Copyright: Government Press Office (Israel) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]
A large demonstration by the Ethiopian Jewish community is scheduled to take place this afternoon (Israel time) in Tel-Aviv. The organizers of this demonstration are protesting what they perceive as disproportionate police violence directed at their community following the fatal shooting by the Israeli police last week of an Ethiopian Jewish youth who was behaving erratically. Police were alerted by the youth’s own family, but when he refused to obey their orders and acted in a menacing manner, the situation quickly escalated and the youth was fatally shot.
Deputy Commander of Israeli Police has issued orders for the police forces deployed at the scene of the demonstration to exercise constraint and treat the demonstrators with respect, allowing them to block the major Ayalon artery. He explained that in a democracy every group has the right to lawful and orderly protest.
The absorption of the Ethiopian Jews into Israeli society has not always been a very smooth one, with allegations of racism against them continuing even while many are finding success in both civilian and military life in the country.
