The Strange Silence of Louis Farrakhan on Israel-Hamas War

Louis Farrakhan has been quiet about the war between Israel and Hamas, giving relief to Democrats.

Hamas on October 7 fired thousands of rockets into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, launching a land, sea and air attack. Israel has since said their country is at war with Hamas, cutting off food, water and electricity into Gaza and has recently launched its own ground operation into the territory. The escalation has divided Democrats, with some progressives calling for a ceasefire between the two parties, while others back Israel's right to defend itself as the country's leaders see fit—creating tension within the party and sparking criticism from supporters of Israel.

Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam, "an African-American movement that combined elements of Islam with Black nationalism", according to Britannica, has not issued public comment about the escalation of the decades-long conflict. He has frequently faced accusations of antisemitism, at times causing Democrats headaches as his remarks draw attention to some of their previous connections to him.

Democrats are likely to be relieved by Farrakhan's silence on the matter, as any public comments would risk drawing attention to some Democrats' previous connections to him.

The party's divided response has already stirred backlash among some Israel supporters that could harm them in the 2024 election, Grant Davis Reeher, a professor of political science at Syracuse University, told Newsweek. Anymore controversy caused by Farrakhan's remarks would only leave them more vulnerable, he said.

"Certainly, if a leader like Farrakhan chose to use the event as a pretext for inflammatory remarks, and in turn he was associated with some democrats, it would not help," he said.

Who is Louis Farrakhan?

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) describes Farrakhan as an "extremist figure" who rails "against Jews, white people and the LGBT community." The organization's website reads that he has in recent years "embarked on a wide-ranging campaign specifically targeting the Jewish community. Farrakhan is currently suing the ADL over their use of the term "anti-Semite" as it pertains to him.

"Farrakhan has alleged that the Jewish people were responsible for the slave trade and that they conspire to control the government, the media and Hollywood, as well as various black individuals and organizations," the ADL said.

He has made a number of comments critics say are antisemitic in recent years. In 2018, he compared Jewish people to termites. That same year, he lost his Twitter verification after tweeting a video in which he called Jewish people "satanic." He has also previously voided praise of Adolf Hitler.

Farrakhan has a history of stirring up controversy for Democrats with his previous remarks on Judaism, as several high-profile Democrats allegedly have public connections to him. A photograph emerged of former President Barack Obama with Farrakhan in 2018.

The photo was taken during a Congressional Black Caucus meeting in 2005 when Obama was serving as a Senator from Illinois. The photographer, Askia Muhammad, told journalists that he had kept the photograph a secret because he thought it would hurt Obama's political career.

Other Democrats also faced scrutiny over Farrakhan. Representative Sanford Bishop, a Georgia Democrat, for instance once called him "impressive" in a 2005 interview, reported The Jewish Journal in 2018. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries once also defended him in the 1990s, according to The Times of Israel.

"Dr. Leonard Jeffries and Minister Louis Farrakhan have come under intense fire," he wrote in a college op-ed, according to the report. "Where do you think their interests lie? Dr. Jeffries has challenged the existing white supremacist educational system and long-standing distortion of history. His reward has been a media lynching complete with character assassinations and inflammatory erroneous accusations."

Newsweek reached out to Farrakhan for comment via the Nation of Islam's online contact form.

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