Telegram documenting a visit to Israel by a delegation of Black U.S. civil rights and labor leaders, including Bayard Rustin. The delegation publicly supported Israel and condemned the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), with Rustin stating that claims of widespread U.S. support for the PLO were “disturbing the peace process.” The group received positive media coverage in Israel for their stance.
In 1979, amidst ongoing Middle East conflicts, Rustin joined other prominent activists in a diplomatic and advocacy effort supporting Israel and critiquing the PLO’s role. This visit illustrated Rustin’s expanding engagement in international peace and human rights advocacy, linking civil rights concerns with global political issues. Positive Israeli media coverage underscored the delegation’s influence in shaping public opinion during a tense period in Middle Eastern diplomacy.
U.S. Department of State, “Telegram: Bayard Rustin’s Delegation Visit to Israel Supporting Peace and Condemning PLO,” October 16, 1979, National Archives, accessed September 26, 2025, https://aad.archives.gov/aad/createpdf?rid=290403&dt=2776&dl=2169.
