This is Abdullah Ibhais. He is a journalist and Jordanian national who blew the whistle on slavery and human trafficking in Qatar. For his actions, Ibhais was sentenced to five years in a Doha prison and was released after serving three years, in March of 2025.

Now, according to his family, Abdullah Ibhais was “abducted from the mosque” by the Jordanian General Intelligence Directorate (GID) in the capital city of Amman. This happens to be just two weeks before he is supposed to testify as a witness in a US District Court case concerning allegations of forced labour and human trafficking associated with the 2022 World Cup.

Qatar is one of the biggest perpetrators of human trafficking and the global slave trade, and most of the migrant slaves are from Africa and Southeast Asia. And yet, earlier this summer, Qatar announced its efforts to “partner” with Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the US.

Abdullah Ibhais has exposed the evil that is Qatar’s Kafala system, and has taken on a great risk to do so. Not only has Qatar silenced him and made him into a political prisoner (or worse), they deepen their duality by attempting to gain more legitimacy in the US, specifically by standing next to Black Americans. Qatar seeks profit from Black Americans in the US while standing on the necks of Black Africans in Qatar, and by doing the former, they distract from the latter.

This tactic of using the Black voice to bolster one’s public appearance is not new, nor is it exclusive to Qatar. It should, however, serve as a warning to Hampton, Xavier, Prairie View A&M, and any other HBCUs or Black-led entities considering partnering with the Qatari government. Qatari money always comes with strings, and those strings are attached to you shutting up about their slaves.

Full episode of Stand Tall Israel’s Why America Is Turning Against Israel | Pastor Dumisani Washington.

Dr. King’s pro-Israel Legacy.

Africa-Israel Weekly (AIW) first published a piece on Burkina Faso President Captain Ibrahim Traoré in June 2025 entitled The System is Broken: From Hamas to al-Qaeda, the US funds the terrorism that Africa & Israel must fight. In the piece, AIW detailed negative comments made on Capitol Hill by US AFRICOM head General Michael Langley about Traoré, Africa’s most popular leader. Africans were so vehement in their pushback against General Langley that the Trump administration regrouped, prompting AIW’s sequel article, The System is Broken, Part 2: Trump administration attempts a reset with Burkina Faso.

From The System is Broken Part 1:

Ibrahim Traoré came to power in 2022 after staging a coup d'état against then-President Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba…according to Traoré, his main reason for the overthrow of…Damiba and his subsequent ouster of US and French troops was the need for better security against the terrorists killing his countrymen.

After the coup, it was rumored that Saudi Arabia offered to build hundreds of new mosques for Burkina Faso’s majority Muslim population, and that Traoré (who is Muslim) declined, stating that his country was more in need of business, education, and economic cooperation rather than religious. While it was widely reported that the story was debunked, President Traoré’s recent public comments have placed scrutiny back on Burkina Faso’s relationship with Saudi Arabia and the broader Islamic world.

On July 16, 2026, President Traoré gave a speech in which, among other topics, he addressed Islam, imams preaching violence against the state, sharia law, the current (Arab) enslavement of Black Africans, and the ongoing attempts by Islamic terrorists to conquer Burkina Faso. In his comments, he directly referenced Saudi Arabia:

To those Burkinabè studying Sharia law in Saudi Arabia, do not return to Burkina Faso. Instead of acquiring technological knowledge and skills that can help develop our country, you chose to study Sharia law. Stay where you are; you won't be allowed back here.

While Traoré is waging a kinetic war against al Qaeda-linked terrorist groups, he is also fighting a jihadist ideology being preached by some Muslim leaders, even recently jailing some of the perpetrators and passing laws banning sharia. Traoré stated that outside influences, seemingly implying foreign Islamic governments, have been lobbying him to change Burkina Faso from a secular government into an Islamic theocracy.

Many came to see us (saying), “We wish for Burkina to be an Islamic state.” Terrorism would end, that’s for sure. We would have ‘peace’ and we would be…a cancer in the middle of West Africa to destabilize others. I don’t operate like that. I cannot be manipulated like that. And when you show that you are not manipulable, you become an enemy. There are some things that I'm keeping to myself for now. But if they need to come out someday, I will bring them out. But I say this so that those manipulating individuals who don't think much (about us) here should be careful. Our country is our country, and we are here fighting for our country. No one loves our country more than we do.

There are people who tend to make statements to undermine social cohesion. And…when we passed this (Religious Freedom) law, Muslims were the first to complain. Why aren’t others complaining? I think that if you want to attract someone to your religion (Islam), your behavior is the first thing that you have to do. But it's not something you can force.

Traoré even contrasted Islamic terrorists with peaceful Christians.

“Look at Christianity. Nowadays, in 2026, have you heard of anyone wanting to kill their (Christian) brother because of a human disagreement? If this is your Islam, we will fight you. You extremists need to come to your senses. We have suspended some preaching, and it will continue. If you think you can live in the seventh century, you leave and find a bush, you sit there, and you live.”

Regarding Africans being enslaved, Traoré said:

We must become aware — I am speaking of the African in general, or the Black man — of our history, and of our current situation. Because slavery isn’t over, you know? People are still practicing slavery. They are still catching Black people to go and sell them today, in 2026. So, they don’t consider you as humans. They see you as animals. And why must we behave like animals and just watch them? No. I refuse that. Imperialism has no color (is not just White/European). And we must have the courage to identify it, call it out, and then fight it.

