Israel United in Christ

The group professes that “Black, Hispanic and Native Americans are the true descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,” and are “the real Jews also known as the Israelites and the 12 Tribes of Israel.” IUIC members claim they are the “chosen” people who are “not desired by the nations [of the world].”

IUIC and its leadership allege that all Jews and white people descend from the wicked biblical Esau, who was Jacob’s brother. Esau’s descendants are called Edomites or are referred to as the nation of Edom in the Bible. Furthermore, IUIC alleges that Jews stole the BHI identity.

IUIC streams daily classes and organizes outreach programs, often targeting economically depressed and racially diverse communities.

IUIC is active on social media and has an international online presence. As of February 2023, the main IUIC YouTube channel reportedly had 134,000 subscribers and almost 32 million video views. The group also runs its own internet TV channel.

In addition to its online presence, IUIC also launches community outreach events. The group has mobilized hundreds of its members in public marches in Memphis (August 2018), Chicago (September 2019), Atlanta (2020), St. Louis (2021) and New York (November 2022).

In November 2022, IUIC garnered media attention after holding a rally in support of Kyrie Irving.

In October 2022, NBA player Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets promoted on Twitter the film, “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America.” The 2018 anti-Semitic film classified the death of six million Jews during the Holocaust as one of five fundamental lies invented by the Jews. In November 2022, the Nets suspended Irving for several weeks. In December 2022, Nike terminated its sponsorship deal with Irving.

IUIC frequently organizes lectures and seminars on college campuses, including Florida A&M University, the University of Buffalo and Rutgers University.

IUIC chapters and individual members run multiple YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts where they regularly post videos and memes, often containing anti-Semitic material.

Nathanyel Israel founded IUIC in 2003. As of December 2022, Israel’s Twitter bio said he was IUIC’s “Founder and Bishop.” He is one of the three IUIC bishops and he refers to himself as both “Bishop Nathanyel” and “Bishop Nathanyel Ben Israel.”

Israel was previously known as Nathaniel Ray. By March 2015, he had already changed his name to Nathanyel Israel.

Israel is reportedly a former detective with the New York Police Department (NYPD).

In 2015, a civil rights action was filed against Israel and another NYPD officer in federal court for the false arrest of two black men in two armed robbery cases. Israel and the other defendant opted to settle the case for $250,000 to each plaintiff plus $250,000 in attorney fees, for a total of $750,000.

On July 27, 2019, Nathanyel Israel and other IUIC members visited Jerusalem’s Western Wall, a focal point of Jewish mourning and prayer.

He placed [01:54:51] a note in the Western Wall that said [01:55:22]: “Death to all Esau and all Idumea [Edomites]. Rise, Israel, rise.”

As stated above, IUIC claims Jews and white people are descendants of Esau from the Bible.

IUIC promoted the incident in an official IUIC YouTube video.

On February 16, 2020, Israel spoke with two African men on a Rave TV program on YouTube, where he said [00:19:59]: “Germans and the so-called Europeans that got burnt up. Six million, you said, right? Six million got burnt. They’re all the same race. They are the Edomites in the Bible. They are the devil.”

Israel then addressed the men directly, saying [00:20:11]: “Now, let me show you how witchcraft works. You were so adamant about six million, six! Your ancestors!... Over 200 million died during the transatlantic slave trade, but you don’t mention that as horrific. You mentioned the six million of another race. You don’t see that’s witchcraft?”

On July 22, 2020, IUIC tweeted: “At #IUIC we do not agree…with #Lying! We would like for the #Jewish Community to please provide #Biblical Proof of how they are the #Children of Israel! The #Bible says to prove all things.”

The tweet was accompanied by an IUIC meme that said: “JEWISH CHALLENGE / Bring forth historical biblical proof that you are the Jews / Time to stop anti-Semitism.”

On September 10, 2020, Israel tweeted an official IUIC video, which he introduced as “Explaining the Jew-ish myth.” The video implied that black people were the “real” Jews and that today’s Jews were impostors.

The terms “Jew-ISH" and "Je-WISH" are used by BHIs to claim that Jews are not "real Jews" but rather the descendants of white Europeans. The BHIs believe themselves to be the "real Jews."

The video was captioned with Revelation 2:9, which reads: “I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.”

The phrase “synagogue of Satan” is mentioned in two verses from the New Testament’s Book of Revelation (2:9, 3:9), which have been used through the ages to justify anti-Semitism.

On November 10, 2022, Israel tweeted: “AntiSemitic means to be against the descendants of Noah’s son #Shem. It does NOT mean hostility towards Jewish people. That’s a modern day lie.”

On February 21, 2022, IUIC tweeted: “#Revelation 3:9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie;behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee…”

The tweet was accompanied by an IUIC graphic showing a man with red skin and horns.

On October 28, 2022, Israel said [00:19:30] in an IUIC YouTube video: “Let me say this about white people in Israel. They are the devil the Bible speaks of… These people are transplants. These are converts. These are not the people of God.”

On December 12, 2022, IUIC tweeted: “A.D.L Amaklek’s [sic] Demonic League! Don’t believe the lies being spewed by these Jewish hate groups!”

