No one can accuse me of being anti-semitic. My comment today is directed at the stupidity of these "well thinking" idiots who believe that religion must rule the world, just like some other idiots on the other side have decided that Jihad was the only way of living. This apartheid is definately a step backwards and a deliberate agression aginst the Falasha. WE went to pick up the falasha, they did not need to come to Israel, even if personally I believe that Israel is the right place for them to be....Who , besides God can / should decide to set up such an apartheid . Shame on you, this is just what the Nazi were doing whem decided that Jews should not live with "the rest of the population " , same as the Venice Christians did when ordering Jews to live in the area called "Ghetto "....Ah.....These Jewish Values ! ( I forgot to underline once again that all my family in Poland was killed in 1942 after "someone" decided that there should be an apartheid between Jews and non-Jews ! Again, we share with our Arab cousins this stupid vision that our conduct must be overruled by religion. This is an insult to all of the Atheists out there and confirms that Israel as a whole totally lack intellectual maturity to allow such deviances based on religion.

yes-u are right indeed-i am european. But i dont judge people due to their color. For me a jew is a jew-doesnt matter which the origin is. And i know what i am talking about when i mentioned what happened to the jemenite jews in israel in the sixties and seventies-they were also in seperated classes from the askenazi kids and told by the ashkenazi teacher that they will never be successful in live due to their origin country... the teacher told them as well that they are primitive cause the eat with their hands and so on.. also a fact is that the teaching program differed to ashkenazi classes-teached less so they would not get the same chances to finish with a bagrut or even university degree. and to see this thing now in 2007 with the ethiopians-it is very sad and shameful!!

I agree with you whole heartly, however, it is for this reason that we have to find out whether or not this sort of thing is actually practised. Ethopian children have just as much right to a great education as the rest of us. If they are truly being seperated due to the colour of their skin, well it's truely shocking and disgusting. It is my personal opinion that too many religious people have the idea in their heads that they are superior and it is time for the rest of us Jews to stop letting them bully us. A Jew is a Jew, who cares if they are pink, yellow, blue, black, observant or not!

They obviously didn't talk with the school officials and try to find out what happened from their perspective. Is this journalism or just repeated gossip? I doubt that anyone was turned away without an explanation or justification.

What kind of jews have these ideas, or are they ritual jews steeped in the vanity of pretending to know God.

It is sad but sounds very much in order for the religious school establishment. As for 'The State', Yuli Tamir should fire the principal of the school and change these norms. Of course there are racists in Israel but that does not make the country racist. YNET stooped low for sansationalism

i don't think so. they are the result of an en mass "conversion" of some tribes in ethiopia. they do not observe anything resmbling normative judaism. its bogus.

What occurred there is not Torah. One is supposed to welcome the stranger. Actually, one is supposed to welcome another Jew-regardless. If it were a question of the girls needing remedial Hebrew & math courses, I can see a separate class there. But this would be a couple of hours a day, and still with other students in the school who also needed remedial courses. The only way the girls will pick up the practices and values necessary to become fully observant is to interact and socialize with the other students in the school. The best way to learn values is to pick it up from the others. Israel has an opportunity not to make the same mistake that the USA did in isolating its majority and relegating them to an underclass. It should take that opportunity to show the world that it cares for its own people-regardless of origin. As for the school-close it down. It's a bad example not only to the students, but to society as a whole.

this is what happens. the race card trumps all. seculars will always be intolerant of religion (and condescending, spiteful).

the word Apartheid is derivated from Dutch and means separation. Although it could be (mis)used for any kind of separation, Terry is right at pointing out that it applies only to South African history. Calling the school reaction apartheid would be like calling the fence apartheid or calling Ahmadinejad a Persian Bush. There is no apartheid-like policies nor mentalities in Israel. We have nationalists and racists like everywhere else but apartheid is something else. Terry, you are so right profound and direct at every talkback. Ever thought of starting your own blog and shower the cyber world with your wisdom? thanks for all your talkbacks.

This is just the thing Adam , Israel, as much as you hate to hear it, is racist and this is another apartheid country. This is not fuel for the enemies but actuality. Stop dreaming !

May I ask just where you get your expertise in journalism ? Don't be so quick to make excuses for these racists, see what a mess this country is .

You are wrong and misinformed.Apartheid is apartheid is apartheid no matter where its perpetrated

Israel has an opportunity not to make the same mistake that the USA did in isolating its majority and relegating them to an underclass What I meant to say here was minority Sorry for mixup.

I have followed this story throughout the day, and the story is now somewhat different to how it was reported this morning: 1. No separate recess 2. streamlined into certain classes 3. free transportation courtesy of the local council. 4. Separate tuition to get these kids on par with the rest of the class It's about time that people stop jumping to false conclusions.

