Israel: Ethiopians clash with police over shooting

By Mustafa Deveci

JERUSALEM – At least 47 police officers were injured and 60 people were arrested following protests across Israel after a police officer shot and killed an unarmed Ethiopian teen, Israeli authorities said Tuesday.

Nineteen-year-old Solomon Tekah, a black Ethiopian Jew, was killed Sunday night when the off-duty officer fired at him in the Kiryat Haim neighborhood of Haifa.

The incident triggered violent protests.

Protestors gathered in various cities and police intervened at times.

Protestors in the capital, Tel Aviv, the hot spot of the demonstrations, blocked one of the main roads near Azrieli Tower, setting fire to the cars of drivers who wanted to pass through.

A kilometers-long traffic queue emerged in the capital following the protests.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the protestors to stop closing down roads and said he was saddened by Tekah’s death.

More than 140,000 Ethiopian Jews live in Israel. Between 1984 and 1991, some 80,000 Ethiopian Jews migrated to the country. They lived isolated for years and were only recognized by Israeli religious authorities after a long while.

In previous years, Ethiopian Jews held demonstrations protesting against the racism and discrimination they allegedly faced in Israel. According to Israeli media outlets, 11 Ethiopians have died since 1997 during clashes with the police.

*Writing by Ali Murat Alhas