Ethiopians Continue Protests in Israel after Police Killed Black Teenager (+Video)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Jewish Ethiopians continued violent protests in Israel after 19-year-old Solomon Tekah was killed by an off-duty police officer on Sunday.
Ethiopians Continue Protests in Israel after Police Killed Black TeenagerIn Kiryat Ata, near Teka’s home in the neighbouring community of Kiryat Haim in northern Israel, demonstrators burned tyres and blocked roads, the burn marks on the street still visible.
Teka’s death has brought renewed attention to the longstanding grievances of the Ethiopian-Israeli community, who say they are discriminated against and targeted by police because of their skin color.
The community now numbers around 140 000, of whom some 50 000 were born in Israel. They are Jewish, but say they are in many cases still seen as outsiders.
Ethiopian-Israelis face special challenges due to factors such as their skin color.
Teka’s death was not the first time a police shooting led to protests.
In January, thousands of Ethiopian-Israelis demonstrated after a young man was shot dead as he allegedly rushed at a police officer with a knife.
His mother said she had called the police to subdue her son, who reportedly suffered from a mental condition, and alleged they used excessive force.