Raphael Israeli
Inspired by the June 2020 demonstrations and riots in America and in other parts of the world, which were triggered by the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, this volume compares the upheaval of the Arab minority in Israel and its claims of “racism” and “discrimination” with the plight of the African Americans in the U.S.The history of Black Power and the Nation of Islam militant activism in America claims that the present conflict between Blacks and whites, which has existed for four centuries, cannot be quelled by human rights demonstrations (peaceful and violent), or legislative measures.Since the 1930s, leaders of Black Power have floated the idea of Black territoriality and sovereignty, self-rule, and independence from white rule as the only way to restore Black dignity and self-confidence.It has been suggested, following the failure of all other solutions after the end of the Civil War, to assign Blacks a section of American soil where they can constitute the largest Black population, and be allowed, with federal assistance and funding, to move freely into and out of this chosen territory, until a Black majority state within the Union affords them the opportunity to practice self-rule.(About the Author)Raphael Israeli has taught Islamic, Chinese, and Middle Eastern history at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. A graduate of Hebrew University in history and Arabic literature, he earned a Ph.D. in Chinese and Islamic history from the University of California, Berkeley. Now retired, he has been a Fellow of the Harry Truman Research Institute at Hebrew University and the Jerusalem Center since the 1970s, and is the author of over 60 research books, a dozen edited books, and 100 scholarly articles about Islam.
