Shas party chairman, Minister of Interior Aryeh Deri on Wednesday spoke out regarding the week’s violence by members of Israel’s Ethiopian community.
The violence was sparked by the police shooting death of unarmed 18-year-old Ethiopian Solomon Tekka.
“We too were not accepted to educational institutions and places of work” Deri tweeted. “They insulted us and were racist too. They also called us blacks and rejected us, and they hated us and still hate us”.
Deri then went on trying to explain why blocking roads and taking to the streets with violence is not the way. “My brothers, members of the Ethiopian community: From experience, racism is not dispelled with rocks and fires. Racism is dispelled with actions, raising one’s head and booing those who hate”.
גם אותנו לא קיבלו למוסדות חינוך ולמקומות עבודה. גם אלינו התייחסו בזלזול וגזענות. גם לנו קראו שחורים, גם אותנו דחו, גם עלינו התנשאו ועדיין מתנשאים.
אחי בני העדה האתיופית: מניסיון, גזענות לא ממגרים באבנים ושריפות. גזענות ממגרים בעשיה, הרמת ראש ובוז לכל המתנשאים— אריה מכלוף דרעי (@ariyederi) July 3, 2019
MK Yoaz Hendel (Blue and White) joined in and expressed his disgust at the nature of the protests and said that “the shooting incident that led to Solomon’s death should be investigated. There is still no room for violence against police at demonstrations. No matter who, what happened and when. Chareidim, hilltop youth, Arabs or any other group. Anyone who gives approval to violence because it is a group that suits him politically once will find himself with anarchy next time.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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6 Responses
People guilty of intolerance inevitably find fault with the victims of their intolerance. “We didn’t throw rocks.” How many Sephardim were killed by police for no reason? How many Sephardim in Israel today feel hostility towards Ethiopian Jews? I grew in the Jewish community of Brooklyn where a day didn’t go by when I did hear my family and friends say apropos African-Americans, “we didn’t get or ask for special attention when we immigrated to this country.” That’s code for, “DAMN SHVARTZE! WHY DO OUR TAX DOLLARS HAVE TO HELP THEM?!!!”
Moishgil , excuse my ignorance . What are u trying to say?
Moishgil, the situations facing Ethiopians in Israel and the situation facing AA’s in America are completely different.
The AA’s are low class and are Poor By Choice, while the Ethiopians in Israel are Poor By Circumstance.
The Ethiopians do not have a culture of allowing themselves to be exploited by Left-wing politicians
They want to be respected like humans; rightly so. What’s the answer? Behave like wild animals?!
Deri is right they will not achieve recognition and respect through violence.
Part of the problem came from the leftist who discouraged them from going through geirus etc. sand making sure they don’t become religious.
Ethiopians correctly feel out of place. Of 6.8 million Jews they are a tiny population. Those who were born in Israel,came as little ones are in a country that does not look like them nor culturally. THEY FEEL ITS NOT THEIR COUNTRY! let them go! They have the FREEDOM to leave! They have no right to attack innocents! I saw terrified young couples with babies and small children in a state fright in their cars. The rioters had racist hate towards all Jews in the cars.
I stated on radio shows and on my Cable TV broadcasts when they started coming to Israel, it’s a big mistake for them too be brought to Israel and there will be severe consequences!
David, don’t blame leftists for that. That’s a systemic problem that has nothing to do with liberal/conservative.
Don’t like the wrong thing, and don’t confuse issues.