Standing up for Ethiopian Israelis

SOME 5000 protesters marched last week from the Knesset compound to Jerusalem’s Independence Park, where a rally was held to protest against racism towards Ethiopians.

Demonstraters carried Israeli flags and signs reading, “Today it’s me, tomorrow it’s you”, and “Stop racism”.

The leader of the march was 26-year-old student Mulet Hararo, who began his own personal march from Kiryat Malachi to Jerusalem last Monday.

Earlier this month, the Ethiopian community protested against what it claims to be racist behaviour from residents of the city, who are unwilling to rent out or sell them apartments. Some have even signed contracts under which they have made a commitment not to sell or rent out apartments to members of the Ethiopian community.

“I am a third generation of marchers,” Hararo told the crowd at Independence Park. “My grandmother, may she rest in peace, started marching, following her hope and the 3000-year dream of all members of our community,” he said, sending the crowd into a frenzy. “They marched for weeks on impassable roads, men, women and children.

“I am a proud Israeli of Ethiopian descent. I marched with the Israeli flag because Israel is the home of all Jews. Israel is also our home. I have no other land. I have marched for this holy land to prove to myself it is mine, to prove to her that I love her. And it has proved me it loves me back.”

Prior to the march Hararo said: “It was very heartwarming to see people support me on my way to Jerusalem. It gave me the strength to go on. My goal is to expose Israeli society and the Israeli establishment to the phenomenon of racism.”

Avihu Ayelo, one of the community leaders, declared, “A new page has been turned with this protest.” He added, “The young, the men, the women – we are one, one people. We demand our rights. It is unacceptable we will not be allowed to raise our children as all other Jews.”

Rami Yaakov, a law student, slammed the various Israeli governments, claiming they “hurt us and trampled over us and our parents”.

Earlier, some Knesset members such as Labour chairman Shelly Yachimovich and Kadima Chairwoman Tzipi Livni came to support the protesters. This was met by claims from some of the protesters that the MKs were trying to ride the media wave.
The protest was also attended by leaders of the country’s recent social-justice protests Daphni Leef and Oren Pasternak.

Prior to the march, Livni told Ynet, “The Ethiopian immigrants made aliyah for Zionist purposes and lost many on the way to Israel. Now, instead of accepting them, we encounter severe racism in Israeli society and a failure on the government’s part in dealing with the
matter.”

Yachimovich claimed that the protest was a reaction to the escalation in racism against members of the Ethiopian community. “These young people are taking matters into their own hands. This will bring a change in Israeli society,” she said.

YOAV MALKA, YNETNEWS.COM