The story of Ethiopian Jews in Israel

Within the past two weeks, Ethiopian Jews in Israel have engaged in public protests in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv against racial discrimination. The protests were  ignited by a physical attack on an Ethiopian-Jewish Israeli soldier, who at the time was in uniform, by Israeli police officers. Much misinformation, including the coverage by the media, surrounded the situation. 

In particular, it was misrepresented that racial discrimination against Ethiopian Jews is a recent trend and that Ethiopian Jews are voicing frustration at being unable to assimilate and obtain success in Israeli society after having come to Israel for a better material life. Those story lines are simply untrue. Ethiopian Jews are not in Israel for material considerations, and the very real problem of racial discrimination by Jews against fellow Jews is an old problem, not a recent one. 

What is true is that racial discrimination by Jews against fellow Jews is a problem within Israel — one that Judaism demands be eradicated completely and immediately. 

The means for its eradication are twofold: education and legislation.

How long has the problem of racial discrimination by Jews against fellow Jews existed in Israeli society? The Torah commands that each Jew love all other Jews as equally as him or herself. And our rabbis teach us that the destruction of the Temple, and the long night of exile, were caused by baseless hatred of Jews toward fellow Jews. One would think Jews would have some time ago fully imbibed the need for baseless love of one’s fellow Jew.

Unfortunately, Jewish history disappoints. 

World Jewry became aware of Ethiopian Jewry in the 18th century. Scottish explorer James Bruce traveled the Nile River to locate its source. He arrived in Ethiopia, discovered its Jews and returned to Europe to relate his discoveries. However, instead of Jewish outreach, Ethiopian Jews became inundated with missionaries. World Jewry’s outreach to Ethiopian Jewry commenced only a century later, in the latter half of the 19th century, with Joseph Halevy and then his student, Jacques Faitlovitch, who reunited Ethiopian Jewry with world Jewry in the early 20th century.  However, the aliyah of Ethiopian Jewry was not fully realized until decades later, and only after thousands of Ethiopian Jews had sacrificed their lives en route to and in refugee camps in Sudan, in the effort to make aliyah. (Their righteous memory will be observed on May 17.) In fact, Ethiopian Jewry first began the Zionist effort under the spiritual leadership of the true first Zionist, Abba Mahari, in the 1860s. Why did Ethiopian Jewry’s aliyah occur decades later? Racial discrimination was a significant factor. 

Ethiopian Jews do recognize that American Jewry was strongly supportive in helping to realize Ethiopian Jewry’s dream of aliyah, as well as the joyful and loving welcome Ethiopian Jews received by Israelis upon arriving in Israel. 

But most importantly, the sacrifice of Ethiopian Jewry in its commitment to make aliyah was entirely a deep, spiritual quest, not one for material consideration, as it is often misreported. Such misreporting is a grave insult to Ethiopian Jewry.  The sacrifice paid by Ethiopian Jews to reach Jerusalem is immeasurable. For Ethiopian Jews, making aliyah meant monetary loss, miles of dangerous travel on foot, physical and psychological trauma, loss of human dignity and heritage, and the ultimate sacrifice — the loss of life. 

The racial discrimination problem about which the recent protests were held is, sadly, the same continuing problem of racial discrimination, and not the difficulties presented by immigration. The protesters were overwhelmingly young Israeli Jews of Ethiopian ancestry. The protesters are people who were born in Israel, speak Hebrew as their primary language and are culturally integrated into Israeli society. Many in the Ethiopian-Jewish community in Israel have achieved professional success in various industries, including as lawyers, educators, doctors, artists, journalists, social workers, diplomats, Knesset members and officers throughout each branch of Israel’s military, among other endeavors.

The first steps in solving the problem require public education and legislation. A vigorous public education campaign that accurately enlightens the Israeli public about the Ethiopian-Jewish community, its history, its contributions to society, its survival through strength, faith, bravery and ahavat Yisra’el chinam (unconditional love), needs to be organized and administered by Ethiopian Jews with the government of Israel’s participation.  

This education must be directed at all levels of Israeli society. This will help eliminate the misconception that Ethiopian Jews came to Israel simply for a better material life without offering society anything in exchange. Administrative control of this educational program by Ethiopian Jews will provide the necessary oversight to ensure that the effort is undertaken effectively, resulting in a positive impact in eradicating baseless hatred. 

Legislation would also be helpful to ensure that racial discrimination prevention and remedies are speedily and easily enforced. 

Our enemies make no distinction between us. Baseless hate must be eradicated  among Jews because we are commanded to love one another as ourselves, and we share a common fate and are bound together by Torah.

Habtnesh Ezra is a member of the Ethiopian-Jewish community and a health care consultant in private practice in Beverly Hills. She can be reached at emayesh12e@att.net.