Aliyah & Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata awarded Magen Begin Prize

"As part of the first Begin symposium, we chose to focus on leadership," explained Herzi Makov, head of the Begin Center in Jerusalem, where Tamano-Shata was awarded the prize.

The two-day symposium commemorated the 40th year since Begin's controversial and historic Operation Opera, which succeeded in bombing Saddam Hussein’s Osirak nuclear reactor on June 7, 1981.

In light of the 2020 Abraham Accords with the United Arab Emirates and the racial discrimination and upheaval in mixed Arab and Jewish Cities last month, the event honored Begin's legacy, both in its historical and current imperative, honing in on his firm leadership in The Camp David Accords peace talks with Egypt  and his efforts to end racism.

Begin sought to unify Israeli society and bring all Jews to Israel despite their differences, Tamano-Shata explained, specifically the Beta Israel Ethiopian community of which she is a part. 

 

"Begin knew even then that the most important task is not only to build a state but also to build a strong, cohesive and united society,"  she said.

Born in Wuzaba, a village in the Gondar region of Ethiopia, Tamano-Shata came to Israel at the age of three, barefoot, having survived the treacherous journey from Ethiopia to Israel via Sudan in Operation Moses.

Despite the difficulties she and her community faced in their absorption and integration into Israeli society, Tamano-Shata went on to serve in the IDF, obtain a degree in law, qualify as a lawyer, become a well-known broadcast journalist, and in 2013 become the first Ethiopian woman to be elected to the Knesset and the first person of Ethiopian decent to serve as a minister.

"For me, to stand here today and receive the Begin Award for Israeli leadership, as a granddaughter and descendant of the spiritual leaders of the Beta Israel community, is a great honor," Tamano-Shata expressed her gratitude.

Tamano-Shata was chosen as the first recipient of the prize for her actions in the Knesset promoting the very same "social justice, equality and the fight against discrimination," that Begin did, Makov remarked. 

 

"Menachem Begin, the only leader of his generation whose leadership was based on a set of values ​​and principles that he translated into action on a daily basis, worked hard for principles such as justice, social equality and human freedom," Makov said.

During her year-long role as Aliyah and Integration Minister, she fought to keep Israel's borders open to immigration during the coronavirus pandemic and has advocated for social equality and justice for underprivileged populations in the country.

"Most of the struggles I fought against discrimination and racism are because I believe in Israeli society. I believe that only when we learn to create a space of belonging and equal opportunity for all, only then will we become an exemplary society,"  Tamano-Shata  said.

In 2015, Tamano-Shata notably took part in Ethiopian-Israeli protests, sparked by the beating of an Ethiopian IDF soldier by police forces caught on video. Her work led to a government committee to combat racism.

Additionally, throughout her role as Aliyah and Integration Minister, Tamano-Shata led Operation Rock of Israel, the latest effort to bring the remainder of the Falash Mura community in Ethiopia to Israel, despite the country's closed border policy during coronavirus lockdowns.

"Begin's historical will to connect the components of Israeli society and the Jewish nation is also my mission as a public electorate; to work for the unity of the people, to continue to encourage immigration and good absorption, to fight racism for underprivileged and marginalized populations and to bring them to the forefront of the decision-makers' table," she declared. 

As Tamano-Shata, Begin had also led operations to bring Ethiopian Jews to Israel. One such project, the covert Operation Brothers, rescued Ethiopian Jews from Sudan through a cover-up, Mossad-run Red Sea Diving Resort, in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

"Menachem Begin was the first prime minister to see us as brothers and sisters who must be part of the 12 tribes returning to Israel and thus broke through the barriers among decision-makers that hindered immigration," Tamano-Shata said. 

She spoke about her admiration for Begin in the new documentary about his life, "Upheaval," which was screened at the symposium. 

"I will continue to work for the fulfillment of Begin's vision," Tamano-Shata concluded. 

Jeremy Sharon contributed to this report.