The Prime Minister's Speech at ENP's Five Year Celebration Conference
June 23, 2010
Unofficial Translation
I am delighted to be here with all of you, with the Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, my friend Natan Sharansky, with senior representatives of the Jewish Agency and with the Director-General of the Ethiopian National Project. Nigist – you are truly the driving force and everyone acknowledges that you give wind to the sails of ENP.
ENP is part of a great journey and a great dream. An ancient dream of the Jews of Ethiopia and has been passed from father to son, from generation to generation.
148 years ago, in 1862, Aba Mahari, one of the leaders of Ethiopian Jewry, announced that the time had come to make Aliyah to Jerusalem. And thousands of people, Jews from Ethiopia, arose and went to Jerusalem. They journeyed via the Read Sea, just as the people of Israel did according to the Biblical narrative. However, they did not make it to Jerusalem. Many of them died on the way since at that time, the State of Israel had not yet been established and there was no real way to reach Israel. Thus many of them perished.
At the beginning of the eighties, thirty years ago, the State of Israel made the decision to fulfill the dream of generations of Ethiopian Jews and bring them to Israel. Once again, thousands of people rose up, organized themselves in groups and set off towards Sudan. They journeyed for months – babies on the backs of their parents, children holding the hands of their grandparents, walking on foot towards the horizon, towards the land of Israel, towards Jerusalem. It was indeed a journey of much hardship and suffering. Many endured famine, were robbed and were attacked. 4,000 of these Ethiopian Jews did not succeed in realizing their dream and were buried on the way. We remember them and we sanctify their memory.
However, the efforts to make Aliyah continued and were successful. This time, the Jews of Ethiopia did manage to reach Jerusalem, to reach Zion, because of the existence of the State of Israel - a Jewish home for the Jewish People – a State for Jews.
I, as the former Minister of Finance and as the Prime Minister, assisted in bringing thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Israel, with the help of my good friends who are sitting here this evening. When I encounter Ethiopian Jews in Israel, I see how they have integrated into the IDF and it has been fantastic to see them part of IDF delegations abroad - most recently, as part of the latest delegation to Haiti. I see them in universities, in the media, in the field of medicine, in the arts, in industry.
I know that there are problems and difficulties, but I also recognize the successes. I seek to address the problems so that there will be even more success stories.
I find the story of Ethiopian Jewry truly heart-warming as a true representation of the entire story of Zionism: One of the Tribes of Israel maintained her connection with the land of Israel, preserved her longing for Zion from the depths of Africa and refused to give up. Just look at the number of generations over which the dream has survived.
Thus ENP is important to me, not only as a way to resolve the problems that I know exist, but also as an expression of this spirit, the “spirit of the people of Israel", which is continually being renewed. The work that ENP has carried over the past five years is important, first and foremost, for the integration of Ethiopian youth in Israel, but in addition, I see it as an expression of something very profound. Thus I wish to bless all those involved in ENP's work, the professionals and the donors, and to say to you: You are doing something of the utmost Zionist and Jewish importance.
I have instructed the government departments to assist in addressing the difficulties. The State of Israel is committed to advancing the Ethiopian community and to eradicating the phenomenon of discrimination – it is unacceptable and I am not prepared to tolerate it. I am compelled to acknowledge its existence but I won't hear of it happening. It goes against our way of thinking.
Here is what were are doing to advance the community: Just this past Monday, we made the decision to allocate a budget of nearly half a billion shekel, 490 million NIS, spread over four years, to improve the absorption of Ethiopian Jews, focusing on the areas of education, employment, housing and welfare. Approximately two months ago we approved a budget for the appointment of thirteen kessim (Ethiopian, Jewish spiritual leaders), in addition to the 44 kessim currently serving office, in order to continue to provide a suitable level of religious services to the Ethiopian community. Recently, I appointed my friend Aleli Admasu as advisor to the Prime Minister in matters concerning the Ethiopian Aliyah. I have instructed him to coordinate, address and report to me personally on the way in which problems relating to the absorption of Ethiopian immigrants are being tackled. Aleli – I wish you much success because your success is success for all of us.
We will continue to work to improve the absorption of the Ethiopian immigrants. This is not just the obligation of the State of Israel, but also the privilege of the State of Israel, the national home of the Jewish people.
