Last Monday it appeared that the Democratic Party was set to rebuke freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) for comments she made criticizing the influence of pro-Israel lobbies on U.S. policy, which many perceived to be anti-Semitic. While the initial resolution focused on condemning anti-Semitism, by Thursday evening the House voted 407-23 in favor of a resolution that “encourages all public officials to confront the reality of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, racism, and other forms of bigotry, as well as historical struggles against them."
The shift from a resolution that focused specifically on anti-Semitism to one that condemned all forms of bigotry came amid a huge wave of support for Omar from progressive groups and people of color. While last week’s flurry of commentary focused on whether Omar’s comments constituted anti-Semitism, less attention has been paid to the support she received, especially from the left. Congress’s final resolution and vote last Thursday should be seen as a watershed moment in the long history of black-Palestinian solidarity that is shaping how progressives understand the relationship between American foreign and domestic policies.
The backstory behind this uprising is closely intertwined with the history of black internationalism. Malcolm X visited the Gaza Strip (then under Egyptian control) in 1964 as part of his tour of Africa and Asia. According to Palestinian poet Harun Hashim Rashid, who accompanied Malcolm on his visit, the black American leader “came to Gaza with a strong desire to learn about the Palestinian cause.” Moved by his visit, Malcolm reportedly told his hosts, “We shall return!”
Malcolm’s life was cut short before he could fulfill his promise but interest in the Palestinian cause grew among black internationalists over the following years. In the aftermath of the 1967 Six-Day War between Israel and the Arab states, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), led by proponents of the black power movement, published an article condemning Israel’s occupation of Arab lands and expressing support for the Palestinians as part of their larger anti-imperialist stance.
To be sure, such expressions of solidarity were on the margins of black political activism. Civil rights leader Bayard Rustin was a strong advocate of Israel, organizing full-page ads in major newspapers to rally support for Israel’s actions. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. also expressed support for the Jewish state (though his views were more ambivalent than have often been portrayed).