The State of Israel endeavors to improve the provision of service to the Ethiopian-Israeli population and to base program development on fixed goals and on the follow-up of implementation and outcomes. The Ministry of Immigrant Absorption is responsible for numerous programs and projects that address the needs of Ethiopian Israelis. Some have been specially designed for this population while others serve all immigrants. The Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute was asked to survey the Ministry programs for Ethiopian-Israelis in 2007. The Institute was also asked to examine the emphases of the Ministry, as reflected by the investment of resources in programs and various topics, against emerging trends among the Ethiopian-Israeli population.
This report presents a comprehensive analysis of the emerging trends among Ethiopian-Israelis in recent years with respect to employment, income, housing, education, social services and quality of life. The report relied on a variety of sources, such as national surveys of the Central Bureau of Statistics and national administrative databases. Wherever possible, the indicators for the Ethiopian-Israeli population were compared with those for Israel’s general Jewish population.
Following significant progress in all areas in the 1990’s, over the past decade progress has come to a halt in most areas. Exceptions are the remarkable improvement in women’s integration into the employment market and the decline in dropout rates.
The report constitutes a basis for Ministry policymakers to plan the further development of information available for improved programming and budgeting.
In addition to this report (Report no. 2), a comprehensive survey of the Ministry’s programs for this population appeared under separate cover (Report no. 1), as well as a summary report of the programs containing both an examination of Ministry emphases versus population trends, and guidelines for the further development of knowledge on program products and outcomes (Report no. 3).
Citations in the professional and academic literature
Lamont, M., Silva, G. M., Welburn, J., Guetzkow, J., Mizrachi, N., Herzog, H., & Reis, E. (2016). Getting respect: Responding to stigma and discrimination in the United States, Brazil, and Israel. Princeton University Press.
Guetzkow, J., & Fast, I. (2016). How symbolic boundaries shape the experience of social exclusion: A case comparison of Arab Palestinian citizens and Ethiopian Jews in Israel. American Behavioral Scientist, 60(2), 150-171.
Geiger, B. (2013). Ethiopian Males Account for the Double Acts of Murder and Suicide Committed by Males in Ethiopian Families Postmigration to Israel. International Criminal Justice Review, 23(3), 233-251.
Nadan, Y., Roer‐Strier, D., Gemara, N., Engdau‐Vanda, S., & Tener, D. (2018). In the eyes of the beholder: Parental and professional value mismatch in child risk and protection in two communities in Israel. International Journal of Psychology, 53, 23-33.
Lifshitz, C. C., & Katz, C. (2015). Underrepresentation of Ethiopian–Israeli minority students in programmes for the gifted and talented: a policy discourse analysis. Journal of Education Policy, 30(1), 101-131.