Falasha Jews Demand A City of Their Own In Israel

The Falasha Jews in Israel account for 180,000 people. (Photo: AFP)
The Falasha Jews in Israel account for 180,000 people. (Photo: AFP)
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Falasha Jews Demand A City of Their Own In Israel

The Falasha Jews in Israel account for 180,000 people. (Photo: AFP)
The Falasha Jews in Israel account for 180,000 people. (Photo: AFP)

Israeli Deputy Internal Security Minister Gadi Yevarkan submitted a request to grant the Falasha community coming from Ethiopia a city within a prominent location in the center of the country, near Tel Aviv.

Yevarkan, who has Ethiopian origins, submitted a list of demands aimed at improving the community’s economic, educational, and health conditions.

Following a meeting on Tuesday, he said the proposals were set in coordination with the Falasha community officials and the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The idea to establish a dedicated city was met with objection by a number of Falasha figures, who said they wanted to be part of the Israeli society and to see their conditions improved through better integration and engagement. But Yevarkan said that the majority of Falasha clerics and community officials supported the establishment of a private city, where the people can exercise their customs and traditions.

He added: “The Falasha Jews, who are subject to a blatant discrimination policy because they come from the third world, want to prove that if given the opportunity, they can manage their own affairs to the fullest extent.”

The deputy was speaking following a meeting with the Israeli Minister of Construction and Housing, Yaacov Litzman, and other ministry officials.

“The establishment of a residential community for the Falasha Jews in Israel is the realization of the vision of parents and grandparents over generations…It is important to establish such a unique and private residential community. It will be a small step for the country, but a great step for the Falasha Jews,” he stated.

For his part, Litzman said: “There is a need to find housing solutions for the entire population, including members of the Ethiopian community. I would be happy if I took the right decisions that help them integrate into the state and make them feel that they are a desired and accepted part of the whole society.”

The Falasha Jews in Israel account for 180,000 people. They live in poor towns and suffer from high unemployment rates that recently reached 35%.



Trump Says He Will Ease Sanctions on Syria, Moves to Restore Relations with New Leader

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron (not pictured) after their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, 07 May 2025. (EPA)
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron (not pictured) after their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, 07 May 2025. (EPA)
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Trump Says He Will Ease Sanctions on Syria, Moves to Restore Relations with New Leader

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron (not pictured) after their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, 07 May 2025. (EPA)
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron (not pictured) after their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, 07 May 2025. (EPA)

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will move to normalize relations and lift sanctions on Syria's new government to give the country “a chance at peace."

Trump was set to meet Wednesday in Saudi Arabia with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who last year led the overthrow of former leader Bashar Assad. He said the effort at rapprochement came at the urging of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“There is a new government that will hopefully succeed,” Trump said of Syria, adding, “I say good luck, Syria. Show us something special.”

The developments were a major boost for the Syrian president who at one point was imprisoned in Iraq for his role in the insurgency following the 2003 US-led invasion of the country.  

Sharaa was named president of Syria in January, a month after a stunning offensive by opposition groups led by his Hayat Tahrir al-Sham or HTS that stormed Damascus ending the 54-year rule of the Assad family.

The US has been weighing how to handle Sharaa since he took power in December.  

Then-President Joe Biden left the decision to Trump, whose administration has yet to formally recognize the new Syrian government. Sanctions imposed on Damascus under Assad also remain in place.

“The President agreed to say hello to the Syrian President while in Saudi Arabia tomorrow,” the White House said before Trump's remarks.

The comments marked a striking change in tone from Trump, who had until now been deeply skeptical of Sharaa.

Formerly known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, Sharaa joined the ranks of al-Qaeda insurgents battling US forces in Iraq after the US-led invasion in 2003 and still faces a warrant for his arrest on terrorism charges in Iraq.

Sharaa, whom the US once offered $10 million for information about his whereabouts because of his links to al-Qaeda, came back to his home country after the conflict began in 2011 where he led al-Qaeda’s branch that used to be known as the Nusra Front. He later changed the name of his group to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and cut links with al-Qaeda.

Sharaa is set to become the first Syrian leader to meet an American president since the late Hafez al-Assad met Bill Clinton in Geneva in 2000.