On Tuesday, Oct. 22, Union University’s chapter of Christians United for Israel hosted Pastor Dumisani Washington in Harvey Hall at 7 p.m. as he discussed and debunked the top five myths in anti-semitism.
Washington is a pastor, composer, music teacher and author from Northern California. His Israel journey began in the early 1990s when he was seeking to gain a deeper understanding of his Christian roots and faith. This journey became a cultural learning opportunity as he studied Jewish texts and inquired about Israel’s multi-ethnic identity.
Here are the top five myths Washington debunked during the evening: Israel stole Arab land, Israelis are fake Jews from Europe, Israel oppresses and discriminates against its Arab population, the Palestinian territory of Gaza is an open-air prison and Israel is racist against Africans.
Washington assured the students in attendance at the event that the myths stated were not true by examining each of them and then supporting his statements with statistics, video clips and scripture.
“Israel and its pilots, who just fought its own war, flew to drop food and medicine to the people of Igbo so they would not be completely slaughtered,” said Washington. “You never hear it on the news because there is so much anti-semitism that surfaces.”
Through this event, Washington was helping students gain a more comprehensive understanding of complex issues.
“They all look different. You would not know that he is a Jew or a Nigerian,” said Washington. “These are Israelites, who have scattered over thousands of years, and they are having a reunion as they are coming back from all over the world. This is the Bible coming to life.”
Washington ended his discussion with a video explaining the dangers of believing the lies against Israel and specifically mentioning the harm Boycott Divestment Sanction movements, BDS, is causing on college campuses.
“He was so passionate about his topic, but he was doing so in a way where he was really wanting to share the facts and bring truth instead of throwing his truth on us,” said Samantha Jones, junior biology major. “He was a Christian advocating for Jews, and I thought that was important.”
For more information, visit https://www.cufi.org/.
