This year in Jerusalem:   The Sigd holiday – the Ethiopian Jewish holy day expressing the commitment to return to Zion –  was observed in Jerusalem on November 7, 2018 with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin making a stirring address denouncing discrimination and promising to help Ethiopian Israeli youth offenders clear their records.

A JTA news article stated,   “Rivlin and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked issued a special appeal to the Ethiopian-Israeli community to submit requests for pardons for public order offenses in honor of Sigd. They noted that a government report adopted two years ago described discrimination against the Ethiopian-Israeli community in various fields including law enforcement, health, education and employment. The report found that criminal investigations were opened and charges were brought against Ethiopian Israelis at a significantly higher rate than their representation in the population.

The call for pardon requests was made “Out of a desire to complete a process of healing and closing gaps, as well as to strengthen the trust between the Ethiopian-Israeli community and law enforcement and justice authorities, in honor of the Sigd holiday,” the statement said. “The requests will be considered positively, out of a belief in the significant contribution made by these young people to Israeli society as a whole.””

To read the entire article, click here.

Tebeka and the Association for Ethiopian Jews – two advocacy and civil rights organizations assisted by Friends of Ethiopian Jews – have worked for years to get the government to agree to clear the records for “public order offenses:  (i.e. participating in demonstrations) of Ethiopian Israeli youth, who otherwise have no criminal records.