The power and controversy of Traoré’s words and actions cannot be overstated. No other African leader is saying what he is saying or doing what he is doing, condemning the violence of certain Muslims, defying the powerful Islamic ruling establishment, and calling out the enslavement of Africans (overwhelmingly done by Arab Muslims), even declaring that, “We…must fight it.” His statement, “Imperialism has no color,” is a not-so-subtle attack on Arab Islamic imperialism, fuel for the nearly 1400-year subjugation of Africans.

While some are debating the details of Traoré’s statements, especially about Burkinabè students studying sharia abroad, Al Jazeera (a Qatari-owned mouthpiece for the Muslim Brotherhood) published a provocative and misleading piece, Why Traoré has opened a new front with Burkina Faso’s Muslim community: New legislation and arrests are driving a rift between Burkina Faso’s military government and Muslim scholars. From the article:

Once backed by influential Muslim scholars, Burkina Faso’s military leader is now facing a growing rift over arrests, new legislation and his campaign against what he describes as religious extremism.

Burkina Faso’s transitional leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore, has sharply escalated his confrontation with influential Muslim scholars, declaring that what he calls “radical Islam” has no place in the country and warning that “the battle has begun” against those he accuses of promoting religious extremism.

In the biased Al Jazeera (AJ) piece, the Qatari outlet could not resist implying that Israel has something to do with Traroé’s fight against those attempting to destabilize his country. Quoting AJ again:

Alongside the domestic tensions, Traore recently received Israel’s new ambassador to Burkina Faso, Simon Seroussi, in Ouagadougou to present his credentials.

The meeting followed a report by Africa Intelligence, a Paris-based publication specialising in African political and business affairs, that the ambassador’s accreditation request, submitted in the summer of 2025, had remained pending before being quietly approved.

Traore’s public reception of the ambassador appears to mark a shift from the caution previously shown by his inner circle, which had sought to preserve his anti-Western image. It also comes as Israeli security agencies expand cooperation with members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), the bloc formed by Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, whose governments have expressed interest in Israeli security technology.

While Traoré named Saudi Arabia as a place where Burkinabè Islamic students are studying abroad, it is important to note that the government of Turkey is the recognized leader in Islamic education worldwide. And, according to former FBI agent John Guandolo, the Diyanet — the Turkish- controlled Muslim Brotherhood Department of State — based in Maryland, enforces international sharia compliance. These facts would place Ibrahim Traoré in the crosshairs of the world’s most powerful Islamic, terrorist-supporting governments (Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan), all major political players on the international stage with increasing support of Western powers, including the US.

IBSI will continue following the events in Burkina Faso with great interest. Traoré’s success in resisting the enemies of Burkina Faso will have a direct impact on the Western Sahel and the entire African continent. For now, in the words of Tupac Shakur, Traoré seems to be saying, “It’s me against the world.”

WASHINGTON, D.C., DC, UNITED STATES, June 25, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/

TheBlack Christian Leadership Council on Israel Relations, or the Council, is a newly formed collective of Black American pastors with decades of experience in forging Black–Jewish, Africa–Israel solidarity. The founding members are Pastor Dumisani Washington, Pastor Valerie Washington, Dr. Michael A. Stevens, Pastor Reginald Gibson, Dr. Brandy Frances Gibson, and Pastor Roger Cheeks.

With the rising tide of global antisemitism and growing hostility toward the State of Israel, the Council has been formed to help ensure that the essential Black American voice defending Israel and the Jewish people is clearly heard. Rooted in over a century of partnership—from the founding of the NAACP and the collaboration of Booker T. Washington and Julius Rosenwald, to the civil rights leadership of Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Joshua Heschel—the Council will be a leading voice in the African American community opposing antisemitism and anti-Zionism, and affirming Israel’s right to exist, defend itself, and live in peace.

The Council will:
• Provide oversight and strategic leadership for Black Christian pro-Israel engagement;
• Provide relevant, ongoing biblical, geopolitical, and cultural teaching and support for Black leaders;
• Coordinate efforts with Jewish leaders and Israeli officials; and
• Lead transformational Holy Land pilgrimages for clergy, families, students, and civic leaders.

TheUnfinished Business Holy Land Tour
This November, the Council will host some 500 Black American and African pastors and Christian leaders on the Unfinished Business Holy Land Tour. This trip will commemorate the 59th anniversary of the mass pilgrimage Dr. King was to lead in November 1967, but postponed in the aftermath of Israel’s Six-Day War. Dr. King was assassinated the next year, and the mass pilgrimage was never realized.

Pastor Valerie Washington
Black Christian Leadership Council on Israel Relations
+1 205-821-1772
info@bclcir.org.
Visit us on social media:
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Unfinished Business: Tour to Israel, November 2026

Also, see our related articles:

It should be noted that the anti-Israel, at times ‘pro-Palestine’ sentiment coming from young conservatives was KGB-led propaganda first directed at young Black Americans beginning in the 1960s.

