By Yael Branovsky | Israel News
Some 150 Ethiopian immigrants staged a demonstration in Jerusalem on Sunday, in protest of their economic distress and the harsh living conditions in the Kibbutz Beit Alfa absorption center in northern Israel.
The protestors further claimed that previous agreements reached in their case have not been implemented.
Seven protestors were held for questioning by the police after attempting to break into the Prime Minister’s Office compound.
The immigrants first began protesting before the High Holidays. After Two days of protests, the Jewish Agency and Absorption Ministry agreed to pay the immigrants back-owed pensions and set up an external review committee to probe the living conditions in the absorption center.
The committee is due to file its finding within 10 days.
“The Jewish Agency and the absorption center didn’t live up to the agreements,” said one of the protestors. “The committee they formed couldn’t possibly be fair – they’re investigating themselves. We’re worried about a cover-up.”
Avi Mastin, spokesman for the Israel Association for Ethiopian Jews, told Ynet that “the immigrants only need one thing, to be relocated to new absorption centers, in less remote locations, so they can find jobs and integrate within the Israeli society; and so they can stop resenting the Israeli establishment so much.”
The Jewish Agency and the Absorption Ministry said in a statement that they “protest the immigrants’ violation of the agreement reached before Yom Kippur, according to which a committee will find better ways for the Beit Alfa absorption center to help the immigrants’ integration. Both the Jewish Agency and the Absorption Ministry are committed to act according to the findings.”
According to Director-General of the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption Erez Halfon and Eli Cohen of the Jewish Agency, the majority of the immigrants’ complaints can be easily resolved. Both said that the demonstration, so close to the committee’s deadline, was unnecessary.
(Efrat Weiss contributed to this report)