From Sudan to Israel: Has the Ethiopian Jewry Come Full Circle?

As one of the Jewish agency heads, Shlomo Mulah painfully remembers the journey he took, in 1984, across the Sudan Desert from Ethiopia to Israel. It was the trip of his lifetime known as "The Moshe Operation"was an opportunity for Shlomo to consummate his love for the Holy Land like thousands of other Ethiopian immigrants.

In 2006, former prime-minister Ariel Sharon asked Shlomo to join the political movement Kadima. Since the situation for Ethiopian immigrants is still one of hope and despair, the Ministry of Absorption has worked together with the Jewish agency as an outreach for providing shelter, food, clothing, medical treatment for all immigrants under the law of return. What is needed now are political strategies to bring the issues of Ethiopian Jewry to the national agenda table. "When they enter the workforce, these Ethiopian immigrants really see the harsh realities." With unemployment rising steadily and many companies laying off workers, Ethiopians represent one of Israel's traditional communities and the most underprivileged. Many still live at absorption centers, on caravans, or on various kibbutzim throughout Israel. Social workers cannot communicate in Amharit, Ethiopian's national language. Shlomo envisions that integrating the Ethiopians over the next ten years will close the social and economic gaps. "Look how many jobs the Russians immigrants created for Israel. There is no reason why an Ethiopian blue collar worker should be paid less than an Israeli born citizen or another immigrant." Shlomo states.

What is Shlomo's ultimate hope for the Kadima party? "I agreed to join because I saw the power in Kadima to represent the national interests of the public affecting all immigrants including those from which Ethiopians suffer the most. In order for the party to succeed, we need to initiate our own national efforts and create our own agenda. Today I see a "recovery" as the government is in a state of transition. There are Kadima branches opening all throughout the country. If Kadima received more mandates we would be together with the governmental coalition. The Ministry of Absorption is doing its best to educate the public and treat Ethiopian immigrants as equals, but in the end the government decides on the policy of social issues and we must act as a political representative." Shlomo says.

Achieving status of a full fledged party is largely discolored by Israeli politics. "Since Kadima is a relatively new party, we will need to continue to struggle for full recognition despite the fact that it won enough electorial votes to be recognized as a party." Shlomo believes that building a government agenda is only a piece of the struggle. "Ethiopians must have political leadership since the political policies of socio-economic polities largely rest on the shoulders of a government based coalition, which we are still not a part of. Ethiopians will continue to be underrepresented in a government and in socio-economic policies until we stand up and fight."

Shlomo's first days arriving to Israel were painful. After trekking over 780 kilometers on foot to Sudan, he couldn't believe what he had experienced and the memories he'd left behind. "People were divided into groups. Small children stayed with their parents. Robbers would often steal the little money from the older people. Women were raped by these so-called pirates in front of their fathers or husbands. They took clothes, water and food leaving hundreds of Ethiopians to die in the desert. The pressure was on us to cover at least 50 kilometers every day. Those who couldn't keep up died or starved. Many years later, a close friend told me about how her father fell down a hole and couldn't be rescued because the group needed to hurry." Shlomo remembers.

Shlomo remembers how busloads of hundreds of immigrants arrived daily. Many were malnourished, sick with diseases and needed immediate treatment. Some were on the brink of dying and required assistance to walk from their bus to their rooms. But there was hope. Arriving at the holy land provided a renewal of the Jewish spirit. "I didn't know how to iron, how to operate a washing machine or even how to turn on the lights." He remembers. "But we were happy to finally arrive in the Land of Israel."

When the Ethiopian government learned of Sudan's efforts, a largely Muslim country, to bring Ethiopians to Israel behind its backs, the remaining number of immigrants were forced to leave the planes and to go back to Ethiopia or travel the long harsh journey from Ethiopia to Israel alone. But this did not deter the Ethiopian from leaving their comfortable yet modest lifestyle to live in Israel. According to the statistics of the Ministry of Absorption, today there are more than 100,000 immigrants from Ethiopia, 30,000 were born in Israel and more than 70% today live under the poverty line. Thousands of Ethiopians survived the harsh conditions, gave up on their minimal possessions to reach their final destination - the true "milk and honey" of the land of Zion.