This week, the government of Qatar announced its new partnership with three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs): Hampton University in Virginia, Xavier University of Louisiana, and Prairie View A&M University in Texas. From the Qatar Tribune:

The agreements…are designed to deepen cross-cultural exchange and understanding between US and Qatar-based students. HCBUs [sic] are US universities established before the country’s 1964 Civil Rights Act with the principal mission of educating African American students, with 107 of these institutions now educating students regardless of race.

“The agreements reflect Qatar Foundation’s commitment to building globally connected learning environments and advancing partnerships that promote inclusion, cultural exchange, and academic excellence,” said Francisco Marmolejo, president of Higher Education and education advisor, QF, who, during NAFSA 2026, addressed delegates on the topic ‘Beyond Borders: How U.S. Policies are Shaping Global Student Mobility’.

Many HBCUs have independently established memoranda of understanding and collaborative agreements with universities in countries such as Egypt, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates. In this regard, what Qatar is doing is not unique or noteworthy. And, while only about 10% of Black American college students attend historically Black colleges, HBCUs punch well above their weight in terms of degree production, particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields and professional programs, and they continue to be a primary choice for students seeking a campus environment deeply rooted in Black history and community.

However, Qatar’s role as a chief sponsor of global terrorism, the de facto headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist apparatus, a primary source of anti-Israel and anti-American propaganda, and one of the largest African slave holding states per capita are just four reasons HBCUs should proceed with extreme caution, if not walk away altogether. Qatar is following the pattern established in the 1960s, where Islamic terrorist focus their exploitative propaganda efforts on the Black community. The Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel (IBSI) and Founder Dumisani Washington have written and produced digital content extensively on this issue. IBSI’s online and in-person Forum on Israel, Africa, & Black America is another resource available to Black and African community leaders and lay people.

Qatar’s new HBCU effort should also be seen in its global context. In Africa-Israel Weekly (AIW)’s December 2025 piece, Israel’s Enemies Frustrated by Growing African Christian Zionism, the case is made that decades of anti-Zionist disinformation have had a negligible effect on Christians in Africa, the world’s fastest-growing population on the world’s fastest-growing continent. Black Americans have long been the most influential members of the African diaspora, and Israel’s enemies have always seen both groups as connected. Thus, lies about Israel’s systemic racism, apartheid government, and imperialist aspirations are key weapons of deception used on Black Americans. Further, about 5% of HBCU students are from abroad, and those from nations such as Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya often represent a significant portion of these international cohorts. No doubt, Qatar is seeking to thwart what will increasingly be Israel’s greatest support — Black/African Christians.

For Black/African leaders, this report should serve as both a warning and an encouragement. We should be warned that Israel-haters and antisemites have increased their focus on us. We should be encouraged that Israel-haters and antisemites are fearful of us. As AIW said last December, “Israel’s and Africa’s enemies are indeed concerned. They should be.”

VIDEO

• Part 1 of 3 Israel’s Enemies Frustrated by Growing African Christian Zionism

• Part 2 of 3 The Terrorist-Sponsored UN Resolution on African Slavery

I first became aware of the nation of Somaliland in the spring of 2023, even though Somaliland has been an independent state since 1991. In March 2023, IBSI was among the only American delegates at the First Arab-Africa-Israel Security Conference hosted by our partners at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA). During the conference, I had the honor of escorting a few of the African delegates to the Western Wall and the Temple Mount for their first visit to the holy sites. They were all very appreciative and thanked me multiple times. One of the delegates was from Somaliland.

During the conference sessions, one could feel the subtle tension between the delegates from Somalia and Somaliland. Their behavior towards each other was always cordial, but it was clear that the Somalians viewed the Somalilanders as rebellious family members who had left the fold, and would one day return. The Somalilanders were gracious but uninterested in going backward. Now that Israel has formally recognized Somaliland statehood — a wise move that will ultimately increase the stability and prosperity of the region — it would appear that any type of reunification is all but impossible. You see, unlike the failed, Islamic terrorist state of Somalia, Somaliland is a peaceful, pro-Western, pro-Israel, African Muslim nation in what Dr. King may have also described as “an oasis of brotherhood and democracy,” as he did Israel.

Unlike Israel, the US administration has not only refused to acknowledge an independent Somaliland, but President Trump has spoken dismissively of the breakaway republic. From the New York Post:

“Does anyone know what Somaliland is, really?” Trump asked aloud from his golf course in West Palm Beach.

Trump sounded unimpressed by the Muslim-majority state offering to join the Abraham Accords — through which Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan and the UAE established relations with Israel — and equally unimpressed by Somaliland’s offer of land for a US naval base near the mouth of the Red Sea.

Asked about Somaliland’s offer to the US of a port on the strategically important Gulf of Aden, Trump dismissively replied, “Big deal.”

What’s even more troubling than the Trump administration’s disrespect for Somaliland’s accomplishments and overtures of friendship is the implied reason why. Observe:

The nations in favor of Somaliland’s independence:
• Israel
• The UAE
• Morocco
• Bahrain

The nations not in favor of Somaliland’s independence:
• Qatar
• Turkey
• Iran
• The United States

Once again, we see President Trump taking positions in line with the terrorist-supporting regimes of Qatar and Turkey, even as, according to Reuters, Turkey’s President Recep Erdoğan stated that:

Israel's decision to formally recognise…the self-declared Republic of Somaliland was an illegal and unacceptable step, adding that it was trying to drag the horn of Africa into destabilisation.

