Amare Stoudemire's Israel Rant Is a Textbook Case of Stockholm Syndrome

Amar'e Stoudemire is making headlines for his recent rant in which he castigates Black Americans for not condemning Hamas' recent attack on Israel. Here is the clip:


In the above tirade, Stoudemire highlights what he perceives to be the hypocrisy in Black Americans demanding the ceasing of state-sponsored terrorism against us by the US while remaining silent on the current Palestinian and Israeli conflict.

There are two chief issues with his rant:

1. Black Americans advocating for our freedom has absolutely nothing to do with Israel.
2. Why would Black Americans side with a government that is accused of doing to Palestinians what the US Government is guilty of doing to us?

The only way his train of thought would compute is if he's suffering from Stockholm Syndrome which according to Britannica.com is:

"...the psychological condition of a victim who identifies with and empathizes with their captor or abuser and their goals."

Let's explore this in greater detail.

Amare Stoudemire's Post-NBA Career in Israel (2006 -2019, 2020)​

After injuries plagued Stoudemire in the mid-2010's, he left the NBA to play for two Israeli teams: Hapoel Jerusalem and Maccabi Tel Aviv. His stint in the IBPL was very successful resulting in multiple Championship wins and an IBPL Finals MVP award. His success in the Israel and the resultant praise from the citizenry is when Stoudemire most likely began to identify with and empathize with the plight of Israel over his own. Which is interesting as many high-ranking members of Israeli society have made it clear that it has an outright disdain for Black Americans and Black people globally.

Israel's Questionable Stance On Race​

Here are a couple bullet-points that casts light on the alleged treatment and views of Black people in Israel.

1. In 2013, Chief Rabbi David Lau Referred to Black Athletes As a "Bunch of n****rs"
2. In 2018, Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef called Black Americans "Monkeys" During His Weekly Sermon
3. Ethiopian Israelis are incarcerated at a rate that is 760% higher than their proportion in Israeli society.
4. Ethiopian women were allegedly injected with sterilization serum without their consent.

At face value, Stoudemire's rant would lead one to believe that Israel is a cornucopia of civil rights most worthy of Black people's undying devotion and loyalty. But as the four sources above make clear, the plight of Black people in Israel is no better than in the USA. So we must ask, why does Amar'e, a Black person demand that Black people champion the cause of Israel?

Amar'e Is Kanye's Ball-Dribbling Stockholm Brother-in-Crime​

When Stoudemire hopped on his phone to admonish Black America we all saw a confused Black American but what he saw looking back at himself was a proud Israeli. The contempt he had for us during his tirade was the same contempt Lau had when he called us a bunch of n****rs. The scorn Amar'e had when he stated "Fuck You" was the same scorn Yosef felt when he called us monkeys. Amar'e in Kanye West-like fashion believes that the praise and adulation received while playing Basketball elevated him into honorary White status.

What Kanye learned very quickly is that the hand that was quick to pat him on the back ended up being the one to slap him in the face. We call this in African American Vernacular English the "Negro Wake-Up Call". Amar'e may be sending his Negro Wake-Up call to voicemail but the call will connect in due time and the support may not go both ways.

Newsflash: It won’t.


Sources

1. 

   Chief rabbi calls black people ‘monkeys’

   Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef uses pejorative term 'kushi' for African Americans in weekly sermon

   www.timesofisrael.com
2. 

   When racism isn’t a cause for shame

   When Benjamin Netanyahu was re-elected as Israeli Prime Minister in January 2013, many political pundits predicted that we could now expect to see a kinder, gentler Knesset. Other analysts…

   mondoweiss.net
3. 

   Anti-Black Racism among Jewish Israelis [and Recent Asylum-Seekers] - The Racial Equity Initiative

   Learn more about anti-Black racism in Israel. Anti-Black racism in Israel is primarily directed towards Ethiopian Israelis.

   www.theracialequityinitiative.org
4. 

   Ethiopian women in Israel 'given contraceptive without consent'

   Israel's health ministry is investigating claims that Ethiopian immigrants have unwittingly had Depo-Provera jabs for years

   www.theguardian.com