A police killing puts racism on the agenda. This time in Israel.
A scuffle breaks out at a community center employing black youths. An off-duty policeman intervenes, pulls out a gun, and opens fire, killing one of the teenagers.
The policeman later explains he felt threatened, but bystanders charge racism, triggering a wave of angry and violent protests.
It has the familiar ring of American urban tragedy. But the racially charged chain of events actually played out in an Israeli neighborhood with Ethiopian Jews, claiming the life of 19-year-old Solomon Tekah. The subsequent outrage has put anti-black racism and the socio-economic situation of the immigrant group on the country’s agenda.
Since the June 30 shooting, thousands of Ethiopians and supporters have demonstrated at major road junctions, snarling traffic for hours. In some incidents, protesters have thrown rocks at police and vandalized vehicles.
Little focus on EthiopiansA need to confront racism directlyRight-left politics in the mixSimilarity to U.S.
