The Difficulties of Ethiopians in Israel

Ethiopians struggle to find their place in a foreign land

Upon analyzing various academic sources, I can support my claim that racism in Israel towards Ethiopians is not the sole reason why this group has had a difficult time succeeding in Israel. Amongst the many different groups that had migrated to Israel including Russians and Europeans, Ethiopians have had the most difficulty in combining with the people of Israel. Although it is clear that racism exists in Israel, especially towards Ethiopians, it can’t be concluded indefinitely that it is the only reason behind their struggle in Israel.

In Donna Rosenthal’s book, The Israelis, she outlines the struggles of Ethiopians coming to Israel in a chapter titled “Out of Africa”. In 1991, there was a massive migration of Jewish Ethiopians, which were rescued by the Israeli military and were brought to the holy land. Being in a new country and not being familiar with cultural practices provided several new challenges for Ethiopian migrants. They were encouraged to behave according to modern practices such as, sleeping in beds, using utensils, and they were now being to be integrated into the mainstream society. Before coming to Israel, these were all practices that Ethiopians had never experienced. They came from an extremely poor country where women were sent to bloodletting tents during ovulation, hands were used as utensils, and there was no running water or electricity. This became a problem for the Ethiopians who could not comprehend these modern practices, they were very unfamiliar with the concept of letting their traditional practices go and some continued to utilize them in their hotels. In many cases, older Ethiopians wee unable or unwilling to learn Hebrew, which was the primary language of Israel. This greatly inhibited the Ethiopians from acquiring jobs, causing many of the men to become unemployed, which in turn caused them to lose prestige and control over their households. Throughout the rest of the chapter, Rosenthal outlines the struggles that migrating Ethiopians had to endure. She describes that the government programs in place for the migrants, and although money was provided for each family, it became difficult for the Ethiopians to climb the societal hierarchy. Jewish Israelis were socially and economically oppressing the Ethiopians, which proved to be a significant problem for Ethiopians and their oppression, was something that went deeper than racism. The traditional practices of the Ethiopians were not widely accepted by the Israelis, and the Ethiopians were not receiving equal job opportunities despite an equal amount of education as their Jewish-Israeli counterparts. 

Education has also become a significant obstacle for Ethiopians, because although many of them receive secondary educations, they are not given equal job opportunities. A statistic was released by Olim-Beyahad, which stated that those “who do find suitable employment earn 40% less than the average Israeli.” Beyahad is making it clear that racism is a major obstacle for Ethiopians, but it not the only problem this group faces. Olim-Beyahad is a company focused on the employment and leadership for Ethiopian Israeli University Graduates. The organization works to take students and graduates alike and place them in professional environments so that they cannot only develop skills but also professional connections. These types of opportunities allow Israeli business owners to become better acquainted with Ethiopians in a workplace, allowing them to prove themselves as contributing members of the workforce. The view of this organization is that Ethiopian graduates require integration in Israeli businesses in order to break down racial and cultural barriers and prove that they are capable of completing work. Although the website does not voice specific opinions, they provide information on how Jewish Israelis are treating the Ethiopians differently. There was a statistic found on the website, and said “53% of Israeli employers are averse to hiring Ethiopian-Israelis. The Olim-Beyahad website is obviously in favor of Ethiopian integration into society, and does recognize that Jewish-Israelis are one of the major obstacles to integration.

An article from Haaretz titled “Ethiopian-IsraeliWoman Makes Good in High-tech: An Unrepresentative Story”, by Ruti Levy also supports the notion that racism is not the sole reason for the difficulty of Ethiopians to integrate in Israeli society. The article follows the story of Ethiopian immigrant Shoshi Jambar, who made her way from cleaning office buildings to managing a major start-up company. She mentions how her mother, who had taken courses in various academic subjects could not find a suitable position based on her education. Jambar attributes this, not solely based on her mother’s ethnicity; “it’s a matter of opportunity, not education.” Shoshi also mentions that “I’m young and sociable and I believe I also look good and am grateful, so it was easy to help me.” This ability for Ethiopians to adapt to new societies, customs, and develop relevant job skills was something that either resulted in getting a job or remaining unemployed. For Haaretz contributor and journalist Ruti Levy, she seems to be in support of Ethiopians becoming more involved in Israeli society. She also recognizes that many Jewish-Israeli businesses may not look at a “40-year-old Ethiopian cleaning woman with a rag on her hair” and provide her an equal opportunity. Levy is arguing that there are not equal opportunities for Ethiopians, not solely due to their appearance, but also because of their lack in education and skill set. Jambar was forced to lie to her current employers about her skills when she was first hired to the company, but was able to persevere and work hard to teach herself.

