Israel's New Racism: The Persecution of African Migrants in the Holy Land

[1980s]

Israel Cranks Up the PR Machine | The Nation

[Minskaya]

As a more even-handed backdrop, Israel (with US assistance) airlifted tens of thousands of African Jews (Beta Israel) from persecution in Ethiopia between 1979 and 1990. Today there are ~120,000 ethnic Ethiopian Israelis.

The people above are illegal immigrants who were initially welcomed but have become a burgeoning problem, especially in South Tel Aviv and Eilat. Israelis are simply fed up with their criminal behaviors and want them removed.

[1980s]

As a more even-handed backdrop, Israel (with US assistance) airlifted tens of thousands of African Jews (Beta Israel) from persecution in Ethiopia between 1979 and 1990. Today there are ~120,000 ethnic Ethiopian Israelis.

The people above are illegal immigrants who were initially welcomed but have become a burgeoning problem, especially in South Tel Aviv and Eilat. Israelis are simply fed up with their criminal behaviors and want them removed.

What is the condition of Ethiopian Israelis? There's reports every so often about their general exclusion and large scale poverty.

Its interesting you mention the criminal behaviour of 'illegal immigrants' when there are over 500,000 illegal Israeli immigrants in the occupied territories. I wonder, if Israelis are so fed up of illegal immigrants from Africa and want them removed, do they also feel the same about illegal Israelis living in East Jerusalem and the West Bank and support the removal of these aliens too?

I hope you dont have double standards when it comes to illegals in your country, and illegals from your country living in somebody else's land.

[Goatboy]

What is the condition of Ethiopian Israelis? There's reports every so often about their general exclusion and large scale poverty.

Its interesting you mention the criminal behaviour of 'illegal immigrants' when there are over 500,000 illegal Israeli immigrants in the occupied territories. I wonder, if Israelis are so fed up of illegal immigrants from Africa and want them removed, do they also feel the same about illegal Israelis living in East Jerusalem and the West Bank and support the removal of these aliens too?

I hope you dont have double standards when it comes to illegals in your country, and illegals from your country living in somebody else's land.

It's shameful that repression and expulsion is so frequently justified, so easily rationalized, in the grand game of increasing Israeli security. Unbelievable duplicity in policy from the Jordan to the sea is one of the unfortunate results.

[Minskaya]

What is the condition of Ethiopian Israelis? There's reports every so often about their general exclusion and large scale poverty.

As with most immigrants, it was rough at first. It is better now and ~35% are Israeli born. I would guess that at least one fifth of the IDF is Ethiopian and so is the current Miss Israel. Poverty is poverty, and it exists in all demographic sectors. Without doubt there are far more Russian Israelis in poverty than Ethiopian Israelis in poverty.

Its interesting you mention the criminal behaviour of 'illegal immigrants' when there are over 500,000 illegal Israeli immigrants in the occupied territories.

As I've said before, I don't agree with the West Bank settlements. Since I do not currently live in Israel, I have no first-hand knowledge of the illegal immigrant situation. According to Israeli media, the illegal African immigrants have become a definite criminal problem. The Sinai border fence is now complete which will curtail illegals simply walking across an open border.

I hope you dont have double standards when it comes to illegals in your country, and illegals from your country living in somebody else's land.

Negotiations are transpiring right now between Israel and Palestine (Abbas) about the core issues. What they will lead to is anyone's guess.

Israel isn't alone with such problems. Your fellow Brit tankie calls your capital Londonstan. The Spanish fence to keep illegal Africans out. The Paris slum riots. Muslims in Milan. Turks in Germany. Drownings in SE Asia. The troubles on the US/Mexico border. Just this past week there was a riot in Moscow to boot out North Caucus immigrants.

[Mihais]

It's shameful that repression and expulsion is so frequently justified, so easily rationalized, in the grand game of increasing Israeli security. Unbelievable duplicity in policy from the Jordan to the sea is one of the unfortunate results.

It's always shameful,from afar.It gets very righteous once you're on the receiving end,the kinetic sort, of cultural enrichment.

[1980s]

According to Israeli media, the illegal African immigrants have become a definite criminal problem. The Sinai border fence is now complete which will curtail illegals simply walking across an open border.

Crime is one thing but i am not particularly convinced that is the substantial or even general picture here given the overt xenophobia and racism. The xenophobia and fanaticism for keeping Israel a so-called 'Jewish democracy' seems like the real story here than the apparent crime brought to Israel by Africans.

Im sure you can see the irony of the marches and disgusting attitudes of the right-wing Israelis in the video.

Israel isn't alone with such problems. Your fellow Brit tankie calls your capital Londonstan. The Spanish fence to keep illegal Africans out. The Paris slum riots. Muslims in Milan. Turks in Germany. Drownings in SE Asia. The troubles on the US/Mexico border. Just this past week there was a riot in Moscow to boot out North Caucus immigrants.