Somaliland’s government responded that Erdogan is meddling in regional affairs. Further, Somaliland Ambassador Dr. Mohamed Hagi announced on X that their Israeli embassy would be located in Jerusalem.

The Embassy will be opened soon, while Israel will also establish its Embassy in Hargeisa, reflecting growing friendship, mutual respect, and strategic cooperation between our two peoples.

Make no mistake, every other nation — especially in Africa — sees this for what it is. The Muslim Brotherhood (Qatar, Turkey) has undue influence on US foreign policy. Did President Trump say that he will not recognize Somaliland because of Turkey and Qatar? No. But as someone once said, discernment is pattern recognition. Trump’s constant deference to Erdogan and Qatar’s Al Thani, both charter members of his Board of Peace, is increasingly disturbing. One cannot help but question what Trump’s position on Somaliland would be if Erdogan and Al Thani were in favor of it, or if Somaliland had the vast resources to gift the President a $400 million plane.

Somaliland’s reward for refusing terrorism, embracing peace, and attempting to build strong ties with Israel and the West? Threats from jihadists and scorn from the US. Meanwhile, Somalia is controlled by al-Shabaab jihadists while the government receives over $2 billion in annual aid. What’s more, Somali immigrants to the US have been the subject of multiple fraud investigations in which even more state and federal money is being sent to al-Shabaab. In a November 2025 City-Journal piece, writers Ryan Thorpe and Christopher Rufo explain:

In many cases, the fraud has allegedly been perpetrated by members of Minnesota’s sizeable Somali community. Federal counterterrorism sources confirm that millions of dollars in stolen funds have been sent back to Somalia, where they ultimately landed in the hands of the terror group Al-Shabaab. As one confidential source put it: “The largest funder of Al-Shabaab is the Minnesota taxpayer.”

Somaliland, on the other hand, is run by duly elected representatives who’ve engineered a stable economy and receives 10% of what Somalia receives in annual aid (around $200 million). Essentially, Somalia is being rewarded for terrorizing its own people and its neighbors in Kenya, while, as far as the US government is concerned, Somaliland is being ignored at best, ridiculed at worst.

On his podcast, Ask Haviv Anything, Israeli political commentator Haviv Rettig Gur said:

Yes. Somalia is internationally recognize, but it doesn’t function as a sovereign state in its own territory. Somaliland is not recognized, but it does function as one. What does it tell countries in the world? What does it tell the governing elites in the world? Somaliland proves that Somalia is a choice. They’re the same people. They’re same religion. So why do they have such radically different political outcomes? The variable is culture in the political sense. Maybe that’s why there’s so much resistance to the idea that Somaliland should be recognized for the success story that it is. The refusal to recognize it tells us less about Somaliland and more about how uncomfortable we are as Westerners…with admitting that statehood is earned. It has to be a state built out to make statehood useful and not catastrophic.

Israeli Rabbi Pesach Wolicki of Israel365 News offered this sobering analysis:

The Somaliland recognition debate forces us into a moment of clarity. Do we stand with the moderates, with the stable states, with the pro western modernizing states in the Muslim world as represented by the Abraham Accords — the UAE Bahrain Morocco, and the emerging partners like Somaliland? Or, are we deferring to and pandering to the Islamist axis, the anti-West axis of Turkey, Qatar, Iran, and the other aligned governments who oppose the westernizing, stabilizing forces in the Middle East? The Trump administration’s failure to immediately embrace Somaliland recognition while echoing the reluctance of Islamist misaligned states is a grave strategic and moral error.

I 100% concur with Rabbi Wolicki. In fact, I believe the US’s erroneous position on seemingly small, insignificant Somaliland will have far-reaching consequences…for the US.

Beejhy Barhany is the Ethiopian Israeli owner of Tsion Cafe in Harlem. IBSI and Africa-Israel Weekly first profiled Beejhy in December 2021, and over the years, she has become a friend. Recording artist and IBSI Executive Director, Joshua Washington, has performed at Tsion Cafe several times over the years. After 12 years of serving New York City, Beejhy decided to close Tsion Cafe, one of the latest stories of being Jewish in America. From The Algemeiner, February 2026:

“The harassment has been going on for years…It’s outside agitators, white supremacists, racist, antisemitism. I’ve been targeted by that … it kind of became unbearable. It became a burden and unsafe … to the point where somebody called and said, ‘We’re going to come and shoot you all.’ She detailed experiencing constant harassment through phone calls and her restaurant even being vandalized with swastikas.

“After Oct. 7, we wanted to embrace our Jewishness, our proud heritage, and become fully kosher and vegan. The intention was that we are Jewish and we are here to celebrate our Jewishness. And that kind of amplified [the harassment] even more.”

Since the Hamas massacre and abduction of Israelis on October 7, 2023, antisemitism in the US has surged by 200%. Yes. Israel was attacked, and hatred for Israel and the Jewish people in the West increased. Reports from various parts of the country of Jews being harassed, threatened, attacked, and even killed are becoming regular occurrences. The concern for the global rise in Jew-hatred is so great that the state of Israel has been performing emergency drills to bring diaspora Jews to Israel at a moment’s notice.

