Kansas City Jewish Chronicle: Farrakahn, McKinney in KC

The nation's most notorious black anti-Semite, Louis Farrakhan, and the Democrat in Congress perhaps most unfriendly to Israel and to Jews, Georgia Rep. Cynthia McKinney, were the featured guests at this weekend's 26th convention of the National Black United Front, meeting in Kansas City, Mo. Farrakhan spoke Thursday evening, July 14, at the opening rally at the Metropolitan Spiritual Church of Christ, 1231 Garfield Ave. McKinney is to speak at the closing banquet Saturday evening, July 16, at St. Mark Child and Family Development Center, 2008 E. 12th St. Both are divisive figures in the context of black-Jewish relations. Farrakhan has a history of broad-ranging anti-Semitic (and anti-white, anti-gay and anti-American, etc.) statements. McKinney is known for her prickly relationship to Atlanta-area Jews, which includes her criticisms of Israel, her strong support from Arab/Muslim Americans, strong support by American Jews for her opponents and her father's 2002 statement that his daughter's struggle to retain her seat that year was due, at least in part, to the fact that "Jews have bought everybody. Jews. J-E-W-S." Judy Hellman, the Jewish Community Relations Bureau/American Jewish Committee's specialist on black-Jewish relations, said it was disappointing to learn that Farrakhan is once again being given a platform in Kansas City. "It's too bad when people overlook the bigotry," she said. "They may find things these people say that are of interest, but that doesn't excuse those bigoted views. I don't believe Farrakhan represents the mainstream of the black community, with whom we have good relations."