by Itamar Eichner
Published on May 10,2015
The Ethiopian government has expressed concern over Israeli authorities’ treatment of Ethiopian-Israelis. It appears Addis Ababa has been following the violent clashes over the past few weeks between Israelis of Ethiopian origin and police, while several Ethiopian news outlets accused Israel of racism and brutality towards Ethiopian Israelis.
The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry issued a statement several days ago that, while cautious of openly criticizing the Israeli government, extensively quoted Israeli leaders admitting the mistakes made in the integration of Ethiopian Jews. Among others, President Reuven Rivlin is quoted as saying that “Israel has made mistakes in handling the Ethiopian Jewish community,” and described their suffering as an “open and bleeding wound in the heart of Israeli society.”