After comedian Amy Schumer posted a video featuring clips of Martin Luther King Jr. speaking in support of Israel and denouncing antisemitism, his daughter Bernice King felt compelled to clarify what her father’s stance would be on the war between Israel and Hamas.
"Amy: Certainly, my father was against antisemitism, as am I," Bernice King wrote in a thread on the social media platform X. "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."
She continued: "He said, 'Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.' We have much to correct."
In Schumer's video post, Martin Luther King can be heard saying that "Israel must exist and has a right to exist and is one of the great outposts of democracy in the world." In another clip, he denounces antisemitism as "wrong" and says "it's unjust and it's evil."
Schumer has been extremely vocal in her support of Israel, often posting information about the war and calling for the release of hostages. In an Oct. 25 post on X, she praised Sen. Chuck Schumer, a distant relative, for "pushing a very fair bill that gives Israel the money she needs to defend herself and provide ample funds to protect innocent civilians in Gaza."
In response to Amy Schumer's tweet, Bernice King shared a different clip of her father talking about "moral power" and withdrawing from the Vietnam War. She encouraged Schumer to read her father's book "Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?"
"I mourn with all who are mourning," Bernice King wrote. "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."
Since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, 1,400 people have been killed in Israel and 240 are being held hostage, according to Israeli officials. More than 1 million people have been displaced in Gaza, where Palestinian health officials have said more than 8,700 have been killed.
