The antisemitic Black Hebrew Israelites showed up in support of Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving on Sunday following his eight-game suspension for sharing an antisemitic film that supported Holocaust denial.
The Black Hebrew Israelites, which pushes the outlandish claim that black Americans are the true descendants of Israel, reportedly gathered in large numbers outside of Barclays Center before the big game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, according to Sports Illustrated.
Kyrie Irving has officially returned to the NBA and to the Brooklyn Nets today. His return was more than just a basketball player returning to a team, it meant a lot more to many people – including Black Hebrew Israelites.
Before his return, a big group Black Hebrew Israelites gathered outside of Barclays Center to voice support for Irving’s return. Celtics star Jaylen Brown echoed their sentiments, by quote tweeting the word “energy.”
The group also reportedly distributed radical propaganda fliers pushing the group’s conspiracy theories.
As Breitbart News reported, Kyrie Irving came under fire in late October when he referenced the 2018 film Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America, which peddles antisemitic conspiracy theories and promotes Black Hebrew Israelite ideology.
The film highlighted “the true identity of the Children of Israel” and “what Islam, Judaism, and Christianity has covered up for centuries in regards to the true biblical identity of the so-called ‘Negro’ in this movie packed with tons of research.”
The film also alleges that Arab slave traders and white people have lied to blacks about their “true” history as the real Israelites in order to keep black people enslaved. And its source material is a book filled with antisemitic tropes.
Irving initially deleted his tweet and said he had no antisemitic intent before vowing to donate as much as $500,000 to groups dedicated to combating hate. However, during a press conference, Irving dug himself an even deeper hole when he refused to adequately answer if he held antisemitic beliefs.
“I cannot be anti-Semitic if I know where I come from,” he said.
During his 8-game suspension, Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai said he met with Irving to discuss some of his views and determined he does not harbor hatred for Jewish people.
“We spent quality time to understand each other and it’s clear to me that Kyrie does not have any beliefs of hate towards Jewish people or any group,” Tsai said.