NOVEMBER 12 • 2020 | 29
to Mevaseret because of its large population
of Ethiopian immigrants to Israel.
The Plummers “are very interested in
converting the Black Jews here in Israel,
”
Singer told the JN. The pastor “has said
explicitly, ‘
I am of African descent and the
Ethiopian Jews are of African descent. We
both share the same skin color, so it will be
easier to cultivate relations with them, to
bring them to the church.
’
”
Singer also claimed COGIC “has part-
nered” with Messianic Jewish (also called
“Jews for Jesus”) congregations in Israel.
PLUMMER RESPONDS
Plummer denied every accusation.
“I am stunned at the aggressive, hateful
comments we’
re getting,
” he said. “What
Rabbi Singer did was so immoral and so
wrong. He takes clips from Sunday school
lessons for Christians from one to two years
ago and combined it with another video.
”
Plummer acknowledged that he and
COGIC have ambitious plans in Israel, but
says none include proselytizing.
“We are establishing an educational
institution targeted to millennial-aged
Black Americans who will study media and
broadcasting arts while being exposed to
Israel for 90 days,
” he said. “They will get a
real experience of living here: The geopol-
itics, the religious world and life that hap-
pens here.
”
Plummer, who has led many short-term
pilgrimages to Israel over the years, also
hopes to vastly increase tourism to Israel
among African Americans.
Despite sometimes strained relations with
some Jewish Americans over Black Lives
Matter and other issues, African Americans
“have a love for Israel because of the Bible,
”
Plummer said. “They name their churches
after locations in Israel. We have a history
with American Jews as a people. Jews were
marching with us, singing with us. Some
gave their life and blood for us.
”
But few African Americans know much
about modern-day Israel, said Plummer,
who is considered a top ally to Israel by the
Israel Allies Foundation.
“That’
s why part of my role is to not only
familiarize our people with Israel, but to
build a bridge in a relationship that will be
longstanding and sustained between Black
America and Israel,
” he said.
Plummer said Israel and the Black
American community can help each other,
and that both will be better for it. At the
same time, Plummer said, Black Americans
can support Israel economically.
“We spend $1.3 trillion a year. We are a
significant market. Israeli businesses need
new markets, especially coming out of
[COVID-19]. Black America has money; it
has spending power. And on top of that we
have smart, capable people who can help.
”
DETROIT REACTIONS
Detroit-area Jewish clergy who know the
Plummers speak highly of them.
“Glenn and Pauline have been forthright
from the very beginning that [prosely-
tizing] is not their mission,
” said Rabbi
Marla Hornsten of Temple Israel in West
Bloomfield. Hornsten worked with Glenn
Plummer as co-chairs of the Coalition
for Black and Jewish Unity, a Detroit-area
group promoting solidarity between the
Jewish and African American communities,
and she’
s also friends with Pauline.
In addition to being one of the founding
members of the Coalition, Plummer has
also spoken at Temple Israel in the past.
“He’
s saying his role is to build bridges
with the Black community here in the
United States and Israel. I trust that is what
he’
s doing. He’
s never given me any reason
to think otherwise,
” Hornsten said. “I see his
position of ‘
Bishop of Israel’
as an ambassa-
dor to Israel from his church.
”
Hornsten acknowledged that, “in gen-
eral, the Jewish community is skeptical of
Christian support for Israel and what their
motivations are.
” But she said the Plummers
had “proved themselves” with their decades
of work in Detroit faith communities,
including the Jewish community.
In fact, Hornsten said, the Plummers’
move was “a loss for our Jewish commu-
nity here because we had a real partner
in Glenn.
” She added that discussion of
Christian support for Israel never came up
in their Coalition work, which focused on
addressing racism and antisemitism.
The Coalition shared a Rosh Hashanah
greeting from the Plummers on Facebook
shortly after their move.
“I am smiling because I’
m exactly where
I’
m supposed to be,
” Glenn Plummer wrote.
‘WE ARE FRIENDS AND ALLIES’
Singer said that American evangelical
groups have a strong presence in Israel,
and that although the official staff “don’
t go
around missionizing,
” they have created a
“thoroughfare of evangelicals” who see it as
their mission to convert Jews to bring about
Jesus’
second coming.
Jonathan Feldstein, president of the
Genesis 123 Foundation, which builds
bridges between Jews and Christians, noted
that Plummer is the first evangelical pastor
to take up a religious position in Israel on
behalf of a major ministry.
“You have this major evangelical church
that happens to be predominantly Black say-
ing Israel is significant enough to Christians
and theology that we want to have a pres-
ence here,
” Feldstein said.
Plummer said COGIC’
s presence is “a
blessing” for Israel. “We are friends and
allies.
”
“But if you’
re going to treat me this way,
what will happen when my people decide,
OK, you’
ve convinced us. Let’
s create some
lasting relationship with Israel? What will
happen then?”
Editor Andrew Lapin contributed to this story.
YOUTUBE
The Plummers and their church
announced they were moving to
Israel in a YouTube video.