Beehjy’s story is a reminder that hatred for the Jewish people is not limited to “White Jews” as is often the lie told by those who call themselves defenders of Palestinians, or consider themselves anti-Zionists. Zionism is the liberation movement of the Jewish people, and those who hate the Jewish people couldn’t care less what “color” those Jewish people are. I personally have Jewish friends and colleagues in the US whose families immigrated from North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, the broader Middle East, Asia, Latin America, Eastern and Western Europe, and more, and the rising tide of Jew-hatred has impacted all of those communities — because it is one community. The Jews.

This growing crisis of antisemitism in the US and the West is the result of many factors converging: Billions in foreign influence money from regimes like Qatar and China on our politics, Communist-Islamic terrorist disinformation in our schools and universities, and Churches/Christian leaders not knowing or defending the truth of Zionism are just a few examples. IBSI is even more resolute in informing and empowering Black and African leaders to help combat the scourge of Jew-hatred that threatens to destroy everything in its path.

In March, South Chicago Pastor and IBSI Board Member Corey Brooks wrote an OpEd for Fox News entitled, Why I refuse to stay silent as Jews are scapegoated by left and right. His words should be echoed by every Black leader in this country — by every American who cares about true justice and where our nation is headed:

The Jewish people are being abandoned, scapegoated and demonized from both sides of the aisle, and I will not stand for it. I will not be silent anymore. I will not betray them.

That is a promise.

That is IBSI’s promise as well.

You can still follow and support Beejhy and Tsion Cafe here.

On Monday, May 18th, Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel (IBSI) Founder & CEO Dumisani Washington helped lead the 3,000-Year Africa-Israel Friendship Celebration in Accra, Ghana. This was part of a series of Africa-Israel, Black-Jewish events that IBSI has presented, starting with:

• The 3,000-Year Celebration in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (September 2025)

• The African and African-American Pastors Tour to Israel (November 2025). and

• The First Annual Young Leaders Conference in Addis Ababa (February 2026)

IBSI has partnered with the Let Africa Go Movement of Ethiopia, led by Dr. Abera Habte, who also leads the Elshaddai Television Network based in Addis. IBSI has also joined with the Israel-Africa Relations Institute led by Shiri Fein-Grossman. In Ghana, Dumisani also teamed up with longtime friend and colleague Rev. Dr. Francis Tabla, leader of African Christians United for Israel, based in Minneapolis. These partnerships will continue with the upcoming:

• Pan-African-Israel Conference & Celebration in Minneapolis (October 22-25)

  • This is part of a 13-year tradition started by Dr. Francis Tabla, who has hosted an annual Africa Night to Honor Israel since 2013. This year, it will be a 4-day Africa-Israel conference featuring international speakers. Details coming soon.

• Unfinished Business Holy Land Tour (November 3-11)

  • In association with the newly formed Black Christian Leadership Council on Israel Relations (BCLCIR), IBSI is planning a Holy Land Tour during what would have been the 59th anniversary of the pilgrimage Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was to lead in November 1967. Dr. King postponed the trip in the aftermath of the June 1967 Six-Day War, choosing to go the next year. He was assassinated the next year. (IBSI Executive Director, Joshua Washington, explains this fascinating history in our 2014 video, Dr. King’s pro-Israel Legacy.) We are planning to take some 500 Black American and African pastors and Christian leaders to visit Israel, something that Dr. King was never able to do — ‘Unfinished Business.’ Details coming soon.

• Second Annual Young Leaders Conference in Israel (February 1-9, 2027)

  • In Israel, we will host the second YLC gathering of 300 delegates from across Africa, the US, and the UK. Details coming soon.

In addition to IBSI’s Israel and Africa travels, we will host the next in-person Forum on Israel, Africa, & Black America in Atlanta (August 15) and in Washington, DC (September 12). Please join IBSI’s newsletter at IBSI.org to stay up to date.

On March 26, 2026, 123 voting members of the United Nations passed the UN resolution entitled the Declaration of the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and Racialized Chattel Enslavement of Africans as the Gravest Crime against Humanity. From NBC News:

The vote in the 193-member world body was 123-3, with 52 abstentions. Argentina, Israel and the United States were the three members voting against the resolution. The United Kingdom and all 27 members of the European Union were among those that abstained.

According to Deputy U.S. Ambassador Dan Negrea, the US chose to oppose the resolution because it “does not recognize a legal right to reparations for historical wrongs that were not illegal under international law at the time they occurred.” Negera continued:

“The United States also strongly objects to the resolution’s attempt to rank crimes against humanity in any type of hierarchy, The assertion that some crimes against humanity are less severe than others objectively diminishes the suffering of countless victims and survivors of other atrocities throughout history.”

In explaining Israel’s opposition to the UN resolution on the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade, a statement on the official Facebook page reads:

Israel has consistently supported initiatives that address the history and legacy of slavery. We approached this resolution in that same spirit, with a genuine desire to join consensus.

However, we regret that we are unable to support the resolution as adopted.

This is mainly because the resolution defines the trafficking and enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.

While we fully recognize the unparalleled scale and cruelty of these crimes, we cannot accept language that effectively establishes a hierarchy among crimes against humanity.

Such formulations risk diminishing the gravity of other atrocities, including the Jewish Holocaust by the Nazis, as well as other crimes that have caused immense human suffering.

