Leading U.S. Black Church Pours Salt on Jewish Wounds with ‘Mass Genocide’ Claim

"The Council of Bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), a leading church among African Americans, issued an extraordinary statement Thursday accusing Israel of “mass genocide,” exacerbating a rift between black Americans and Jews.

 

The statement reads, in part:

 

   "Israel has trapped 1.6 million desperate Palestinians in the southern Gaza city called Rafah. Most of them are women and children. They have denied them access to food, water, shelter, and health care. After this torture, they plan to murder them.

 

The United States of America will have likely paid for the weapons they use. This must not be allowed to happen.

 

    The Council of Bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal Church calls on the United States Government to immediately withdraw all funding and other support from Israel. Since 1954, Israel has shown a willful disregard for the human dignity of Palestinians. Since October 7, 2023, in retaliation for the brutal murder of 1139 Israeli citizens by Hamas, Israel has murdered over 28,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children. The United States is supporting this mass genocide. This must not be allowed to continue.

 

    There must be an immediate and permanent ceasefire between these two communities.""