In terms of reliability, it seems as though the Haaretz article and the information from Olim-Beyahad are both reliable and provide support for my argument. The Olim-Beyahad organization has widespread support from several large companies including Checkpoint Software Technologies, DBSI, Deloitte, as well as several religious and governmental institutions. Each of these individual organizations has advocated for Olim-Beyahad, which greatly increased its reliability. Haaretz is also a very reputable news source and although the author is in support of Ethiopian integration, she uses the story of Jambar to provide context about the lifestyle of the average Ethiopian migrant. Levi has written several articles about labor shortages and economic difficulties in some of her previous articles, suggesting that she is knowledgeable about the topic.

Do ALL Arabs and Jews Really Hate Each Other?

(Group of Arab women console each other over their destroyed homes)

Among the many years of conflict between Arabs and Israelis, there has been speculation as to whether all Arabs and Jews hate each other. My answer to this notion is emphatically no, not all Jews and Arabs hate each other, it is simply that the views of the peaceful minority are being overshadowed by hate. One recent topic of controversy between the Arabs and Jews is the destruction of Arab homes by the Israeli government. In an article from Haaretz titled “Hundreds of Arab and Jewish Architects Call for End toArab Home Demolitions”, author Naama Riba talks about the unity of both Arabs and Jews in the hopes to stop the destruction of homes by the Israeli government. This conflict arose when the Israeli government traveled to the Bedouin cities of Kalansua and Umm al-Hiran to oversee the demolition of “unrecognized” villages. These villages according to the Israeli government were set up illegally and due to that fact alone have been denied all basic rights including water, sanitation, and electricity. Due to the destruction of these cities, there has been a large outcry of both Arabs and Jews in protest of the Israeli government, claiming that its actions are defying basic human rights. In Riba’s article, she quotes Professor Oren Yiftachel who says that “after too many years of ongoing failure to which planners, architects and geographers were party, there is progress here”.

In a chapter from The Israelis by author Donna Rosenthal titled The Bedouin, there is a narrative of a young girl by the name of Amal el-Sanna. The story of Amal follows her trials and tribulations through her oppression as a woman in a Bedouin society. In the chapter, Amal mentions how “[she] learned to take things from Jewish culture, to be open to other ideas. And how to nudge” (Rosenthal 294). In my opinion this quote shows that Amal does not hate Jews, as she is willing to learn from their ideals. In relation to the destruction of Arab homes, there is a clear divide amongst Jews as to whether they feel Arabs should be able to remain in Israel. In a statistic from the Pew Forum, it is revealed that out of all Jews, 46% agree that Arabs should be allowed to remain in Israel (Majorities of Haredim, Datiim agree Arabs should be expelled graph). To answer the overarching question, this statistic alone supports my hypothesis that not all Jews and Arabs hate one another.

In terms of the point of view of Riba’s article, it is clear that she supports the unity of Jews and Arabs against the destruction of Arab homes. Of all perspectives on the issue, Riba provides harsh criticism of the Israeli government by including quotes such as one from a letter sent to the 120 Knesset members which states that the issue stems from “criminal negligence of Israeli governments.” These hand selected quotes that Riba includes, clearly indicate that she is opposed to overly oppressive government agencies. Upon researching some of her previous articles, Riba seems to take a similar tone against the Israeli government as she advocates for a lack of censorship and Israeli citizens freedoms. Although it is nearly impossible to interview every Israeli citizen on the issue of the destruction of Arab homes by the Israeli government, it is clear that there are many Jews and Arabs alike that are opposed to the governments decision. It is also clear that despite hostilities between Arabs and Jews, sources such as the Pew Forum and the narrative of Amal el-Sanna prove that Jews and Arabs do not all hate each other. In the large scope of the conflict, these peaceful groups are simply not loud enough to speak above the media, which focuses on the hate between the two groups.  

Iriohos 2017, What Does it Really Symbolize?

The Iriohos exercise is set to unite 5 countries

On March 29^th, 2017 Haaretz Correspondent, Gili Cohen published an article titled “IsraeliAir Force Holds Joint Exercise With United Arab Emirates, U.S. and Italy”. This article covered the story of the Israeli Air Force participating in Iniohos 2017, a joint military event between the Air Force divisions of Israel, UAE, U.S. and Italy. According to the U.S. Air Force website, the purpose of the Iniohos exercise is to increase relations between NATO countries, which is immensely important for Israel as it has very few allies in the Middle East. One aspect of the article that Cohen makes clear is that although the United Arab Emirates and Israel do not have official political ties, the two countries are said to have secret communications. The final point in the article that Cohen mentions is the close involvement between Israelis and Greek forces. It is stated in the article that the two countries share common interests both politically and economically, and that the Israelis use the mountains as practice for countries they may one day land in.

