(BBC) As Jewish people around the world marked the festival of Passover, thousands of Jews living in northern Ethiopia, did not have much to celebrate.
Many have been left disappointed by an Israeli government decision to end a 30-year-old programme that saw tens thousands of Ethiopian Jews airlifted to the Holy Land.
And many families are grappling with being separated from their loved ones, as Focus on Africa’s Emmanuel Igunza found out in the north-western city of Gondar.
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Sad that this article needs to be here,
considering the great hope that those airlifts represented in the 80’s.
A point not oft discussed on the mainstream media, is the terrible racism Ethiopians settled in Israel are facing.
I recently read the article posted below which highlights the experiences of today inside Israel for Ethiopians.
One should realize that racism towards Africans worldwide is rising and Israel is no exception.
A case highlighted in December of Ethiopian blood donations being thrown out of the Knesset, Israeli parliament, on the basis that African blood is a likely aids carrier.
It comes as no surprise that the programme is ending after 30 years, as when the Ethiopians first arrived it was said their form of Judaism was “more correct” that the Judaism of the European Jews, now it seems that 30 years has been enough time to correct that.
http://m.irinnews.org/report/94819/israel-the-tribulations-of-being-an-ethiopian-jew#
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2013-12-12-blood-donation-collectors-thrown-out-of-israeli-parliament