Rise and Fall of the Jews-Blacks Alliance

From The Peopling of NYC

The racist thinking behind the Holocaust made many Jews sensitive to the plight of African-Americans. Both Jews and Blacks could associate with the fight against discrimination and oppression. Jews had Zionism; Blacks had the Civil Rights Movement as well as “Black Power and Nationalism.” Often Jews employed Blacks and were the only ones who would extend credit to Blacks. In America 1 in 5 Jews supported Israel while 2 in 5 Jews supported the the Civil Rights Movement.

However, by the 1960s many Blacks were rejecting any alliance with Jews. They were just too different. Jews competed for managerial positions at investment banks, and for scholarships to Harvard. Blacks competed for an apartment and a minimum wage job. The 6 Day War polarized the two sides further. The Jews clearly sided with Israel, but Blacks tended to side with the Palestinian cause because of Israeli support towards the South African Apartheid.