Throughout the article, there is a clear lack in credible sources to reaffirm the insinuations made by the author. The hook of the article mentions how the UAE and Israel do not have official diplomatic relations, yet does not explain the extent to which both countries were involved in Iniohos. Later in the article, the hook is mentioned again as Cohen claims that the Israeli government is working behind the scenes with the United Arab Emirates to establish relations, yet she provides no concrete evidence of these alleged relations. According to an article from the Huffington Post, “the UAE monarchy has officially refused to recognize Israel’s right to exist.” The credibility of Cohen’s claim seems to be nothing more than speculation, since she can’t provide quotes or sources for her claims.

In the article it also seems as though Cohen is in support of the alliances between Israel and the other NATO countries, especially Greece. Cohen writes about a senior officer in the Israeli Air Force that mentioned how Greece and Israel share similar economic and political agendas. However, Cohen does not include the name of the military official, or a link to the interview or public address with the quote in writing. Not only does Cohen quote an unnamed military official, she also quotes Brig. Gen. Erez Meisel as well as Lt. Col. Gilad from the Israeli Air Force. Similarly, both quotes from these military officers were unable to be traced back to a credible source, which may indicate that these quotes were just a form of hearsay. One of the few sources that seems to have similar information to Cohen about this topic is from author Yaakov Lapin at The Jerusalem Post who wrote an article titled “A New Mediterranean Friendship Amid Regional Instability”. Lapin echoes the claims made by Cohan about the relationship between Greece and Israel, but does not mention a military partnership.  

Although the article is written about the Iniohos exercise, it seems as though Cohen simply uses the event to transition into an underlying issue regarding the Israeli relationship between the UAE and Greece. It does seem that Cohen generalizes the events in the article, and failed to provide in depth detail about the Iniohos exercise or even the extent to which the Israelis are involved with the UAE and Greece. The author seems to simply provide very interesting topics that could have better served the reader had there been more statistics or factual evidence.

Much of what Cohen writes about seems to be a combination of speculative and predictive journalism, without concrete fact. It is clear that the author is in support of the alliances between Israel and its fellow NATO countries, but is more so in favor of the alliance between Greece and Israel. Cohen seems to be insinuating that Israel is not as isolated in the Middle East as the country has been portrayed. Israel has been making widespread efforts to increase relations with neighboring countries in the region, and according to Cohen, the practice of using aircraft in Greece could be an indication of things to come. There seem to be clear indications in this article that Israel is set to expand in the Middle East; however, at this time Cohen seems unclear as to whether that means politically or militarily. 

Is the Trump Administration Really in Support of a Two-State Solution?

One of many groups of homes in Beit El

On December 16, 2016, Judy Maltz from Haaretz posted an article titled “Fund Headed by Trump’s Israel Ambassador Pumped Tens of Millions Into West Bank Settlement”. In this article, Maltz discuses the settlement of Beit El, which is located on the West Bank, and has been supplied approximately $2 million annually from an organization called the American Friends of Beit El Institutions (AFBEI). The President of the organization is David Friedman, a bankruptcy lawyer who President Trump has selected to become the new U.S. ambassador to Israel. Much of the donations received from the AFBEI have gone to fund initiatives across college institutions across college campuses in the U.S., which would focus on protesting a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. Furthermore, there have been links to funds from the AFBEI going to a militant rabbi in the yeshiva by the name of Zalman Melamed. Melted has openly advocated for troops to remain in the West Bank and not give the land up to their Palestinian counterparts. The teachings of Melamed as well as the curriculum in the U.S. about Beit El has been focused on Zionism, and according to Maltz they are targeting the most politically active and hostile students in both regions. There is widespread criticism of the support of the AFBEI and Trump’s administration in the Beit El area because of recent strides to alleviate tensions in the region by establishing a two-state solution. However, with the AFBEI receiving support from President Trump, who according to CBSNews donated $10,000 to the organization in 2003, it seems unlikely that progress with bee made towards the two-state solution.

The information presented in this article brings to light a very important issue of whether the U.S. will in fact support a two state solution in Israel, or if Friedman and the AFBEI will influence President Trump on the issue. However, it is important to remember that although this is a highly controversial issue Haaretz and the author of this article do a poor job supporting their claims with imbedded links, which leads to the speculation as to whether this information is reliable. Upon further research, there were several new sources that supported the claims made by Haaretz, yet many of those news sources include Israeli National News, Yeshiva, Besheva Newspaper, and HaMakom. However, after verifying the reliability of each news source, it became clear that some of these news agencies were listed on the Beit El website as direct affiliates.

