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Comparisons of Police Shooting in Israel with U.S. Are Dishonest and Unhelpful

(Los Angeles Jewish Journal) Shmuel Rosner - It is tempting to compare the protests after the killing of a young Ethiopian Israeli by an off-duty police officer with "Black Lives Matter" in the U.S., but it is not the same. The reason why begins with two very different histories. Africans were shipped to America as slaves. Ethiopian Israelis were brought by their own country to play their part in the great Zionist gathering of Israel's tribes. Moreover, African Americans had to fight for equality. Ethiopian equality, at least in principle, was a given. Yes, mistakes were made. There are clearly some issues that are not yet resolved. And yet, Israel invested resources in helping the newcomers more than in any other community. There are social workers and educators, government branches and NGOs, programs and subsidies. There are also many successes. Coming to Israel with very little property, as a group they made a giant leap in a relatively short period of time. The majority of Israeli Jews want Ethiopian Jews to integrate and succeed. The media was sympathetic to the unrest. The government will be quick to respond. The growing number of Ethiopian policemen is a sign of progress.
2019-07-16 00:00:00
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