Recognising the Lost Jewish Tribes in Africa is a National Security Imperative

By Max Coutinho

“Then the LORD your G-d will turn your captivity, and have compassion upon you, and will return and gather you from all the peoples, where the LORD your G-d has scattered you.” – Deuteronomy 30:3

How does the State of Israel determine who are the Jews scattered by G-d around the world? How does the Chief Rabbinate determine who are the Jews scattered by the Lord and that now, in the End of Days, need to return to Haaretz?

The Need to Protect the Tribe

Jews need to protect the Land of Israel, it’s true. The Jewish People also need to make sure they uphold the word of Hashem: the Children of Israel are to return to the Promised Land, rebuild it, thrive there, return to G-d and wait for the Mashiach. Many say most of this has been done but it has not. Not yet.

Avinu Malkeinu said that he would “gather you from all the peoples”…”from all the peoples”, not “from the peoples”, meaning from all over the world, from all Continents; not just Europe, Latin America, North of Africa, parts of Asia. This also includes our Jewish brothers hiding in Sub-Saharan Africa.

I entreat our readers to avoid thinking that that hideous disease called Racism may be at play here – though I would understand if they would. Can a Jew be Black? Even though when people think of Jews they think of light skinned individuals, the fact is that Jews come in many colours and shapes – due to the curse of the Galut (Exile). So, yes, a Jew can have any level of Melanin in his skin ב"ה

So, what happens when a group of individuals claim to be Jewish and they do follow Jewish Traditions for centuries? 

Instead of dismissing such groups right away, the State of Israel should invest in investigating the veracity of such claims because the more diverse we are as a People the more guaranteed are our National Security interests. Instead of ignoring such claims, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel should undertake the mission of investigating them and after everything checks out; then it is to recognise the Lost Tribes. These matters must not be overlooked lest we give the impression that only certain kinds of Jews are accepted by the State.

If the usual tools employed for verification lead to reasonable doubt then DNA testing is to be made. A Jew must always have an Ancient Jewish Gene – even if he/she descends from Converts.

The Problem with African Jews

One of the tools for recognition of a Jewish Community, or individual, is the existence of documentation, literature or memorabilia proving the community’s, or the individual’s, Jewishness. However, in the African case this is not always possible as they either did not keep records (for any given reason, like integration – as Africans, until recently, did not have the habit of recording their traditions by writing as they are historically firm believers in Oral Tradition) or the documents got lost during the constant migrations throughout the Continent. NB: being a Black Jew in Africa was not easy either, as they always had to hide their identity and run (from Muslims and later on from Christians – Read how Christians treated Jews in Ethiopia).

Obviously, when under such conditions, it is harder to prove that some African Communities are Jewish; therefore, the only solution is to test their blood. Those who have the Ancient Hebrew Gene will be immediately accepted, those who don’t will not be recognised as Jews (but since they were raised as such, they should have the option to convert – under Jewish Orthodoxy). The Tribe of Israel must be protected.

Diversity as a National Security Imperative

It is in our best National Security interest to broaden the diversity of Am Yisrael because we will have a wider range of assets speaking non-recorded dialects (remember that not all African languages have a written grammar or a linguistic codex) that will help the Nation to conquer the Market of the Future: Africa. This continent presently poses a threat to international security that needs to be contained and the only way to do it is by having the assistance of individuals who speak their language, who understand their culture and their demeanour (which is not easy to grasp at all). Having said this, the State of Israel should think through its policy regarding the recognition of African Lost Tribes and invest more on vetting them.

We need to move beyond the Beta-Israelis (i.e. Ethiopian Jews).

The Endless Possibilities behind African Jews

• Ugandan Jews: they speak Swahili. Kiswahili is the national language of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda; and it is spoken also in Rwanda, the DRC, Burundi, Mozambique (North), Malawi, Zambia and Comoros. It is estimated that between 120 and 150 million people are Swahili speakers. Kenya, Tanzania, DRC, Rwanda and even Mozambique are strategic nations.
• Igbo Jews (Nigeria): they speak the Igbo Language which is spoken by 44 million people in Nigeria and it’s a minority language in Equatorial Guinea. The possibilities are also endless in fighting corruption and Islamism in West Africa. 
• Cape Verde Jews: even though it is said there are no practising Jews in these islands (i.e. the descendants of the Jews expelled from Portugal in 1492 and in later years), it would be worthwhile to help projects like the Cape Verde Jewish Heritage Project to reconnect the local Bnei Anusim with the Tribe of Israel. Cape Verde is another strategic state in the fight against Narco-Trafficking. 
• Mozambican Jews: the people in Inhambane, Mozambique, are different. They are not Bantu and many suspect they are descendants of Ethiopian Jews who fled southwards between the 17th and the 18th century. Some of my own relatives were Crypto-Jews who hid their identity until they saw convenient to reveal it and go back to their original faith. It is worthwhile investing on the search for our lost brothers and sisters there. 
• Lemba Jews (Zimbabwe): even though DNA tests have been used as a political tool to discredit this tribe’s claim of being Jewish; the State of Israel should do repeat those tests itself, particularly because they practise Judaism (e.g. they observe the Shabbat, they refuse to eat forbidden foods, they do ritual slaughter, circumcision of male babies) – obviously for them it is an ancient practice that was passed down from Generation to Generation and made them survive till this day. 

“One of the Lemba clans carries, at a very high frequency, a particular Y-chromosome type termed the “Cohen modal haplotype,” which is known to be characteristic of the paternally inherited Jewish priesthood and is thought, more generally, to be a potential signature haplotype of Judaic origin.” (source)

The Curse of the Galut, in the end, turns out to be a Blessing. This is the Ingathering of the Exiles…

“With a pleasing savour I shall accept you when I take you out of the nations, and I shall gather you from the lands in which you were scattered, and I shall be hallowed through you before the eyes of the nations. And you will know that I am the Lord when I bring you to the land of Israel, to the land that I lifted My hand to give to your forefathers.”   (Ezekiel 20:41-42)

(Image: Uganda Jews in the Synagogue[Ed] via Google Images)

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