Martin Luther King, sadly, has become a bland icon ove the past 20 years. The American political system has overwhelmed the man and his message, homogonizing it to the point that it has lost its sting.
This article which appeared several years ago, reveals the multi-faceted message of MLK. Most importantly, it stresses the deep inter-connection between social activism, peace activism and non-violent values: …after passage of civil rights acts in 1964 and 1965, King began challenging the nation’s fundamental priorities. He maintained that civil rights laws were empty without “human rights” — including economic rights. For people too poor to eat at a restaurant or afford a decent home, King said, anti-discrimination laws were hollow… By 1967, King had also become the country’s most prominent opponent of the Vietnam War…King called the United States “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today.”
And yes, there is an Israel connection as well. In a sick and twisted misuse of his heritage, the Jews apologists for Israeli violence are trying to co-opt this man of peace.