Ethiopian Jews fight the racism of Israel

Thousands of second-generation Ethiopian Jews in Israel have clashed with police over the past two days in Tel Aviv.

Dozens have been injured, as have more than 50 Israeli police officers.

The Ethiopian "uprising" was quickly put down by the Israeli police.

Ethiopian Jews in Israel suffer from difficult living conditions and racism after first migrating to Israel in the early 1980s.

Some argue Israel's racism reflects the failure of the 'Zionist melting pot'.

Protests broke out after a video was released on April 26 showing police officers beating Demas Fikadey, a Jewish soldier of Ethiopian descent.

Protesters chanted that they were not Arabs, and that they paid military service tax and served in the Israeli army, reflecting their aspirations to integrate into Israeli society.

Ethiopian Jews have no political party or traditional leaders. They are represented in the Knesset by Likud MK Avraham Negussie.

Some argue Israel's racism reflects the failure of the "Zionist melting pot".

The Ethiopian Jews' situation is not very different from the Jews who arrived in Israel from Muslim countries in the 1950s. After the 1959 uprising in Haifa former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir described eastern Jews as "unfriendly youths".

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu said: "The Ethiopian Jews' claims should be looked into, but without legitimising their violence."

However, no concrete efforts have been seen to be made to end discrimination against Ethiopian Jews.

Israeli society is torn between migrant Jewish groups, including the Sephardim and the Russians. Compared with these, the number of Ethiopian Jews is small - making it difficult for them to change the economic and political status quo.

This article is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.