http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/AntiSemi/12781.htmReverend Eric Lee, the keynote speaker of a Los Angeles event held by Kappa Alpha Psi -- the national African-American fraternity -- on April 4, the fortieth anniversary of Martin Luther King's assassination -- launched a vicious attack on Jews.
With Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, City Councilman Bernard Parks, State Senator Mark Ridley Thomas and Assemblyman Mike Davis in attendance at the Marriott Hotel conference, the fraternity had just given its Tom Bradley Award -- named for the former Los Angeles mayor -- to Israeli-American Daphna Ziman.
Ziman is the founder and volunteer chairwoman of Children Uniting Nations -- an organization devoted to the rights of children. CUN has helped children from Kosovo to the American inner cities, especially mentoring programs for children from Los Angeles broken homes. Ziman has also been a fundraiser and donor to the Hillary Clinton campaign.
After Ziman received her award, Reverend Lee, President/CEO of the Los Angeles branch of Dr. King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference, began his keynote speech. After praising Malcolm X, and thank G-d for bring Barack Hussein Obama to be "leader of the world," he stared directly at Ziman, according to an email she sent after the event and echoed in the following video interview with Roger Simon of Pajamas Media:
Ziman's email states that Lee "started talking about the African American children who are suffering because of the Jews that have featured them as rapists and murderers. He spoke of a Jewish Rabbi, and then corrected himself to say 'What other kind of Rabbis are there, but Jews?' He told how this Rabbi came to him to say that he would like to bring the AA [African-American] community and the Jewish community together. 'NO, NO, NO!' he shouted into the crowd, 'we are not going to come together. The Jews have made money on us in the music business and we are the entertainers, and they are economically enslaving us.'"
"He continued as to how now the salvation has come and the gates have open for African Americans to come together behind Barack Obama, because now is the time to show them.(meaning the jews). He continued to speak about ' White supremacy' vs the talents and visionaries in the core of African Americans. He demeaned being given freedom, by saying "To what?" to a country that kills women and children."
Lee continued with his anti-Semitic diatribe, according to Ziman, at which time she could no longer tolerate it and left the room, breaking into tears.
"I could no longer be polite and sit in front of the crowd, so I walked out. Members of the fraternity ran after me as did my staff, I was not able to contain my tears and I cried.
I cried for me and my family, who have tried so hard to help the African American community, because we adopted children from the same realities and wanted to give back to other children and people. We have been completely color blind, for us it was only helping those children in need. I cried for our beloved country and the division that Barack Obama has caused with his Rev. Wright opening the gates to 'hate' against the Jews and whites. I grew up so looking at America as the land of Freedom. I was honored to receive my citizenship accompanied by members of the Kennedy family."
"Now, I'm afraid for Israel because Barack sat there for 20 years listening and not standing up for what's right, why would he stand up for Israel? I cried for the Jewish community who are so blind that they can't see that there's a movement here that will destroy us.I cried because for the first time in my life I was afraid of the future."
"I cried for our world that is moving backwards and not forward. Everyday, I see children so lost, and so deserving of hope and love. I look into their eyes, knowing that it is their lives that are in our hands. I'm crying now, so I'm going to stop writing because it is so painful.
I just had to share this experience with you."
Many of the dignitaries had also left the room by the time of Lee's speech but Assemblyman Mike Davis remained. He later told Ziman that he "did not hear" Lee's words because he was engaged in another conversation.
Lee subsequently issued an official statement denying Ziman's account. Excerpts:
"Let me first state that at no time did I intend to offend, insult, indict or condemn any person or group of persons during any portion of my presentation. Furthermore, I did not make any statement that was offensive regarding the Jewish community and I completely deny and refute any accusation that I have done so. The accusations do not truly characterize the statements made during the presentation, nor do they accurately characterize my life or my position as President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles."
"In a very small part of my presentation, I referenced a meeting I had with Rabbi?s [sic] and other community leaders. A Rabbi stated in that meeting that the close relationship between the African American and Jewish communities had been disconnected after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. I further referenced in my speech that my response to the Rabbi was that the Black Power Movement emerged after the assassination of Dr. King and it was a direct response to the negative characterizations of African Americans through the silver screen, TV and the music industry, industries that are influenced by many in the Jewish community. I then stated to the Rabbis that the Black Power Movement was our effort to define for ourselves our own identity rather than be defined by anyone else. I then indicated in my presentation that I told the Rabbis? [sic] that before a genuine coalition could be rebuilt between our communities, there would have to be dialogue and efforts made to deal with the negative characterizations of African Americans."
Apparently, after sending this "explanation" the Reverend saw fit to issue another statement, apparently after deciding a few hours later that the Jews do not control the entertainment industries and exploit or enslave black folk, and that maybe he had been just a tad offensive, insulting, condemning and indicting in his speech after all:
"It is with deep regret and my sincerest apologies that any comments I have made have caused you pain and distress. It was never my intent to insult you or the Jewish community, with whom I have a respected and long standing relationship. It is my hope that any misunderstandings may be clarified such that both our communities may move forward with mutual respect and a commitment to our shared struggles against any form of injustice."
"As a Christian, and as an African American, we have long embraced the history of Israel's plight of slavery, oppression, deliverance and freedom as symbolic of African American's plight against slavery, oppression, deliverance and freedom. Our communities are joined together in this struggle."
"I unequivocally denounce any anti-Semitic sentiments, statements and behavior and assure you that such hatred is not reflective of my character and my work. Specifically, I do not believe, and the SCLC does not subscribe to the belief, that Jews control the entertainment industries or are responsible for negative characterizations of African Americans. As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated, 'injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' My commitment is to ensuring justice is promoted for all of G-d's people."
"I am reminded of a part of a Seder ceremony in which the children of Israel are fleeing Pharaoh's army and celebrate the drowning of their pursuers in the Red Sea. G-d's response was disappointment because all are His children. I wholeheartedly believe that we are all G-d's children and in the words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "we must learn to live together as brothers, or we perish together as fools."
In fact, Rev. Lee is incorrect. It was Moses who told his people not to rejoice at the drowning of their enemies. But then again, Reverend Lee has not yet drowned.
Topic: Another pro-Obama preacher, Rev. Eric Lee, launches anti-Jewish attack (Read 1697 times)