The author does a very professional job of remaining very unbiased and using very objective language; however, it does seem as though the overall undertone of the article is opposed to Trump and his cabinet’s support of Beit El. This can be made very clear by simply looking at Maltz’s Twitter page, which reveals that she is openly opposed to Trump and his views. Maltz was also an alumni from Barnard University, which is located in New York City and can be commonly characterized as openly liberal. This could provide a reason as to why Maltz may not agree with the Trump support in the West Bank, especially since an extremely right-wing organization is providing financial backing to the region of Beit El.

Haaretz is considered to be one of the most reliable news sources in Israel, yet it is clear that most of their articles voice open support of the two-state solution between Palestine and Israel. Maltz seems to fall in line with the rest of the Haaretz writers in the sense that they all voice their opinions of a two-state solution, and have liberal tendencies. Overall, this is a very well written article; however, the reliability of some of the information seems questionable.

Did the courts go easy on Azarya?

Lady Justice Holds Azarya's fate

On March 3, 2017, the Ma'an News Agency published an article titled "Israeli military court postpones Elor Azarya's prison sentence", which provided updates on the trial of an Israeli soldier accused of murdering a Palestinian in cold blood. According to the New York Times, Azarya was on duty at a checkpoint station in the city of Hebron in the West Bank. While at the checkpoint two Palestinian nationalists approached and stabbed an IDF soldier. In response, one of the nationalists was killed and the other lay subdued face up on the pavement. The NY Times article goes on to say that as the assailant, identified as Abdel Fattah al-Sharif, was lying on his back, Azarya discharged his weapon into the al-Sharif’s head.  This incident, which occurred on March 24, 2016, was filmed and posted to YouTube, and clearly shows Azarya shooting al-Sharif. This was after al-Sharif had stabbed one of Azarya's fellow soldiers at a checkpoint in Hebron and was handcuffed on the ground., Now one year later after deliberation from the Israeli military court, Ma'an reports that the 18-month prison sentence which Azarya received will now be postponed while an appeal is sought out by the defense. There seems to be a public support for Azarya by the IDF, because approximately 90% of Israeli soldiers believe that Azarya should be acquitted of the charges and released. Ma'an goes on to further say that the general Israeli public does not share a similar opinion with the IDF, as only 47% of people felt that he should be acquitted. Members of al-Sharif’s family called the preceding a “show trial”, as they felt that this was a way for the Israeli military to publicly condemn the murder with a slap on the wrist, while diverting public attention from the other more serious situations. This feeling by al-Sharif’s family coincides with statistics from Ma’an, which states that of the 109 cases of Palestinians being killed by Israeli forces, Azarya is the only soldier on trial. According to an article from Ha'aretz, the judge of the trial justified the prolonged sentencing based on the evidence provided by saying that this was the first instance in which Azarya was faced with a situation of terror. Ma'an also takes a concerted look at the viewpoints of the family members of al-Sharif, who all agreed that the outcome of the trial thus far was nothing more than expected due to the disparity and mistreatment between the Israeli and Palestinian people. In an article from Independent News, it is mentioned that high ranking police and military officials such as the Jerusalem District Commander are advocating for the deaths of anyone who is violent towards Jewish people.

Based on the information presented, approximately 60% of the Ma’an article is factual, while the other 40% is subjective. Ma'an cites the Human Rights Watch, which is a very well known and respected human rights activist group. In these mentions, there are not only statistics on how many incidents there were involving the deaths of Palestinians by Israeli soldiers, but also statistics on how many of those soldiers were tried and of those, how many were indicted. Ma'an also shares some personal testimonies al-Sharif's family, and although they are opinions and not factual, they do help provide a critical perspective on the events. One of the other more impactful sources that Ma'an includes is the view of the judge who passed sentencing on Azarya, whose statement reflects a feeling of leniency on the murder. This could be factual based on information from the National Academic Press, which states that the response to crisis situations can be varied based on personal preparedness to that situation. The information provided had not only factually supported statements, but also several subjective viewpoints of Palestinians that have been directly affected by mistreatment from the Israelis.

My analysis on the article that was written by the Ma'an staff can be summarized as a good mix between factual and subjective. Ma'an does not seem to take a side when discussing the shooting committed by Azarya or the sentencing that came down from the Israeli military court. The writing team included a statement from al-Sharif’s family, while also providing staggering statistics on the disparity between the Palestinians and Israeli people. The shooting of al-Sharif, seems to highlight the division of not only Israelis and Palestinians, but also the division between the Israeli population. Although a majority of the IDF are in support of the violence towards Palestinians, more than half of the Israeli general population believe that this sort of violence should be condemned. Ma’an’s view on the Elor Azarya shooting is one that uses facts in order to show the views of Palestinians on the matter, and uses interviews to provide a sense of humanity. These interviews show that although there may be conflict between ethnic groups, the Palestinians are people and should not be subject to lawless behavior.