Of course, Israel has a right to protect its borders and handle immigration in its own way, altho there is something particularly galling about Israeli ultra-nationalists rallying against Africans on grounds of race and accusing them of crimes and of being 'infiltrators' when 500,000 Israeli 'infiltrators' themselves live on somebody elses land illegally without any serious opposition and remedial procedures from the masses and state in Israel. In fact, the Israeli state itself has been facilitating this 'infiltration'.

I am not attacking you personally, but Israel hardly can evoke much sympathy over this issue, unlike Greece or Italy for example.

[Doktor]

What about Greece?

[Goatboy]

It's always shameful,from afar.It gets very righteous once you're on the receiving end,the kinetic sort, of cultural enrichment.

It is. It can make Jewish settlers extremely righteous as soon as the IDF leave the scene also.



I'm still waiting for a more comprehensive story on the Israeli government's use of the birth control drug "Depo-Provera" on Ethiopian Jews, ostensibly to "control" their birth rate. Many/most were unwitting recipients, but an alarming number claim they were coerced into taking it, by the threat of denial of entry. There's plenty of "unspoken" and "ex-official" governmental policies in Israel related to maintaining ethnic purity, or at least "Jewishness". I fear this was one of them.

[kato]

Turks in Germany.

Just to raise a hand here, you pretty much won't find Turkish illegal immigrants in Germany. 99% of them are here legally, most of them are middle-class and don't create many problems. If you want problematic immigrants in Germany, both legal and illegal, you'd have to primarily look at people from those countries between Turkey and Germany.

[Bigfella]

As with most immigrants, it was rough at first. It is better now and ~35% are Israeli born. I would guess that at least one fifth of the IDF is Ethiopian and so is the current Miss Israel. Poverty is poverty, and it exists in all demographic sectors. Without doubt there are far more Russian Israelis in poverty than Ethiopian Israelis in poverty.

In absolute or proportional terms? Given that there are only 120,000 Ethiopian-Israelis and at least 1 million Russian-Israelis 10% poverty in the latter would equate to over 80% for the former.

As I've said before, I don't agree with the West Bank settlements.

Doesn't that make you a 'self-hating jew' or somesuch? Damn near makes you an anti-Semite if you are a gentile. :)

Israel isn't alone with such problems. Your fellow Brit tankie calls your capital Londonstan. The Spanish fence to keep illegal Africans out. The Paris slum riots. Muslims in Milan. Turks in Germany. Drownings in SE Asia. The troubles on the US/Mexico border. Just this past week there was a riot in Moscow to boot out North Caucus immigrants.

This bit isn't clear in context, given that you were just talking about illegal immigration. You are mixing up issues with legal & illegal immigrants and people who are neither. Are you simply pointing out general issues with different communities? I would separate out the issues. The people Tankie is upset with are mostly legal immigrants & their offspring, as are those having issues in France or Germany. The issues in Moscow seem to be with people who are, quite possibly against their will, Russian citizens from communities incorporated centuries ago. The illegal issue is different again, though people can often blur the lines.

[Minskaya]

Doesn't that make you a 'self-hating jew' or somesuch?

I don't think so. Most members of this board (with some legendary exceptions) offer criticisms of their governments and policies. To pretend any government is benign and squeaky-clean is both disingenuous and dishonest.

As for the rest, I haven't lived full-time in Israel for a number of years so the best I can offer about the illegal immigrant problem are impressions from afar. Israel is a very complex society.

[Bigfella]

I don't think so. Most members of this board (with some legendary exceptions) offer criticisms of their governments and policies. To pretend any government is benign and squeaky-clean is both disingenuous and dishonest.

Wasn't really directed at you Minnie. More of a comment on the way some people try to set boundaries on permissible opinion by setting up what Singaporeans call 'OB markers' (out of bounds). As it happens I agree on settlements.

As for the rest, I haven't lived full-time in Israel for a number of years so the best I can offer about the illegal immigrant problem are impressions from afar. Israel is a very complex society.

Fair enough. I wasn't looking to 'pile on', just to separate out the issues a bit. The problems of the Beta Israel and issues pertaining to illegal immigrants may have some commonalities in terms of racial attitudes, but in some other key respects they need to be treated separately. Issues to do with first & second generation immigrants fitting in to new societies & being accepted by those societies occur across a wide variety of societies. My own society has been dealing with this since before it was a nation and Israel has been doing so since inception. I suspect we both hold our nations to a fairly high standard. I am disappointed when mine falls short and would be saddened if a nation founded as a haven from racial & religious persecution, as Israel was, should fall short of the ideals of its founders.

[Minskaya]

Perhaps the biggest problem is the Israeli electoral process. I believe it is flawed and permits minority blocks to aggregate and wield far more collective power than they individually represent.

[chanjyj]

Bigfella, I think the "out of bound markers" you are referring to are starting to get out-of-bounds.