01In brief
The House of Israel was a religious and political movement established in Guyana in the 1970s by David Hill, who called himself Rabbi Edward Washington. It taught that Africans, particularly Afro-Guyanese, were the original Hebrews, and became associated with the governing People’s National Congress (PNC) during the 1970s and 1980s. The group claimed 8,000 members and maintained a 300-member guard force known as the “royal cadets”; accounts also link it to political intimidation and violence, while some claims about its relationship with the government were reported as allegations or public belief rather than established findings.
02Overview
The House of Israel combined a racial-religious doctrine with an organized public and political presence in Guyana. It was characterized as a black-supremacist movement with no ties to traditional Jewish religion. During the 1970s and 1980s, it was associated with the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) and became prominent through broadcasting, demonstrations, strikebreaking, and political intimidation.[1]
03Origins
The House of Israel was established by David Hill, also known as Rabbi Edward Washington, after he arrived in Guyana in 1972. Accounts described Hill as a fugitive from the United States but differed on the charges: one listed blackmail, larceny, and tax evasion, while another described corporate-fraud charges.[1][2]
04Practice
The group taught that Africans—and specifically Afro-Guyanese—were the original Hebrews. Its adherents believed that modern Jews descended from other biblical peoples and were illegally in Israel. Another account summarized the doctrine as identifying Black people as the original tribes of Israel and portraying Christianity as a tool of oppression.[1][2]
The movement claimed 8,000 members during the 1970s, while another account alternately described its following as “several thousand” Guyanese and approximately 8,000 Afro-Guyanese. It also maintained a 300-member guard force called the “royal cadets.” A daily radio program urged Africans to prepare for a racial war.[1][2]
05Significance
During the 1970s and 1980s, the House of Israel was described as an informal part of the PNC security apparatus. Opponents characterized it as a private army for the party, and Guyanese widely believed it operated as a government paramilitary squad. The private-army and paramilitary-squad descriptions were attributed claims or public belief, not established findings.[1][2]
The group engaged in strikebreaking, progovernment demonstrations, and political intimidation. Observers claimed that members at strikes and public meetings in the late 1970s and early-to-mid-1980s were accompanied by police and sometimes wore police uniforms.[1] Journalist Richard J. Meislin captured its public reputation in the line, “On the streets, people speak fearfully of the House of Israel.”[2]
In 1985, members allegedly prevented delegates from entering the Guyana Council of Churches’ annual general meeting in Georgetown, amid the council’s criticism of the Burnham government. The group fell out of government favor after Hugh Desmond Hoyte took power that year.[1]
06Controversies
On July 14, 1979, House of Israel member Bilal Ato stabbed to death a reporter for the opposition newspaper Catholic Standard, who was also a Roman Catholic priest. The reporter was photographing an antigovernment demonstration. Other journalists filmed the incident, but the case did not come to trial for three years; Ato’s charge was reduced to manslaughter, and he received an eight-year prison sentence.[1]
In July 1986, Rabbi Washington and other key House of Israel leaders were arrested and charged with murder. Washington pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received a fifteen-year sentence.[1]
Sources
- 1Library of Congress, Guyana and Belize: Country Studies, accessed on October 28, 2026.
- 2Encyclopedia.com, Forbes Burnham, accessed on October 28, 2026.
IsraelPedia Question & Answers
What was the House of Israel in Guyana?
The House of Israel was a religious and political movement established in Guyana in the 1970s by David Hill, who called himself Rabbi Edward Washington. It taught that Africans, particularly Afro-Guyanese, were the original Hebrews and became associated with the governing People’s National Congress (PNC) during the 1970s and 1980s. The group claimed 8,000 members and maintained a 300-member guard force called the “royal cadets.”
Who founded the House of Israel, and when was it established?
David Hill, also known as Rabbi Edward Washington, established the House of Israel after arriving in Guyana in 1972. Accounts described Hill as a fugitive from the United States, but differed about the charges against him: one listed blackmail, larceny, and tax evasion, while another described corporate-fraud charges.
What did the House of Israel teach about Africans and Jewish identity?
The House of Israel taught that Africans, particularly Afro-Guyanese, were the original Hebrews. Its adherents believed that modern Jews descended from other biblical peoples and were illegally in Israel. Another account summarized the doctrine as identifying Black people as the original tribes of Israel and portraying Christianity as a tool of oppression.
How did the House of Israel operate in Guyana?
The House of Israel claimed 8,000 members during the 1970s, and accounts also described its following as “several thousand” Guyanese or approximately 8,000 Afro-Guyanese. It maintained a 300-member guard force called the “royal cadets,” and a daily radio program urged Africans to prepare for a racial war.
What was the House of Israel’s relationship with Guyana’s government?
During the 1970s and 1980s, the House of Israel was associated with the ruling People’s National Congress and was described as an informal part of its security apparatus. Opponents called it a private army for the party, and many Guyanese believed it operated as a government paramilitary squad, but these descriptions were attributed claims or public belief rather than established findings. The group fell out of government favor after Hugh Desmond Hoyte took power in 1985.
What happened in the House of Israel’s attack on the Catholic Standard reporter?
On July 14, 1979, House of Israel member Bilal Ato stabbed to death a reporter for the opposition newspaper Catholic Standard, who was also a Roman Catholic priest. The reporter had been photographing an antigovernment demonstration, and other journalists filmed the incident. Ato’s case did not come to trial for three years; his charge was reduced to manslaughter, and he received an eight-year prison sentence.
What happened to Rabbi Washington and other House of Israel leaders in 1986?
In July 1986, Rabbi Washington and other key House of Israel leaders were arrested and charged with murder. Washington pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received a fifteen-year sentence.