Jack Salzman, Cornel West Struggles in the Promised

Affirmative Action: African American and Jewish Perspectives \\ 339
There is a culture that is shared by African Americans that they willingly embrace,
quite apart from the pathologies that are traceable to slavery, American apartheid, and
the historical attempts to destroy black culture. Thus, Jews who deny the legitimacy
of black communal interests act inconsistently with their pursuit of Jewish commu-
nal interests.
25. This fact is reflected in the concern on the part of many Jewish organisations
and their leaders that the prospect of peace in the Middle East will weaken Jewish
identity and solidarity in the United States. In Jewish Power, ]. ]. Goldberg asks: in a
world where embattled Israel is signing peace treaties, where oppressed Jewish communities
from Moscow to Damascus are stepping into the light of freedom, what battles
remain? Without threats, what will rally Jews to the flag?" (p. 19).
26. A full page advertisement placed by the U.J.A.—Federation of New York in
the May 10, 1996 New York Times (A29) promoting a March for Israel's Future
includes a Golda Meir quote that is easily adaptable for African Americans in the
context of American, and especially Southern, electoral politics: "There should be
some place on earth where we have a Jewish majority.. .as a minority, we have quite a
history."
While undoubtedly many will argue that the comparison fails, African Americans
can argue that for them, in view of past and continuing racial discrimination and polarization
in the political arena, their ability to have a few congressional districts drawn
to allow them to have the opportunity to elect representatives from their communities
in jurisdictions where racism has made that impossible is as important to them as is
the protection of the State of Israel as a nation where all Jews are guaranteed a haven
from anti-Semitism and the threat of oppression. Thus, members of the Congressional
Black Caucus, which has been a staunch supporter of Israel and of American Jews on
issues related to Israel, might have understandably felt betrayed when the ADL filed
a brief in support of the plaintiffs in Miller v. Johnson.
27. Brief Amicus Curiae of Anti-Defamation League in Support of Appellees. The
ADL went on to recognize that "the goal of increasing specific minority group participation
in the political process is commendable" but stated that it "equally insists
that racial classification in redistncting—the premise of maximization and proportionality—is
constitutionally indefensible, and in the end, will defeat the laudable
motives of the appellants." The ADL's statement of interest concluded that "{t]he presumption
that only a member of a certain race can or will effectually represent his or
her constituents of the same race is antithetical to the goal of a society—and a
Constitution blind to racial classifications." Of course, the argument that majorityminority
districts rest upon the presumption identified by the ADL in its statement
of interest is mistaken. Most elected officials who represent African Americans and for
whom African Americans vote are white.
28. See Peter Applebaum, "Duke May Seem to be Wallace of 91" New York Times,
Nov. 25, 1991, p. 14.