Here in Israel, as with George Floyd, we encounter police violence against the Ethiopian community that has resulted in the deaths of numerous young people over the years
By MICHAL AVERA SAMUELProtesters stand opposite police during a protest for the death of 18-year old Solomon Tekah of Ethiopian descent, after he was shot by police, in Tel Aviv, Israel July 2, 2019(photo credit: CORINNA KERN/REUTERS)
The story of George Floyd’s tragic murder by a Minneapolis police officer has affected everyone in the USA and has spread worldwide. Eight minutes and forty-six seconds all it took to end the life of an innocent African American citizen, choking him with one knee on his neck.Does this case 10,000 kilometers away remind us of something local? Unsurprisingly, the answer is yes. Incidents of racism toward dark-skinned people are a global phenomenon still relevant in the modern world and in our daily lives. Every murder based on racism is shocking on every scale, and it is impossible to remain indifferent, whether we know the victim personally or if they are a stranger on the other side of the globe. The reality is the same, only the names of the victims are different.What is our job, the Jewish people, in confronting the phenomenon of racism towards black people? How can we, the people who have lived for thousands of years as a persecuted minority, as Jews in Israel, work to prevent the killing of a local George Floyd? Our role as human beings must be expressed by conciliation, together with world Jewry, from a place of acceptance of the other – of those who are different.The Jewish people who have suffered and experienced a painful history of antisemitic events are very familiar with what African Americans – those who are still suffering from racism only because of the color of their skin – are going through. The Jewish people must be a light unto the nations in the war to eradicate racism. We must refuse to sweep things under the rug as many are trying to do in the US. Keeping our attention focused on this issue is the right and necessary thing to do for the sake of social justice.Here in Israel, as with George Floyd, we encounter police violence against the Ethiopian community that has resulted in the deaths of numerous young people over the years. Only a year ago, the killing of a young Ethiopian man by a police officer who claimed the boy was attacking him, sparked waves of protest, and brought multitudes to the streets. There is a very clear line that connects George Floyd, Solomon Tekah, Yehuda Biadga, and so many others – victims of racism, who have died unjustly at the hands of police officers only because of the color of their skin.Israeli society must change the perception of the Ethiopian community. We must look at the African-American struggle in the US as a case study and acknowledge that this is a relevant issue in Israel as well. What is happening in Minneapolis today could happen in Bat Yam, Rehovot or Beersheba tomorrow. We must support and empathize with the protests in the US (of course, without resorting to violence or looting). It’s time to say enough is enough with racism. Enough of hating one another. Violence directed against people because of their skin color, origin or religion is never acceptable.Racism is the same racism throughout the world.The writer is the CEO of Fidel Association – a community engaged in the educational and social integration of Ethiopian Israelis.