With blessings and many thanks to you all.
I am delighted to be here with all of you, with the Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, my friend Natan Sharansky, with senior representatives of the Jewish Agency and with the Director-General of the Ethiopian National Project. Nigist – you are truly the driving force and everyone acknowledges that you give wind to the sails of ENP.
ENP is part of a great journey and a great dream. An ancient dream of the Jews of Ethiopia and has been passed from father to son, from generation to generation.
148 years ago, in 1862, Aba Mahari, one of the leaders of Ethiopian Jewry, announced that the time had come to make Aliyah to Jerusalem. And thousands of people, Jews from Ethiopia, arose and went to Jerusalem. They journeyed via the Read Sea, just as the people of Israel did according to the Biblical narrative. However, they did not make it to Jerusalem. Many of them died on the way since at that time, the State of Israel had not yet been established and there was no real way to reach Israel. Thus many of them perished.
At the beginning of the eighties, thirty years ago, the State of Israel made the decision to fulfill the dream of generations of Ethiopian Jews and bring them to Israel. Once again, thousands of people rose up, organized themselves in groups and set off towards Sudan. They journeyed for months – babies on the backs of their parents, children holding the hands of their grandparents, walking on foot towards the horizon, towards the land of Israel, towards Jerusalem. It was indeed a journey of much hardship and suffering. Many endured famine, were robbed and were attacked. 4,000 of these Ethiopian Jews did not succeed in realizing their dream and were buried on the way. We remember them and we sanctify their memory.
However, the efforts to make Aliyah continued and were successful. This time, the Jews of Ethiopia did manage to reach Jerusalem, to reach Zion, because of the existence of the State of Israel - a Jewish home for the Jewish People – a State for Jews.
I, as the former Minister of Finance and as the Prime Minister, assisted in bringing thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Israel, with the help of my good friends who are sitting here this evening. When I encounter Ethiopian Jews in Israel, I see how they have integrated into the IDF and it has been fantastic to see them part of IDF delegations abroad - most recently, as part of the latest delegation to Haiti. I see them in universities, in the media, in the field of medicine, in the arts, in industry.
I know that there are problems and difficulties, but I also recognize the successes. I seek to address the problems so that there will be even more success stories.
I find the story of Ethiopian Jewry truly heart-warming as a true representation of the entire story of Zionism: One of the Tribes of Israel maintained her connection with the land of Israel, preserved her longing for Zion from the depths of Africa and refused to give up. Just look at the number of generations over which the dream has survived.
Thus ENP is important to me, not only as a way to resolve the problems that I know exist, but also as an expression of this spirit, the “spirit of the people of Israel", which is continually being renewed. The work that ENP has carried over the past five years is important, first and foremost, for the integration of Ethiopian youth in Israel, but in addition, I see it as an expression of something very profound. Thus I wish to bless all those involved in ENP's work, the professionals and the donors, and to say to you: You are doing something of the utmost Zionist and Jewish importance.
I have instructed the government departments to assist in addressing the difficulties. The State of Israel is committed to advancing the Ethiopian community and to eradicating the phenomenon of discrimination – it is unacceptable and I am not prepared to tolerate it. I am compelled to acknowledge its existence but I won't hear of it happening. It goes against our way of thinking.
Here is what were are doing to advance the community: Just this past Monday, we made the decision to allocate a budget of nearly half a billion shekel, 490 million NIS, spread over four years, to improve the absorption of Ethiopian Jews, focusing on the areas of education, employment, housing and welfare. Approximately two months ago we approved a budget for the appointment of thirteen kessim (Ethiopian, Jewish spiritual leaders), in addition to the 44 kessim currently serving office, in order to continue to provide a suitable level of religious services to the Ethiopian community. Recently, I appointed my friend Aleli Admasu as advisor to the Prime Minister in matters concerning the Ethiopian Aliyah. I have instructed him to coordinate, address and report to me personally on the way in which problems relating to the absorption of Ethiopian immigrants are being tackled. Aleli – I wish you much success because your success is success for all of us.
We will continue to work to improve the absorption of the Ethiopian immigrants. This is not just the obligation of the State of Israel, but also the privilege of the State of Israel, the national home of the Jewish people.
With blessings and many thanks to you all.