Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (AP Photo/Horace Cort)
On Oct. 7 Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement governing the Gaza Strip of the Palestinian territories, launched an attack on Israel. The U.S., a longtime ally of Israel, immediately offered support.
The U.S. has a history of providing aid to Israel in the form of money and weapons. In the year 2022, the U.S. allocated a total of over $3.3 billion in foreign aid to Israel, based on the latest available data. Approximately $8.8 million of this funding was designated for the Israeli economy, while a substantial 99.7 percent was directed toward the Israeli military.
The U.S. has also been providing aid and weapons to Ukraine since the country was invaded by Russia in February 2022. Israel received the second-highest amount of aid from the U.S. in 2022, following Ukraine, which received a whopping $12.4 billion from the U.S. In terms of the overall foreign aid that year, Israel and Ukraine received 4.8 percent and 18.1 percent, respectively, according to USAFacts.org.
And 2,000 U.S. troops are prepping for possible deployment to the Middle East, CNBC reported.
With all this focus on the outside world, one might wonder if Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who fought for not only equality but equity, would think about America sending so much money elsewhere when American cities are grappling with a growing homeless population, with families who can not afford the bare necessities.
While U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen recently said U.S. could “certainly” afford military support to both Israel and Ukraine, she didn’t say if the U.S. could afford to homes the unhoused or pay reparations to African Americans to help close the wealth gap.
But, the position King would have taken regarding Israel and Palestine is a subject of debate. Some argue that King was a staunch supporter of Israel, while others say his focus would have been on helping the disenfranchised in the U.S.
A verifiable and analytical statement by the civil rights icon from 1967 exists, known as “The Middle East Question,” delivered by Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in Chicago in September 1967,
In “The Middle East Question,” King acknowledged Israel’s right to exist and emphasized the importance of a democratic and progressive approach in the region. He stressed the need for economic and social development for both Israel and its Arab neighbors, recognizing the intertwined issues of security and development, according to Jacobin.
In fact, King’s views on Israel and Palestine were complex and evolved over time. While some historical claims attempt to portray him as a steadfast supporter of Israel, a deeper analysis of his statements and beliefs suggests a nuanced view that considered democracy, justice, and the interconnectedness of struggles against oppression, Jacobin pointed out.
One also must remember the anti-war stance King had and promoted during the Vietnam War, noted KOS the Scientist on his podcast Science vs Spook. In an episode entitled “Is America Walking Into a WW3 Trap Over Israel?,” reminded listeners of King’s famous quote on war.
“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom,” King said.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (AP Photo/Horace Cort)
