Antisemitism Against the Israelite Igbo People Is Real

On February 3rd, PBS will premiere “Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History,” a Henry Louis Gates, Jr. documentary about Black-Jewish relations in America. It will include examples of cooperation as well as examples of tension.

I propose a different framing – Black Americans and Jewish Americans (regardless of the race of individual Jews, since Jews are a multi-racial people) could both be considered common descendants of ancient Israelites, defined as members of the ancient Hebrew nation, especially in the period of the Exodus to the Babylonian captivity (12^th to 6^th centuries BCE). I first explored this idea in the Jewish Journal in 2024: “A New Way to Fight Antisemitism: Welcoming Israelites into our Tent.”

I now want to go a step further and propose a more provocative idea: that antisemitism played a role the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, which targeted the Igbo people.

Originally known as the “Ibiri” (the root of which is similar to Ivrit, the word for Hebrew), the Igbo (pronounced “ee-bo”) people, who live in what is today Nigeria, have Israelite ancestry. For thousands of years, the Igbo passed down an oral history of being descended from Israelites. They maintained customs described in the Torah, such as circumcision of males on the 8th day after birth and avoiding the consumption of fish without scales (similar to rules regarding what fish are deemed kosher). A Sephardic Beit Din ruled in 2022 that Igbos are Israelites.

Igbo scholar Remy Ilona has published extensively on Igbo Israelite heritage.  Ilona noted that as early as 1789, Olaudah Equiano included a description of Igbo customs, similar to those of Israelites, in his narrative of being kidnapped and enslaved as part of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. This was the first English-language enslavement narrative and played a key role in Britain’s abolitionist movement.

Others who have noted the Igbo-Israelite connection include Swiss-Jewish scholar Daniel Lis, who published “Jewish Identity Among the Igbo of Nigeria,” and filmmaker Jeff Lieberman, who produced the documentary “Re-emerging: The Jews of Nigeria.”

Centuries of Persecution

Since the Igbo people are Israelites, it is not surprising that they have faced centuries of persecution. During the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, 1.3 million Igbo individuals were trafficked from the Bight of Biafra to the Caribbean and to British colonies of what would later become the United States. Plantations in Maryland and Virginia in particular were sites of forced labor for many of those with Igbo ancestry who were enslaved. Frederick Douglass, who was inspired by Olaudah Equiano, was likely Igbo himself.

Igbos were also targeted in the Biafran Civil War between 1967-1970, which started in 1966 with pogroms where predominantly Muslim neighbors attacked Igbo villages and killed between 10,000 and 30,000 Igbo people. A genocidal civil war ensued, resulting in the deaths of up to three million Igbo civilians. Israel was one of the only countries to stand by the Igbo people during this tragic time.

In his book Igbophobia and Antisemitism: Interlocking Hatreds, Ilona notes that while Igbos were being murdered in the war, Henry Kissinger wrote a memo to Nixon which said:

“There is an urge for unity among the elite of all factions (in Nigeria), though the strongest cement at this point is probably common tribal hatred of the Ibos…. The Ibos are the wandering Jews of West Africa… gifted… Westernized; at best envied and resented, but mostly despised by the mass of their neighbors.”

The Igbo are still subject to suspicion and hatred in Nigeria today. Due to the Igbo culture which emphasizes working hard, Ilona notes that they are derisively referred to as what translates as “money money.” He further quotes Nigerian journalist Donu Kogbara:

“Some (not all!) Igbos are absolutely convinced that those who dislike them are simply jealous because Igbos are, according to them, uniquely intelligent, entrepreneurial and affluent. I hate this kind of triumphalism because it is vulgar and immodest; but you know what? Annoyingly boastful individuals and ethnic chauvinists exist within every single tribe in this country. And let’s be honest: Igbos have plenty to boast about because, thanks to their penchant for hard work and despite the penalties they’ve suffered since the Biafran civil war, they shine pretty brightly within academic, professional and commercial milieux. Igbos have certainly achieved enough to inspire envy in or to at least arouse the competitive instincts of Northerners and fellow Southerners who are interested in education and business activity.”

One of the areas where Igbos have found success in recent years is the Nigerian entertainment industry, also known as “Nollywood,” which produces over 2,500 films annually and has widespread appeal across Africa and its diaspora.

A New Framework

In light of the Israelite ancestry of the Igbo people, this history of anti-Igbo persecution, starting with the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, should be called what it is: antisemitism. There is more than enough evidence that Igbos have been targeted because of their ancient Israelite/Jewish connection.

Acknowledging this antisemitism would have profound implications for Black-Jewish relations in the U.S., given that historian Douglas Chambers has estimated that up to 60% of Black Americans today have at least one Igbo ancestor.

Even if Black Americans with Igbo ancestry today are religiously Christian, we should celebrate our shared Israelite heritage. That is also part of our “interwoven history.”

Simone Joy Friedman is Head of Philanthropy at EJF Philanthropies and Editor of The Giving Report.