The leaders of the Ethiopian community's current protest campaign have warned that if their demands are not met, they will again take to the streets. The warning came during a press conference in Tel Aviv on Sunday.
Over the past few weeks, Israelis of Ethiopian descent have staged large demonstrations in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and elsewhere in protest against police brutality and institutionalized racism.
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The protest leaders called on the state to make a concerted effort to deal with the community's problems in the fields of education, housing and welfare. They also demanded an end to police brutality against members of the community and the closure of all investigations into individuals arrested during the recent demonstrations and clashes with the police.
The anger voiced by the Ethiopian community was sparked by an incident on April 27 in which two police officers were caught on camera assaulting an Ethiopian Israeli soldier, Damas Pakada. The footage shows the two police officers beating the young man seemingly unprovoked.
"The prime minister's announcement about the establishment of a ministerial committee isn't enough," said Inbar Bogale, one of the protest leaders.
"We've heard numerous declarations from him in the past. Three years ago, he promised to eradicate racism and assured us that the state would adopt a zero-tolerance approach to the phenomenon – and since then, we've seen only weakness. The decision-makers have neglected us as if we are outsiders and not an equal part of Israeli society. We're sick and tired of the endless promises we've been given."
The protest leaders also called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to come down from his ivory tower and visit the Ethiopian community's neighborhoods, which, they said, have become ghettos.
"Instead of addressing the community seriously, the prime minister hypocritically chose to embrace the soldier, Damas Pakada, in an effort to silence us and calm the protest."