Martin Luther King's Daughter, Bernice King, Addressed Amy Schumer After The Comedian Posted A Clip Of MLK Saying "That Israel Must Exist"

    "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."

    Natasha Jokic
    by Natasha Jokic

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Bernice King, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s daughter and CEO of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, responded after Amy Schumer shared a video of MLK speaking about Israel.

    Closeup of Bernice King sitting
    Lisa Lake / Getty Images for Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission

    Since the attacks by Hamas on an Israeli music festival on Oct. 7, around 1,400 Israelis have died. Approximately 8,300 Palestinians have died in retaliatory bombing. Some, including the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, have subsequently called for a ceasefire — which has been rejected by both the US and Israel.

    Aerial view of bombings happening
    Amir Levy / Getty Images

    Amy has consistently posted pro-Israel content in the ensuing weeks to some criticism, such as when she deleted an Instagram story about "genocide" that was actually about Palestine. She has further reposted content claiming that people calling for a ceasefire are "aligning with terrorists who pledge to kill every last Jew."

    Closeup of Amy Schumer on the red carpet
    Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for Good+Foundation

    Yesterday, Amy posted a video of MLK speaking in 1967 where he said, "The whole world must see that Israel must exist and has the right to exist and is one of the great outposts of democracy in the world."

    Another clip of MLK speaking then plays, where he said, "If my Jewish brothers and sisters said to me amid antisemitism anywhere, 'We don't need your support. We have enough Jewish power to deal with this problem ourselves.' I would still take a stand against antisemitism because it's wrong, it's unjust, and it's evil."

    Closeup of Martin Luther King Jr. at a podium speaking
    Bettmann / Bettmann Archive

    King's views on Israel and Palestine were complex and have been debated by many scholars since. As the clip suggests, he did support Israel's right to exist on multiple occasions. He also said after the Six-Day War began that for "ultimate peace and security [...] it will probably be necessary for Israel to give up this conquered territory" and discussed peace for both Israelis and Arabs.

    Bernice then wrote on Twitter, "Amy: Certainly, my father was against antisemitism, as am I. He also believed militarism (along with racism and poverty) to be among the interconnected Triple Evils. 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."

    🧵 Amy:

    Certainly, my father was against antisemitism, as am I.

    He also believed militarism (along with racism and poverty) to be among the interconnected Triple Evils.

    I am certain he would call for Israel’s bombing of Palestinians to cease, for hostages to be released… https://t.co/haahcqcuAf

    — Be A King (@BerniceKing) November 1, 2023
    Twitter: @BerniceKing

    She then quoted MLK's Where Do We Go From Here: "Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love." Bernice added, "We have much to correct."

    Bernice King giving a talk
    Paras Griffin / Getty Images

    Bernice then included a clip of MLK talking about the Vietnam War, where he said, "We should restrain our power. There's always the danger that any nation will abuse their power, and I think our power must be much more than military power. We don't need to prove to the world or anybody our military power, I think we've got to prove our moral power." When asked at the time if the US had "abused" its power, MLK replied, "Oh, I certainly do, in the war in Vietnam."

    Twitter: @BerniceKing

    Bernice then encouraged Amy to read MLK's 1967 book Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? and concluded, "I mourn with all who are mourning. I know that we can’t afford to diminish & dehumanize each other if we are truly committed to ridding humanity of the Triple Evils & to freedom from oppression for all."

    I encourage you to read ‘Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?’

    I mourn with all who are mourning.

    I know that we can’t afford to diminish & dehumanize each other if we are truly committed to ridding humanity of the Triple Evils & to freedom from oppression for all. pic.twitter.com/YOEuKe7yKu

    — Be A King (@BerniceKing) November 1, 2023
    ‎Beacon Press / Via Twitter: @BerniceKing

    Since posting the MLK video, Amy has continued to share anti-ceasefire content. She then posted a statement saying, "What I want is EVERY HOSTAGE back; I want safety and freedom from Hamas for Palestinians and Israelis. [...] We are all in a lot of pain. What hurts the most is that we all actually love each other. You hate Jews. You don't know why. I still love you."