For this reason, Israel had to vote against the resolution. We did so with regret. Our opposition does not reflect a lack of recognition of the horrors of slavery or its legacy, but rather stems from principled concerns regarding the text as it stands.

We sincerely regret that adjustments were not made during the negotiation process that could have enabled broader support, including from Israel.

Israel remains committed to combating racism, preserving historical truth, and ensuring that all crimes against humanity are remembered and addressed without hierarchy or politicization.

What the Israeli statement did not mention is the fact that the UN resolution also directly referenced the 2001 UN Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in Durban, South Africa, also known as Durban I. It was at Durban I that the jihadist-backed UN conference was weaponized as an international, false apartheid claim against Israel. From the late Olga Meshoe-Washington:

Durban I spawned the establishment of BDS, the modern-era effort to isolate Jews and delegitimize the State of Israel. Unlike the aim of the boycott and sanction efforts against apartheid South Africa which sought to dismantle an evil, racist system, BDS unapologetically seeks as its ultimate goal the destruction of the world’s only Jewish State. BDS has succeeded in inspiring hatred towards people based on their identity and in perverting what is considered justice. Sadly, their campaign of misinformation and disinformation against Israel and the Jewish people has been supported by African nations that participate in fraudulent pro-human rights gatherings by world bodies and institutions.

Not only did the UN’s latest statement on slavery directly reference the origin of the apartheid blood libel against Israel, the resolution was also co-sponsored by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), a Muslim Brotherhood-aligned terrorist entity dedicated to Israel’s destruction since 1964. Egyptian-born Yasser Arafat became PLO Chairman in 1969, and, since that time, the PLO has exploited the historical legacies of Black Americans and Africans arguably more than any other people. Former Black Panther, Eldridge Cleaver, joined the anti-Israel movement after meeting Yasser Arafat in 1969, and left the movement after learning of the nearly 1400-year Arab enslavement of Africans (among other reasons). Social media backlash to the UN’s manipulation of Black history from Black Americans and Africans has been abundant and swift. One of the many viral Instagram posts came from IBSI Executove Director, Joshua Washington who, like Cleaver, cited the Arab systematic dehumanization of Africans since the 7th century. The poison pill of adding the Durban Conference, coupled with terrorist support for a UN resolution ostensibly memorializing victims of the Middle Passage, made the UN resolution yet another mockery of justice at the expense of African people.

But why did the UN use a willing Ghanaian government teamed up with Islamic jihadists to drive a wedge between Israel and Africa yet again? Because, the decades-long strategy is not working. As IBSI explained this in our December 2025 piece, Israel’s Enemies Frustrated by Growing African Christian Zionism:

This week, Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network, published a propaganda piece by contributor Fathi Nimer entitled, Christian Zionism in the Global South: The Case of South Africa. Countless anti-Israel propaganda pieces are published regularly, but Al-Shabaka’s latest is noteworthy as it is an adversarial yet honest admission of two basic truths:

1. African Christian Zionism is growing, including in South Africa.

2. Israel’s enemies can do nothing to effectively stop it.

Quoting Istael-African Relations Institute CEO, Shiri Fein-Grossman, the Jewish Report noted:

“Israel is increasingly perceived by many African governments as a capable regional power with concrete benefits to offer in areas such as technology, agriculture, security, water management, and innovation. That practical cooperation continues to shape relations more than ideological positioning in many capitals.

“Like any international relationship, momentum can slow during periods of conflict or crisis, and we have seen that happen at different moments. But the underlying trajectory remains positive.”

Whether the Muslim Brotherhood governments of Qatar or Turkey, or the Islamic Republic of Iran, or the biased United Nations, Israel’s enemies have long sought to destroy the Israel-Africa bond — a bond that began 3,000 years ago when the Queen of Sheba visited King Solomon in Jerusalem. And, while there have been periods of difficulty, that bond continues and is growing. As IBSI quoted anti-Zionist Fathi Nimer:

If Christian Zionism and pro-Israel mobilization can take hold in South Africa, a major center of Palestinian solidarity, the implications for the wider Global South are significant

Thus, the subtitle of this piece, Israel’s Enemies Frustrated by Growing African Christian Zionism, Part 2. There will no doubt be a Part 3. And, no doubt, the conclusion will be the same. The future is Israel-Africa.

• Part 1 of 3 Israel’s Enemies Frustrated by Growing African Christian Zionism

• Part 3 of 3 Qatar (Muslim Brotherhood) Focuses on HBCUs

Please read the article here.

Pastor Corey is the Senior Pastor of New Beginnings Church of Chicago, CEO of Project H.O.O.D., and a Board Member of the Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel.

For the past decade, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ratcheted up relations with Africa. These ties have withstood the setbacks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Gaza, and, so far, the current hostilities with Iran.

The Israel-US attacks on Iran from 28 February, and Tehran’s retaliations, have elicited a mixed or mooted reaction from African capitals. African governments worry about surging oil prices, the soaring cost of living, and trade disruptions. Apart from pro-Palestinian diehards like South Africa and Algeria, comments on the conflict have been measured, critical of Tehran’s counterattacks, or not made at all. Responses have largely focused on the threat to global stability, trade, and the legality of the strikes.

