Police violence towards Israel’s Ethiopians evokes Macpherson

THE DAY after the death of Solomon Teka, the 18-year-old shot dead by an offduty police officer last week, EthiopianIsraeli activists added him to their list of community members who died — murdered, they claim — as a result of police violence and racism.

Their stories of 11 dead are grist for the mill of an acrimonious debate between the community and police over what is called, for want of a better term, “over policing.”

In each case, the police either claim the young men were acting violently and the officers were responding to a perceived threat, or that it was suicide.

This latest incident is already becoming a similar battle for facts. Depending on who you follow on social media, it is either that the unnamed police officer had a history of violence and needlessly drew his gun at close-quarters, or that Solomon Teka had a history of violent delinquency, that he was endangering the policeman and his family by throwing stones, and that the officer had only fired at the ground but Mr Teka was the unfortunate victim of a ricochet.

Irrespective of the competing scenarios, the death caused some of the worst rioting in Israel in a generation and has taken on a much wider significance. It has spurred young EthiopianIsraelis to speak out about the racism they encounter daily on the streets and in the workplace.

The violence in last week’s protests has also led to recriminations towards the community. Tinged with a hefty dose of paternalism, some say Ethiopians should be “grateful that we brought them out of Africa”.

Are these race riots similar to the ones seen in Britain and other western countries over past decades?

The Ethiopian-Israeli issue defies categorisation when it comes to assessing the success of the community’s integration in to Israeli society. Nearly twothirds of them emigrated to Israel in a series of airlifts beginning in the mid1980s and came mostly penniless from rural villages where they had little connection with modern life.

“The gulf between the lives they used to lead in Ethiopia and life in Israel is unimaginable to most westerners,” says a senior Jewish Agency official who was involved in those airlifts. “In recent years, where we had time to prepare them before emigration, we explained things like using a modern toilet, disposable nappies and fridges.

“At Addis Ababa Airport we had to make sure they wouldn’t board escalators so as not to get hurt. Even with the best of intentions and all the resources in the world, it takes a generation at least to close these gaps.”

The integration of Ethiopian-Israelis has also had some unique dilemmas. Receiving state benefits to buy their own flats, should the government try and disperse them and not create ‘black slum’ areas? Or should it account for the fact that Ethiopian families, especially the older generation, would prefer to live close to each other?

Another contentious issue has been the role of the Kessim, the traditional religious leaders. While some sought to retain their communal authority, others acknowledge that since the Chief Rabbinate holds sway over marriage in Israel, it would be better for the community’s religious needs to be handled by Israeli rabbis.

35 years since the first large groups of Ethiopian Jews began arriving, should There have bene scenes of violence and protest across Israel over the past week following Solomon Teka’s death the fact that 22 per cent of adults in the community now have some form of higher education be seen as a mark of success? Or does the fact that the share in the general population is twice as high mean integration has failed?

Most young Ethiopian-Israelis are focused on daily challenges: finishing high school, serving in the IDF, studying and getting a job. In theory at least, they have equal opportunities and the trend indicates their prospects are improving. Brushing off racist remarks is one thing but facing police violence is another matter.

No society likes to think of itself as tainted with racism and Israelis are already used to similar accusations in the context of the Palestinian conflict. Admitting the police have a race problem is difficult but as Britain did 20 years ago with the Macpherson Report on police racism, it might be a necessary step to addressing a much wider issue.

The gulf between lives they led in Ethiopia and life in Israel’