As Ethiopians (christians& Flashas) We use to 100% defend Israel our Fathers and grand fathers Swear with the God of Israel but time and time again we are learing that we are not what we belive we was,so my suggestion is go back to your land as I am planing to do after living here over 36 years.

i don't think so. they are the result of some 18th century movement in Eastern Europe. they follow a dead rabbi who they think is the messiah (and maybe even divine) and incorporated minhagim based on nothing more than "it was what the Rebbe did." they do not observe anything resmbling normative judaism. it's bogus.

We have a wonderful country with its share of problems. There is nothing even remotely resembling apartheid in any sector of our society.

we're talking whether the Falashas are actual Jews- i do not believe so. No one doubts that Chabad are Jews, although I agree that many of them have formed their own cult - they are undoubtedly halachicly and historically Jews. They were not the result of some phony en-mass conversion.

I just wanted to express how bad and sad such decision was. In France, criticized more often it should be, we have "l'école de la République", where such behaviour is unimaginable (French law would not permit it since 1905, when the separation of Churches and State was promulgated). It depends here on how intricate the religious tissue is, but it's not clear why Ethiopian Jewish children should be ostracized. If we can alleviate Children's suffering and if we do nothing, or if we do something running contrary to what we should, we certainly are all responsible, and responsible for how best educate them and love them, whatever the colour of their skin, their religion or background : they should be as the apple of our eye. While laughing children are a gift in all countries, unhappy children take us back to our failures as humans.

The Editors of Yediot and the general public and readers will be interested in the following. 1. The Lamerchav Elementary School is a private school with parents paying NIS 500-700 per month. 2. The Ethiopian girls pay nothing and no-one pays on their behalf. They, their parents, should be grateful that they are in a private school (which is not strike) and thus get a far better education. No other school in Petach Tikva would take them in. 3. These girls are in the process of conversion to Judaism and thus need extra studies in Judaism. 4.The girls are only in a separate class whilst the other pupils in their class have lessons of Torah and other Jewish Studies which are of a higher standard and thus these girls would not be able to follow. 5.During ordinary lessons, etc., they are in the class with all other pupils. 6.They are bussed in (ie by taxi) from their residential place - it is unknown who pays for their fare - possibly the P.T. Municipality. 7. The Mayor and Municipality strongly supports this school. 8 The Editors of Yedioth should have made a more thorough investigation before writing and smearing this good school - an apology is definitely warranted.

Shame,shame ,shame that Jews could be so blatantly racist is more fitting to skinheads. Every time I read more and more about what is going on in Israel I become more ashamed of being Jewish.

We are not separating Ethiopian people out of our religious (white) students, on the contrary, we are segregating religious students out of Ethiopian classroom. So, we discriminate against ourselves

Orthodox Chabad Jews who follow the teachings of a dead Rabbi even if they believe he's Moshiach, they're nevertheless regarded as orthodox Jews like other orthodox Jews. And so are the Falashes who converted and keep the entire Torah, considered orthodox Jews. However, those Falashes who converted and do not keep the Torah, are still regarded as Jews, but secular.

Racism? Yes! Apartheid? Certainly not! Kids as a rule don't know and don't act as racists. It is usually what they learn from their parents or their elders that makes them racist later on in life. If this article is true, Lamerchav Elementary is a crummy school!

once again putting up a great title....that is if you want to defame jews.... and only in the lest three paragraphs even putting in the schools rebuttal to the slander that is your article read #52 if it is a private religious school, what council has the right to force the school to accept anyone?

Replying to No.57, I was informed that no other school in P.T. would accept these children, not secular nor any other state aided school. This particular school was begged by the local education authorities to take them in on a temporary basis until a final school in the area can be found. The problem however is not gone away, and therefore this shameful hue and cry and smear campaign against this school in order to force them to accept these children on a permanent basis. However they are so far behind in Judaic knowledge that they would be totally lost in a general class and therefore they are being taught in a very small group whilst the other children have their Judaic lessons. In all other subjects they are together in one class.

'they are so far behind in Judaic knowledge"..wrote Oskar. IF ONE WERE GENUINELY interested in fully indoctrinating/educating these youngsters --since 'deMOCKratic" Israel repeatedly insists, then WHY OH WHY would KINDERGARTEN TODDLERS NEED SEPARATION? FACE IT ...you people have no shame, your racist hypocrisy is visable even to the BLIND. THIS IS part and parcel of the rest of your racist apartheid just like in the occupied Palestinian lands...and the Golan...expulsion, extermination, of 'non white' . SHAME all the more for using JUDAISM to cover your vile racism.

As a Black woman who is also Jewish and made aliyah but returned to the US for economic reasons hoping to one day come back - stories like this make me really think 5 times about returning to live in Israel. I had a great time in Israel, I loved living there. I didn't suffer much racism at all. However, in light of this and other recent stories about Ethiopian college grads not being able to find appropriate jobs because of discrimination to which there is no recousrse, it might be in my and my future children's better interest to stay in America where these battles were already fought before I was born.