Predictably, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation condemned the attacks on Iran as “unlawful”, saying they violate the United Nations (UN) Charter, but also that Iran’s counter-strikes on Gulf states went beyond the bounds of self-defence. The African National Congress sent its first deputy secretary-general, Nomvula Mokonyane, to mourn the Iranian dictator, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

The Algerian Foreign Ministry described the initial strikes as a “flagrant violation of sovereignty” and “American-Zionist aggression”.

Others have been more even-handed. The African Union expressed “deep concern” about the strikes, appealing for “maximum restraint”. It “strongly condemned” Iran’s attacks on Gulf states, calling them “a clear violation of sovereignty”. It also warned the war would adversely affect Africa’s energy markets, food security, and economic resilience.

The three African countries (A3) on the UN Security Council (the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Liberia, and Somalia) said: “all parties should exercise restraint and responsibility, uphold international law, and avoid any action that could escalate tensions or threaten regional stability”. The A3 supported efforts for “a peaceful, inclusive, and lasting resolution in Iran”.

Benji Shulman, director of the Middle East Africa Research Institute, said most African countries’ reactions were driven more by Tehran’s attacks on other states than opposition to Israel. States close to Washington, like Kenya and Morocco, have expressed qualified support for the war. States in the Horn of Africa, like Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Somaliland, are wary of Iran and of being dragged into this conflict, Shulman said. Their statements focused on Iran, not Israel.

Shiri Fein-Grossman, chief executive of the Israel-Africa Relations Institute in Herzliya, noted the range of reactions. “The overall picture is more nuanced than a simple pro- or anti-Israel divide. Most African governments have taken a cautious approach, emphasising restraint and de-escalation. South Africa stands out for its strong criticism of the strikes and its broader political opposition to Israel’s actions. Overall, the dominant African response has been pragmatic: urging de-escalation while avoiding alignment with Iran, and in many cases quietly maintaining or strengthening ties with Israel.”

Rolene Marks, Israeli journalist, said, “We haven’t heard very much from African countries, with the exception of South Africa. A lot of African countries understand the threat that Iran poses to them and their security by funding the Islamist terror entities operational in their countries, threatening their citizens.”

Shulman said Africa matters to Israel. The Horn “is a breeding ground for terrorism” and poses threats to Israel’s security and global shipping. He cited the reopening of the Israeli embassy in Lusaka, Zambia 52 years after it closed as evidence that Netanyahu’s courting of Africa is paying off. Ties with the DRC have strengthened. “Israel is operating effectively in southern Africa, which South Africa sees as its domain”, adding to bilateral friction.

Marks said, “The African continent is a strategic frontier for Israel. We’re focused on growing those ties. We also understand that there’s a race for Africa between China, Iran, and the West, and Israel is perfectly positioned to help African countries.”

Fein-Grossman said the last 10 years of Israel’s Africa outreach has produced “uneven” results at the multilateral level, while strengthening many bilateral relations. She noted growing support at the UN for Israel from Cameroon, Rwanda, Togo and, at times, Malawi. Yet the broader picture reveals African country positions that “often remain aligned with broader Global South and pro-Palestinian consensus”.

Nevertheless, “a lot of African countries don’t see the need to take a partisan position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict even through the Gaza war. The only question is why South Africa doesn’t seem to get the memo for this,” Marks said.

“Africa is increasingly seen in Jerusalem as a strategic diplomatic and geopolitical arena rather than a peripheral one” said Fein-Grossman. This was reflected in the foreign minister’s 2025 announcement that strengthening relations with African nations would be “a top priority” for Israel.

Fein-Grossman mentioned trips by the foreign minister to Ethiopia and Somaliland, and President Isaac Herzog’s visits to the DRC, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Zambia. African leaders continued to visit Israel after 7 October 2023, indicating resilient relationships. She also emphasised the increasing strategic importance of the Horn, leading to Israel’s recognition of Somaliland. She urged keeping perspective, though; Jerusalem’s ties with Washington remain paramount.

“Overall,” Fein-Grossman said, “African voices may not be the decisive factor in Israeli decision making, but their importance in Israel’s diplomatic and strategic calculations is clearly growing. The trajectory of relations points toward deeper engagement in the years ahead.”

She said that if the war with Iran remains limited and relatively short, Israel-Africa relations are unlikely to change dramatically. If the government in Tehran changes significantly, relations could even improve, including with South Africa. The United States and Israel are working on trilateral cooperation with African states, and perhaps adding more African countries to the Abraham Accords.

“Israel is increasingly perceived by many African governments as a capable regional power with concrete benefits to offer in areas such as technology, agriculture, security, water management, and innovation. That practical cooperation continues to shape relations more than ideological positioning in many capitals,” said Fein-Grossman.

“Like any international relationship, momentum can slow during periods of conflict or crisis, and we have seen that happen at different moments. But the underlying trajectory remains positive,” Fein-Grossman said.

She said, “Africa’s strategic importance is growing rapidly due to its expanding population, vast arable land, and its significant share of critical minerals and natural resources.

“At the same time, regions such as the Horn of Africa have become strategically important for Israel, particularly in the context of Red Sea security and broader regional dynamics. There is also a foundation of shared experience and values between Israel and many African nations, including histories of state-building, development challenges, and the pursuit of technological and agricultural innovation. Strengthening these relationships requires consistent engagement, long-term investment, and respect for each country’s sovereignty. When that approach is sustained, the partnership has clear win-win potential. Looking ahead, if the regional landscape changes significantly, including potential shifts within Iran, Israel’s role as a partner for African nations could expand even further.”

