Ethiopian Jews: Success Threatened by Neglect : PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE

The insensitive mishandling of blood donated by Ethiopian Jews in Israel--first accepted, then secretly discarded for fear of contamination by the HIV virus--and the subsequent disorders pitting Israeli Ethiopians against Israeli police (some of whom were also Ethiopians) came as a painful blow to those of us who participated in the rescue of the Ethiopian Jews and who remain involved in their absorption into Israeli society.

In 1981, we chaired the first mission of American Jews to remote Jewish villages in Northwestern Ethiopia, a mission organized by the Jewish Community Relations Committee of the Los Angeles Jewish Federation. Against the express orders of the country’s government, we trekked through the Semien Mountains to meet the Ethiopian Jews.

Along the way, we experienced culture shock, physical fear and admiration for the extraordinary community we found, one that was devoutly Jewish and passionately Zionist in the face of overwhelming odds. Bewildered as we were, we clearly understood that the only thing these Jews wanted was to reach Israel.

When we traveled to Jerusalem to tell our story and theirs, we learned that a dangerous, clandestine rescue effort was already underway, with Israeli agents risking their lives to bring Ethiopian Jews home. We helped create a grass-roots organization, the North American Conference on Ethiopian Jewry, that participated in Operation Solomon--the airlift of almost 15,000 Jews to Israel in 36 hours. We were especially touched by the sensitivity Israelis showed toward the sick and feeble among the Ethiopian Jews, in marked contrast to the old Ellis Island policy that turned away many immigrants because they were not perfectly healthy.

So how can Israeli officials blunder so badly on a health issue relating to Ethiopians, and how can Ethiopians accuse Israel of racism?

The answers lie in the tensions and misunderstandings inevitable in a difficult immigrant experience, when two vastly different cultures must adjust to living together. It is quite possible that Israeli officials were telling the truth when they said they accepted and secrectly discarded Ethiopian blood to protect the national blood supply from HIV contamination and to spare Ethiopians the stigma of being an AIDS-plagued community. (In fact, less than 1% of Israeli Ethiopians test positive for HIV.)

But the injury to Ethiopian pride was far greater when this deception was revealed than it would have been if the matter had been openly discussed in the first place. And the outcry of racism from the Ethiopian community stems from their belief that the blood-purity question is but the latest in a series of slights for which they have vainly sought redress.

Ironically, the one hopeful result of this sad episode has been that it has finally induced the highest levels of the Israeli government to pay serious attention to Ethiopian grievances. Prime Minister Shimon Peres has appointed a commission, headed by former Israeli President Yitzhak Navon, to look into the Ethiopians’ complaints that have languished unaddressed in the bureaucracy.

No. 1 on their list is inadequate education. Israeli schools, in general, are in bad shape, with short school days, overcrowded classes, insufficient teachers and supplies. Well-to-do Israelis compensate by paying for additional lessons for their children. Ethiopian parents cannot afford such luxuries; since many are illiterate, they cannot even help their children with homework. As a result, Ethiopian children are doing poorly.

Another long-festering problem, the subject of much debate and too little action, is that of family reunification--the long-delayed immigration of 3,000 Beta Israel who are still trapped in Ethiopia. Our organization and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee have enabled them to survive, but their living conditions in the slums of Addis Ababa are appalling. While it is easy to point the finger at others, most Israeli Ethiopians believe that the Israeli government is dragging its feet on the issue and not devoting sufficient resources to it.

Now, it should surely occur to Israeli officials that by making every possible effort to speed up this immigration, thereby adding to the number of Ethiopians in Israel, they can effectively answer the charge of racism. It should also not be forgotten that Israel is the first country in history to take people out of Africa to freedom.

Israel has, so far, done a remarkable job of rescuing and absorbing Ethiopian Jews. There have been some sad mistakes and unnecessary failures. Ethiopian and non-Ethiopian Israelis must regain confidence in each other. The blood blunder, with its attendant publicity, will sensitize the Israeli authorities and get them back on the right track. If so, we can all look to a successful conclusion to this remarkable story.