The tweet included an image of Anti-Defamation League (ADL) director Jonathan Greenblatt and implied that the acronym ADL stood for Amalek’s Demonic League. Amalek, the grandson of the biblical Esau, is considered “the archetypal enemy of the Jews.”

The ADL was founded in 1913 “in response to an escalating climate of anti-Semitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all.”

On December 10, 2022, IUIC tweeted: “...Deacon Yoshua continues to expose the secret plots of todays elite! Todays topic ‘The Zionist Replacement Theory Conspiracy ’ will put a spotlight on the lie they are pushing to the whole world!”

The “Zionist Replacement Conspiracy” is a BHI conspiracy theory. The theory claims [00:20:17] that the original biblical Jews were black, but that “Zionists” stole their identity, and thus today’s Jews are impostors.

On December 4, 2022, IUIC tweeted that Jews are “the Red Hebrew Israeli Amalekites.”

The IUIC tweet said: “Stay tuned to #IUICTV & #IUICEvents for future episodes where irrefutable, undeniable, undoubtable historical proof of the Red Hebrew Israeli Amalekites extensive involvement in the slave-trading and HOLOCAUST of the Negroes, Gods Jewels!!”

The claim that Jews were dominant in the transatlantic slave trade was propagated in a book published by the Nation of Islam titled “The Secret Relationship between Blacks and Jews.” The book has been discredited in a work titled “Jews, Slaves, and the Slave Trade: Setting the Record Straight,” by John Jay College of Criminal Justice professor of history, Eli Faber.

The tweet included a promotional video for an IUIC video series titled “Hidden Holocaust: Destruction of God’s Chosen,” which blames the Jews for the African slave trade.

On October 1, 2020, Israel tweeted an IUIC graphic where he was quoted as saying: “Black People Have Been Experiencing a Holocaust since the 1400s and the #Jewish man has Perpetuated the Situation.”

On September 11, 2020, IUIC tweeted: “If Us (#Blacks, #Hispanics, #NativeAmericans) being the #jews is a #ConspiracyTheory please tell us what our true nationality is.”

On July 27, 2020, IUIC posted to Facebook: “The #Jewish Community was a major player in #Slavery! After 250 years one would imagine an #apology and acceptance for such savage behavior. What ‘Jewish’ leader is going to donate to the cause of the #Israelites?”

The Facebook post included four graphics. One graphic featured a quote that read: “‘SLAVE TRADE WAS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT JEWISH ACTIVITIES…’”

Another graphic featured text that read: “WHEN WILL THE JEWISH COMMUNITY ADDRESS AND APOLOGIZE FOR THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THE GREATEST HOLOCAUST KNOWN TO MAN?”

On February 29, 2020, Israel spoke in an IUIC YouTube video titled: “The Book with the Seven Seals | Revelation 5.”

Israel said [02:03:04]: “We’re the only ones that revealed that America is ‘Babylon the Great,’ the Mother of Harlots. She is the 666 [Satan]. She's the Mother of Harlots, that Demon, okay?”

On August 11, 2021, IUIC tweeted, quoting Israel: “America creates unrest in all the world and then comes with the solutions to their problems.”

On December 25, 2021, Israel tweeted a short video from an IUIC lecture in which he said: “Every American holiday is in honor of white supremacy.”

On July 12, 2022, IUIC tweeted: “#Amerikkka has cast a spell on #blackwomen…”

The term “Amerikkka” uses the initials of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) as a way to demonize America as “fascist or racist.”

On October 18, 2022, IUIC tweeted, quoting Israel: “America won’t allow truth because it’s fueled on lies…”

On November 24, 2022, IUIC tweeted: “Why do you think #Kyrie doesn’t celebrate #Thanksgiving? It’s because it’s the celebration of the genocide of our people! Wake up!”

“Death to all Esau and all Idumea [Edomites]. Rise, Israel, rise.”

• Nathanyel Israel, YouTube, Jul 27 2019

“Let me say this about white people in Israel. They are the devil the Bible speaks of... These people are transplants. These are converts. These are not the people of God.”

• Nathanyel Israel, YouTube, Oct 28 2022

“Germans and the so-called Europeans that got burnt up. Six million you said, right? Six million got burnt. They’re all the same race. They are the Edomites in the Bible. They are the devil.”

• Nathanyel Israel, YouTube, Feb 16 2020

“We’re the only ones that revealed that America is ‘Babylon the Great,’ the Mother of Harlots. She is the 666 [Satan]. She's the Mother of Harlots, that Demon.”

• Nathanyel Israel, YouTube, Feb 29 2020

“The #Jewish Community was a major player in #Slavery! After 250 years one would imagine an #apology and acceptance for such savage behavior. What ‘Jewish’ leader is going to donate to the cause of the #Israelites?”

• IUIC, Facebook, Jul 27 2020

“If Us (#Blacks, #Hispanics, #NativeAmericans) being the #jews is a #ConspiracyTheory please tell us what our true nationality is.”

• IUIC, Twitter, Sep 11 2020