Race not an issue in Israel
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The New York Daily News reports on a team of three from Israel (Law students Aviva Cohen and Nevo Vandimo, along with lawyer Abaynesh Tessema) who visited with Queens College’s Hillel as part of their US tour for Black History Month. They shared their thoughts on what it means to be Ethiopian and Jewish in Israel, and how that experience changes drastically once in the US.
Jewish students at Queens College learned yesterday that Ethiopian Jews living in Israel are not much different from themselves - other than the color of their skin….[the] audience was fascinated to learn that black Jews interacted easily with white Jews in Israel, and asked a flurry of questions, mostly on perspectives of race.
“In Israel, race is not the issue, but you do have discrimination on the basis of political power and economic power,” said Tessema, 24, who migrated with her family to Israel in 1990 and who practices civil and family law in Jerusalem.
Twenty years ago, Ethiopian black Jews began migrating to Israel after the nation elected to accept them under its international campaign to attract Jews from around the globe. Many Ethiopians migrated from villages before settling in modern cities throughout Israel. Most assimilated successfully, and their population there has grown to 105,000.
Vandimo, 28, told students that for several months he lived in Harlem and experienced firsthand the discrimination that African-Americans face. “In Israel, I am treated more as an Israeli than as an Ethiopian,” said Vandimo, who migrated to Israel with his family in 1987. “In the States, If you’re a black man, you’re just a black man.”
This speaking tour is sponsored by Israel at Heart, a non-profit organization that works to “promote a better understanding of Israel and its people.”
Libyan wrote:
Yes Race isnt an Issue in israel, as long as you are not an Arab or Nota christian greek.
as long as you are of the jewish “ethino-race” You can be polkadotted with stripes!
Posted 03 Apr 2005 at 11:35 am ¶
Jewish neo-Nazis wrote:
LMFAO!!!!! What a piece of ridiculous Jewish propaganda!
What it’s like being Chinese in Israel:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=291271&sw=deportation+Jaffe
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1112442,00.html
“Chinese workers at a company in Israel have been forced to agree not to have sex with or marry Israelis as a condition of getting a job.”
What it’s like being Black in Israel:
http://www.sfbayview.com/100604/heroism100604.shtml
Not to even mention being Palestinian…(racial apartheid, anyone?)
FACT IS - Israel is one of THE MOST racist countries ON EARTH today! This articale was one laughable snowjob! Helloooo - wake UP Carmen & Jen!
Posted 15 Dec 2005 at 3:48 pm ¶
Sewere wrote:
Just stumbled on this amazing blob and had to give my .02 cents on this one.
Race IS an issue in Israel, it took forever for Ethiopian Jews to be acknowledged as Jews. Another way one can easily see racism manisfested is when one looks at key leadership posts in Israeli politics, very few of the Isreali leaders are of European ancestry but only a few are of Mediterranean ancestry.
I know enough Chinese-Jewish folk to know the type of blatant racism this group experiences. Check out the documentary Balancing Act about the experience of Magda Schweitzer (Jewish-Hungarian), her husband Man Fong Tong. Although the story is more about the interracial couple’s experience during the holocaust and moving to the U.S, there is a short sub plot on the experiences of their sons Gary and Dan.
There isn’t enough space on this post to delve into the Israeli anti-Palestinian apartheid system. I will ask anyone who disagrees with this statement to explain to me how a state can besay that it is democratic, yet refer to itself as primarily serving the Jewish people. I will in turn explain that my criticism is about anti-racism and not anti-semitism
Posted 27 Apr 2006 at 1:49 pm ¶