Fighting for Ethiopian Israeli Representation in Local Government

17 September 2020

Israel has hundreds of local government councils all over the country. Too many of them don’t look like the communities they serve and one NIF grantee, the Association for Ethiopian Jews (AEJ), is advocating to change that.

The Association of Ethiopian Jews recently met with senior officials from Ministry of the Interior to demand that government take steps to increase representation of Ethiopian Israelis on local councils.

Israel’s Law to Promote Equality has set the national target that 1.7% of local government council members should be from the Ethiopian Israeli community. But this is only a minimum threshold. Only 15% of local authorities have reached this desired 1.7% figure.

In their work to make government more racially diverse, activists with the Association of Ethiopian Jews pointed out that this 1.7% threshold, is the bare minimum, not the maximum figure. AEJ is committed to growing the proportion of Ethiopain Israelis at all levels of government as well, including the senior levels of national government ministries.

Photo Credit: Tomer Neuberg / Flash 90