We are at the peak of a sizzling summer that started with the remembrance of the tragic shooting death of the late Solomon Tekah (z”l) when I penned an Op-Ed in Haaretz on July 5th ,saying “It’s been three years since the death of Solomon Tekah (z”l), and two haunting questions remain unanswered.”
The systemic collusion between Israel’s justice system and the Police’s Internal Investigations Department, continued with Israel’s Supreme Court’s ruling against the late Yehuda Biadga’s (z”l) parents – deciding not to open a criminal investigation against the officer who shot Yehuda Biadga at point blank range in 2019. This outrageous decision almost encourages police aggression and negligent misconduct that could contribute to more civilian deaths in tense situations.
AEJ has been sounding the alarm about over-policing and obstruction of justice for years – a scourge to society – so it was not surprising that during the recent interview with the former deputy head of the Police’s Internal Investigations Department, Moshe Saada admitted that Israel’s police operates like a mafia organization that protects its own at the expense of marginalized citizens like Ethiopian Israelis.
Clearly there is plenty to do, so here is a taste of AEJ’s actions and impact over the past few months.
2. AEJ presented a strong message on June 21st at the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee’s meeting titled: “Report and Update by the Justice Ministry’s National Anti-Racism Coordinator’s Unit” marking the tenth anniversary of Ethiopian Israeli protests where AEJ highlighted the Police’s non-transparency and lack of solid data to the public;
3. AEJ’s Executive Director presented AEJ’s police research displaying police misconduct at an Inter-ministerial Committee meeting hosted by Israel’s Immigration and Integration Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), to advance the integration and inclusion of Ethiopian Israelis into Israeli society and for the elimination of racism.
It is important to emphasize that AEJ is the ONLY organization present to monitor and voice an essential critique of police misconduct against Ethiopian Israelis.
Then, in July, I met with the Udit Corinaldi-Sirkis, the President’s Legal Advisor, Yael Kotik, the Justice Ministry’s Director of Department of Pardons and Liaison to the President and Dikla Takutiel the President’s Residence Director of Presidential Pardons to review and improve the obstacles of the pardons process focusing on the active recruitment of applicants and to encourage the submission of pardon applications by Ethiopian Israelis, via local authorities and other avenues.
In the field of improving employment opportunities and rights – AEJ published with partners KavLaOved, a research & position paper about day-to-day and COVID related employment barriers that make it difficult for Ethiopian Israelis to secure their rights for fair employment and unemployment with dignity. The paper recommends government policy changes and regulation improvements including for language barriers and the lack of Amharic. We hosted a Facebook Live Event in Hebrew and Amharic to present employment information and field questions on workers’ rights.
In the last few weeks two significant government reports were published that confirm the lack of equal employment opportunities in the public and private sectors: You can listen here to my interview in Hebrew on the radio program “Life Itself” where I comment on the report “Diversity Index – Representation and Wages in the Private and Public Employment Markets” that shows a consistent multi-year trend between 2015-2020 whereby Ethiopian Israelis are concentrated in a limited number of industries and that wage gaps remain high.
The second government report was published by the Civil Service Commission in May 2022 titled Diversity and Representation Report that again reveals and confirms how in 2021, Ethiopian Israelis are still not sufficiently employed or adequately represented in Israel’s public sector in violation of the law.
In parallel, AEJ & partner ADVA Center completed an independent research and position paper & media press release to raise awareness and to present the findings to decision-makers at the Knesset Special Committee for Public Petitions to demand increase in employment diversity. Minister Tamano Shata arranged the Knesset Committee meeting for June 22, 2022 but it was postponed and then unfortunately cancelled due to the Knesset dispersal. We will reveal in the coming days alarming findings that show how qualified Ethiopian Israelis are being excluded from management and entry positions in the public sector, Israel’s leading employer.
As record-breaking global temperatures rise, many of us take advantage of the summer to rest, but there are those like, Avera Mengistu, who cannot enjoy the same freedom and continues to languish in Hamas’s captivity for 2886 days. I wish that this summer he will return safely home.
And finally, I would like to take this opportunity to mark the passing of our dear friend, the late Yaakov Hiskiyahu (z”l) who served as an AEJ board member for over two decades and whose legacy is an integral part of AEJ’s work for a just society.
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