Ryli Dunlap
3 min readNov 4, 2024

I respect the contributions MLK made to the civil rights movement in the USA, and the peaceful protests he engaged in for that cause, as well as being an advocate for peace.

If you have any inkling of an understanding of MLK and what he actually stood for (rather than just searching for random quotes to cherry-pick containing the word 'Israel' or 'Zionism') , he championed the cause of oppressed people and was extremely critical of war. He was a strong voice against US imperialism and the US war in Vietnam, and would undoubtedly be opposed to Israels' bombing of Gaza, and the ongoing apartheid and oppression Israel has subjected Palestinians to, considering he was an advocate for peace in his time (something his daughter expressed when she tweeted this):

“I am certain he would call for Israel’s bombing of Palestinians to cease, for hostages to be released and for us to work for true peace, which includes justice.”

MLK also said that Israel should return land to the Arabs taken in the 6-day war. Did you see my comment earlier with that quote?

"I think for the ultimate peace and security of the situation it will probably be necessary for Israel to give up this conquered territory because to hold on to it will only exacerbate the tensions and deepen the bitterness of the Arabs."

But... really, bickering about MLK quotes is rather pointless and irrelevant in the modern context of what's happening to the people of Gaza, and trying to insinuate that MLK would somehow be in support of this war or the behavior of modern-day Zionists is ridiculous.

Also, you're conflating criticism of Zionism and the military policies of the country of Israel with anti-Semitism. It's not anti-Semitic to be an advocate for peace. Many people of the Jewish faith are opposed to this war, even in Israel.

The families of the hostages have been extremely critical of Netenyahu as well, and the policies of his government in pursuing war over securing the release of their loved ones.

I think MLK said many important things regarding civil liberties in the USA and freedom for oppressed peoples. I think he was an important voice and played a large role in ending segregation and apartheid in the USA. To claim that he would support the present policies of Israel and their treatment of the Palestinians today is beyond ridiculous, and demonstrates a complete lack of understanding about who MLK actually was and what he actually stood for.

He also said this:

"The Arc of the Moral Universe is Long, But it Bends Toward Justice.”

Apartheid, genocide and ethnic cleansing is hardly righteous justice, and I think the arc is starting to bend away from Israel as it quickly loses support across the world for its ongoing reckless and increasingly-genocidal war.

Israel, driven by the Ideology of the hard-right current leadership, is doing far more harm than good at this point. It's certainly harmful to the Palestinians it is bombing, but also harmful to the peace and security of Israelis as well, who are conscripted to fight and die in Netenyahu's war, and are taken hostage and used as pawns by both sides in the conflict.

This is one of the main reasons Zionism - as an ideology - is ultimately failing now (regardless of what MLK might have said about it in the 160s). It is hurting Jews more than helping, and Zionists are now attacking even other Jews who disagree with them. It has become like a deranged cult, and its followers/advocates are increasingly fanatical - not unlike ISIS in its demand for an Islamic state.

Sign up to discover human stories that deepen your understanding of the world.

Free

Distraction-free reading. No ads.

Organize your knowledge with lists and highlights.

Tell your story. Find your audience.

Membership

Read member-only stories

Support writers you read most

Earn money for your writing

Listen to audio narrations

Read offline with the Medium app

Ryli Dunlap
Ryli Dunlap

Written by Ryli Dunlap

Aspiring writer. Recovering programmer. Many opinions — some unpopular. I unload them here. Blog: https://pontifi.co Dance/Music: https://rylito.com

Responses (2)

Write a response