered Is-
rael in November 1968 as
tourists but actually to spy
and perfect their schemes.
Gerber mentions how
shocked and stunned the Is-
raeli officials were when a
number of raggedy blacks,
including women and in-
fants, disembarked from a
TWA plane late at night
and angrily demanded to be
taken care of as the authen-
tic Jews of the Bible. As-
tonishment gave way to
doubt, then to sympathy
and vacillation, and despite
the obvious discrepancies
they were taken to new
apartments in Arad on a
"temporary" basis.
Thus Ban Ammi Carter
and Blackwell outfoxed the
stupefied Israeli customs of-
ficials.
Once having secured a
base in Israel, the black
leaders advised followers to
come to Israel in group
tours, then to leave the
group and travel by cab to
their destination in Dimona
where some blacks had al-
ready settled. In some in-
stances there were 20
people crowded into one
room.
The citizens of Dimona
and the mayor showed great
hospitality at first, but they
soon learned to their sorrow
that they were dealing with
parasites who refused to ac-
cept any work. When Rabbi
Dar-ee, after laborious dis-
cussion, suggested that they
had the option of converting
to Judaism if they wanted
the benefits of "ohm," they
rejected the idea because
they are the "real Hebrews
of the Bible." They even
shrewdly hinted that Israel
is afraid to deport them be-
Kollek Blasts Plans to Build
Settlement Near Jerusalem
JERUSALEM (JTA) 8
Mayor Teddy Kollek shar-
ply criticized plans by the
Israel Lands Authority to
build a new residential set-
tlement on the West Bank
near the Arab village of
Nabi Samwil, just beyond
the northern outskirts of
Jerusalem.
He said the money re-
quired to develop the 125-
acre site for private homes
and condominiums would
be better spent improving
existing Jewish neighbor-
hoods inside Jerusalem.
The mayor also warned
that "whoever invests
money in the purchase of
land in Nabi Samwil will
not see the color of his
money." He expressed con-
cern that while the new set-
tlement would be outside of
Jerusalem's boundaries, it
would still depend on
municipal services from the
city which can hardly cope
with existing demands.
Kollek also said that
the new settlement would
add more Arabs to
Jerusalem's population,
1.,401 '"
MAYOR TEDDY KOLLEK
between the city and
proposed Jewish resi-
dential settlement.
According to Kollek, the
land around the Nabi
Samwil site should be left
empty for the time being "as
a green land reserve." The
Israel Lands Authority said
the settlement's purpose
was to "thicken" the Jewish
presence around Jerusalem.
Kollek believes that Jewish
Jerusalem must first be
"strerwthened at the core."
cause of the furor it might Israel's racist policy.
One may ask why did it
cause in the U.S. and in the
take 11 years to dispose of
UN.
This posture of the Black this obvious deception?
Hebrews is reminiscent of That such a fraud, whether
Hitler's Big Lie, and the motivated by plain envy,
vacillating behavior of Is- pseudo-religion, oil, petro-
raeli officialdom similar to dollars, or what is more
the deliberations of the citi- likely, manipulations by
zens of Chelm. But it should the enemies of Israel should
have become clear even to have been allowed to con-
the citizens of that legen- tinue for so many years
dary town as to the real na- points to a long streak of
ture and character of these masochism in our midst.
All the necessary data re-
new arrivals when they
staged a raid on the super- garding their origin could
market, where their women have been obtained within
packed several thousand hours or days after their ar-
dollars worth of groceries in rival. This decade of indeci-
their bags — claiming that sion and vacillation caused
God wants to feed the hun- much fear and distress to
gry. They even arranged for the people of Dimona. Some
photographers to "prove" Jews were even forced to
leave town. The black
groups were assigned
apartments so badly needed
by deserving young Israelis.
Ben Ami showed not only
"hutzpa" but also hostility
and vindictiveness by offi-
cially accusing Israel of ra-
cial discrimination to all
agencies of the UN as well
as all government heads.
The whole episode is
tragi-comedy — a traged:
the Jews everywhere, um._ -
servedly painted with the
brush of racism, and a com-
edy to opportunistic man-
ipulators like Ben Ammi
Carter who live off the fat of
the land. The question then
arises, how long can Israel
tolerate this subversive and
insidious agression?
Dinitz Laud's Haig Nomination.
— The conversation ended
not in any very great accord.
It was Gen. Haig who inter-
vened at the very end of the
talks with a view to improve
the situation and showed a
great understanding
towards us, to prevent a
crisis," Dinitz said.
Haig was at that time
serving as a deupty to then
Secretary of Sate Henry
Kissinger.
TEL AVIV (JTA) — Is-
rael's former Ambassador to
the U.S. Simha Dinitz, last
weekend described General
Alexander Haig, named by
President-elect Ronald Re-
agan to be his secretary of
state, as a friend of Israel
Arab-Owned Electric Corp.