As a right-wing ideologist, Shlomo examines the questions he once asked as a sixteen year old arriving to Israel. How intent is Israel today to recognize the Ethiopian community as a Jewish one? Many young and old Ethiopian Jews emigrating today still face many social, economic and political problems which Shlomo, now 39 years old and a father of three, encountered as a sixteen year old. He knew his people needed more than simply running water, electricity, paved roads, and communications. "There were many problems with adjusting to the language and the culture in those early days but we were so happy to be in Israel" he remembers. "They sent me to the Ministry of Absorption, changed my name, and everything was different. They treated us immigrants like the "other" without a culture just simply innocent people."

Israel needs a leader who can bring about true reform against the ongoing realities of discrimination. "I work in the Jewish Agency and I use my abilities to educate about anti-semitism on a global level, and to educate Zionistic values of pluralism worldwide. I studied social work before my army service. I saw the problems from the very beginning. We have not arrived at the edge of the tunnel but we need a prime minister whose values will affect the status of Ethiopians as minorities, and we will continue to fight for equality. We cannot be passive. Education is the key to bring out around a true reform," he says.

Many Israelis do not realize are how deep the problems for the Ethiopian community really are. Shlomo knows just how difficult it is for his mother to accept the fact that to this day, she cannot read or write, which makes her feel inferior. She remembers the better times in Ethiopia. "We had a large governing Jewish body in Ethiopia which gave us confidence and motivation. Here, she feels she doesn't have the motivation to feel a sense of belonging, because she feels she has nothing to offer the Israeli society." Thousands of Ethiopians feel the same way. "They are literally ignoring us and do not know how to deal with us. Many Ethiopians still do not know how to read and write. The man still regards the women as inferior." Shlomo says painfully.

Other young Ethiopian army officers like Havham Gettaah, view the situation for Ethiopian immigrants with a bit more optimism "The Israeli army is an experience for both serving Israel and establishing a positive image especially for other Ethiopians. Gettaah believes that young Ethiopians need to push themselves upwards on the socio-economic ladder to avoid settling on simple "blue collar" army jobs and aim at professions that affirm their ability to think and to dream big.

Gettaah, who was inducted in 2003 says, "I started out as a real "jobnick" and didn't find satisfaction in the army until I entered the combat squad of the border control unit. A few months later, when I finished an officer's course, I realized that this is where my faith lies. I believe that my work as a role model will be beneficial for the future Ethiopian generations. The army is a place where one can grow and develop as an individual within the framework of an Israeli experience."

"As immigrants, we have a special dual identity and we want to feel a sense of belonging. We cannot cope with the army experience if we cannot take advantage of opportunities and to achieve the status. The army does a lot to integrate us in the social life while allowing us to keep our traditions, but we need to do more." Gettaah affirms.

Ethiopian military professionals like Gettaah, have the power to quietly dispel public perceptions about the Ethiopian community especially when it comes to the older generation but the harsh realities remain beyond the army walls. While the Israeli military may represent a communal home for many young aged immigrants, the division between the younger and older Ethiopian children continues to widen. Many parents, still jobless, cannot communicate to their children. A surge of requests has prompted the Israeli government to open special ulpanim or learning centers for preserving and educating children of Amharit, the national Ethiopian language.

Avraham Michaeli, one of the Absorption committee chairs knows that faith is one major ingredient for closing the real gaps. Like Shlomo Mullah, he affirms the need to embrace Ethiopian Jewry. "These Ethiopians needs the support of the rest of the Israeli community to pursue their mission otherwise, there will be constant interference." Michaeli states.

But until that day, Shlomo Mulah feels that the Ethiopian community must not be passive, otherwise "we will be sending our future to the grave." Shlomo says hopefully in his quiet modest voice.