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.