Target of Israel Takeover
JERUSALEM (JTA) — the franchise is transferred
The Ministry of Energy in to the Israel Electric Corp.
conjunction with the Israel Despite the preparations for
Electric Corp. has com- a takeover, sources at the
pleted plans to take over the Energy Ministry said it was
Arab-owned East still possible that the
Jerusalem Electric Corp. Cabinet would rediscuss the
after negotiations between entire issue. Several minis-
the government and the ters have criticized the
Arab company broke down. plans to take over the Arab
The East Jerusalem com- company because of possible
pany's franchise from the international repercus-
government is due to expire sions.
Energy Minister, Yitzhak
at the end of this month.
The government announced Modai, told reporters that
a year ago it wanted to take his efforts to reach a com-
over the company because of promise were fruitless.
the poor quality of its serv- Nusseibeh said that the
board of governors took
ice.
Under the franchise every possible step to avoid
which it received during the a confrontation.
Jordanian regime, the East Academy Series
4erusalem utility serves
most consumers on the West Teaches Torah
NEW YORK -- The
Bank. After the Six-Day
War it served Jewish con- audio-visual department of
sumers including the new the Jerusalem Academy of
neighborhoods built in Jewish Studies has pro-
duced "Living Judaism," a
Jerusalem.
This has put a consid- 13-part TV series on the re-
erable burden on the levance of the Torah. The
antiquated power plant series features Rabbi Aryeh
in East Jerusalem. Carmell, vice principal of
Jewish consumers often the academy.
Each 27-minute program
complain of .power fail-
ures, implying that the is in a video-tape format,
Arab company was caus- and is aimed at the general
ing them on purpose. Al- public. The underlying idea
though no evidence was of the video-tape series is to
found by the Energy show the basic principles of
Ministry to bear out such the Torah's teachings on
suspicions, the govern- fundamental questions. -
ment was determined not Banker to Chair
to renew the franchise.
However, following pro- Feb. ADL Dinner
tests by both Arabs and
NEW YORK — Theodore
Jews, including Mayor H. Silbert, chairman of the
Teddy Kollek of Jerusalem, board of New York's Sterl-
the government entered ing National Bank and
negotiations aimed at in- Trust Co., will chair the an-
creasing its control of the nual inaugural dinner of
company without a total the Anti-Defamation
takeover. Those negotia- League of Bnai Brith at the
tions failed, and it appears Breakers Hotel in Palm
that by Thursday the take- Beach on Feb. 12.
over will become a fact.
Madame Bea Alexander,
According to the govern- founder and president of the
ment's plan the workers Alexander Doll Co. will be
will be allowed to quit when the guest of honor.
SIMHA DINITZ
Dinitz said Israel could
expect Reagan to con-
tinue Carter's policies
towards the Camp David
accords and the au-
tonomy negotiations, as
there was always a basic
continuity of policy after
changes in the U.S. Ad-
ministration. But he
warned Israelis not to be
surprised if there were
some changes in em-
phasis once the new
administration settles in.
who had shown sympathy to
Israel's case in negotiations
with the U.S. about the fre-
eing of the trapped Egyp-
tian Third Army near Silk
during the Yom Kippur
War of 1973.
Speaking on an Israel
Radio interview, Dinitz said
that Haig's intervention
had prevented a crisis in
"I must caution that
Israel-U.S. relations at that
time "Gen Haig always while every succeeding
showed a.keen understand- - Administration undertakes
what the previous one has
ing of Israel's security needs
implemented, especially in
and posture . . . Im-
foreign policy, we have to
mediately after the war,
understand that within the
when the late Golda Meir
same framwork different
(then Israeli premier) came
policy and different em-
to Washington and had
phasis can take place," he
some very tough talks with
said.
the President, and espe-
Dinitz said the new Ad-
cially with Dr. Kissinger —
ministration would, for the
the subject matter was the
first time, seek a solution to
freeing of the Egyptian
the Palestinian question
Third Army from Israeli
apart from the PLO.
forces then surrounding it
Kahane Released, Barred
From Entering the Technic
HAIFA (JTA) — Rabbi
Meir Kahane, founder and
former leader of the
JEWISH Defense League in
the U.S. and now head of the
ultra-nationalist "Kach"
(Thus) movement, was bar-
red last week from entering
the Technion.
But Kahane, who was re-
leased last week from jail
after serving seven months
for inciting violence on the
West Bank and trespassing
on the Hebrew University
campus in Jerusalem, made
an inflammatory speech to
television cameras and se-
curity and student union
representatives outside the
Technion campus gate.
He hailed the expulsion of
West Bank Arab mayors;
Fand Kawasme of Hebron
and Mohammed Milhim of
Halhoul, and physical
tacks on others, sayin
still felt that all A rmes
should be removed, both
from Israel and from the
West Bank.
Kahane and his follow-
ers some • time ago
launched a campaign to
raise funds to pay Arabs
to leave their homes.
He appealed to students
to elect him to the Knesset
so that he could speak out
freely without danger of ar-
rest for incitement to vio-
lence. Kahane was released
from jail by Premier
Menahem Begin.