This article originally appeared in the South African Jewish Report, March 12, 2026

See also Israel’s Enemies Frustrated by Growing African Christian Zionism

On Saturday, February 28th, Israel and the United States began coordinated strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran. President Trump calls the campaign Operation Epic Fury. Prime Minister Netanyahu calls it Operation Roaring Lion. Over the next 24 hours, the Ayatollah Khamenei was eliminated along with many other senior regime officials as well as several crucial Iranian military bases.

For the Iranian people, as an overwhelming majority of the population has expressed, this is a glorious time, and one they hope will end in complete victory over the Islamic Republic that has occupied Iran since the revolution in 1979.

It’s never easy to predict anything in the fog of war, but one abundantly clear thing is that the Iranian people have a chance of a new, freer society, one where women can have their hair out in public, do gymnastics, and wear normal clothes. The people of Iran have a chance, like times before, of living in a country where those accused of homosexuality aren’t hanged from cranes in public squares, and where Christians do not have to worship underground for fear of execution.

The Islamic Republic has had its foot on the people’s neck for almost 50 years. Beyond its borders, it has been one of the top sponsors of global terrorism and the top sponsor of terrorism in Africa. On behalf of the Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel, and as a fellow believer in Yeshua, the destruction of the Iranian regime and the liberation of the persecuted church have been a prayer point for years.

While all of this is true, there are accompanying unfortunate truths that many of us are choosing to ignore.

The US is still very much in bed with Qatar.

IBSI has been tracking the very froward relationship between the second Trump administration and Qatar, which has been a complete 180-degree shift from the first Trump administration. In 2017, President Trump said very clearly that Qatar was a major sponsor of global terrorism and that it “must stop.” Today, not only have we not heard even echoes of Trump’s former stance, but anytime the president says anything about Qatar is to praise the Emir and other Qatari leaders.

The prevailing argument among Trump supporters is that he is simply playing 4D chess and has a master plan to dismantle and subdue Qatar. Evidence points to the opposite. The Washington Free Beacon reports that, from 2024 to 2025, Qatar tripled its funding of anti-Israel, anti-America, pro-jihad indoctrination on US college and university campuses. Yes. Qatari “investment” in American education went from $369 million to over $1.2 billion during Trump’s first year in office. What’s more, pro-Qatari pundits like Tucker Carlson, who peddle lies about “Christian persecution” in Israel, while running cover for actual Christian persecution in Qatar (where he recently bought a new house), continue to have direct and unfettered access to the White House.

Qatar is also one of the largest facilitators of the global slave trade. Qatar was one of the sponsors of the October 7 massacre in Israel. They are not, nor have they ever been, a true friend of the United States of America, or any of the free world.

So, how is allowing Qatar to deepen its Muslim Brotherhood fangs into American society 4D chess?

The same way that telling the Iranian people to go out and protest their government, and then doing nothing for almost two months, while at least 40,000 were slaughtered.

It isn’t 4D chess.

If President Trump’s strategy was to topple the Iranian regime, it makes absolutely no sense to have brought Operation Rising Lion to a screeching halt when Israel had the upper hand and was going to almost certainly finish the job last summer. It makes absolutely no sense that President Trump would then form a Board of Peace, placing hostile governments like Turkey, Qatar, and Pakistan in decision-making authority about issues like Israel’s border security with Syria and Gaza.

There is no amount of chess, 4D or otherwise, that explains how these actions are good for Israel or the US.

In fact, this would explain why Netanyahu has been publicly talking about removing Israel completely from US military aid, a relationship that anti-Israel talking heads love to misinterpret. (See Israel is Unhitching its Military from the US. Africa Should Do the Same)

The US does not give unfettered aid to Israel. It is a military contract. Israel can only spend the aid on US-made weapons, and only if the US approves. In situations like what happened after October 7th, 2023, the Biden administration slow-walked and sometimes outright denied Israel the weapons it needed to fight Hamas. Imagine a billionaire gave you a gift card for 10 million dollars, but the gift card could only be used in the billionaire’s shop. So essentially, all the money goes back to the billionaire. But even more so than that, you can only purchase items in the billionaire’s shop if he approves. In other words, he has the right to refuse any sales to you, and he tends to do it at times when you need what he has the most.

That has been the US’s aid relationship with Israel.

The US does, however, give hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to the Palestinian Authority (which gets funneled to Hamas), without any stipulations. No one seems to ever complain about our tax dollars going to that.

There are so many unanswered questions with the current Trump administration, but not because things are too complicated. It’s because not enough people have the courage to ask the questions. We can justify these very suspicious actions all we want, but we also need to remember that Trump will be President for less than three years, and the things he has set in motion now will continue to play out in the years to come.

There is a massive Qatari elephant in the room, and unlike an elephant, our memories are incredibly short-term.

This will be our undoing. It already is in many ways.

Again, we continue to pray for and stand with the people of Iran. May they have true freedom. May the Islamic Republic of Iran fall, never to rise again, and may new, better leadership take place and lead the new Persian society into a bastion of peace and security.