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Source: TRT World
Despite living in Israel for decades, Black Hebrew Israelites are being judged as not being authentically Jewish and face deportation as a result.
Despite living in Israel for decades, Black Hebrew Israelites are being judged as not being authentically Jewish and face deportation as a result.
In this Sunday, May 26, 2013 file photo, members of the Black Hebrews community attend the Shavuot harvest festival in their Village of Peace in the town of Dimona, southern Israel. (AP)
April 29, 2021
Israel is preparing to deport dozens of Black Hebrew Israelites with residency permits who have been living in the south of the country for decades.
Prince Immanuel Ben-Yehuda, the spokesman for the African Hebrew Israelites, said the Israeli Interior Ministry had given notice to at least 46 families, saying they must leave the country within 60 days, calling it a "shock to the system."
Black Hebrews are a spiritual community of African-Americans who identify as descendants of an ancient Jewish tribe and view Israel as their ancestral homeland. With around 2,500-3,000 members, most of them live in the southern desert town of Dimona.
The community was founded by Ben Carter, a Chicago steelworker who renamed himself Ben Ammi Ben Israel after moving to Israel along with 30 of his followers in 1969. They were able to settle in the country as the Israeli Law of Return grants automatic citizenship to Jews who settle on historically Palestinian lands.
But Israel wasn't sure what to make of the newcomers who arrived on tourist visas, adopted Hebrew names and a West African style of dress. Then in 1973, members of the community were denied Israeli citizenship as Israel concluded that they are not ethnically Jewish.
After being denied health care and other social services due to their lack of official status, Black Hebrew Israelites were finally given temporary residency status in Israel, thanks to the pressure from US Congress in the early 1990s.
Prince Immanuel Ben-Yehuda, the spokesman for the African Hebrew Israelites, said the Israeli Interior Ministry had given notice to at least 46 families, saying they must leave the country within 60 days, calling it a "shock to the system."
Black Hebrews are a spiritual community of African-Americans who identify as descendants of an ancient Jewish tribe and view Israel as their ancestral homeland. With around 2,500-3,000 members, most of them live in the southern desert town of Dimona.
The community was founded by Ben Carter, a Chicago steelworker who renamed himself Ben Ammi Ben Israel after moving to Israel along with 30 of his followers in 1969. They were able to settle in the country as the Israeli Law of Return grants automatic citizenship to Jews who settle on historically Palestinian lands.
But Israel wasn't sure what to make of the newcomers who arrived on tourist visas, adopted Hebrew names and a West African style of dress. Then in 1973, members of the community were denied Israeli citizenship as Israel concluded that they are not ethnically Jewish.
After being denied health care and other social services due to their lack of official status, Black Hebrew Israelites were finally given temporary residency status in Israel, thanks to the pressure from US Congress in the early 1990s.
"For quite some time, we've had a number of members of the community with different levels of immigration status, some of us have full citizenship, some taken permanent residency, some have temporary residency, and some have no status whatsoever," said Ben-Yehuda.
He said the community has been working for years with Israeli authorities to sort out the legal status of those without permanent residency.
But Israel says it gave residency status to around 1,200 and claims those whose applications were rejected were not members of the community.
The intersectionality of race and Jewish faith has been a heated debate in Israeli society as the question of whether ethnicity or faith makes one Jewish is still contested. Right-wing and ultra-Orthodox groups have long pressured the Israeli government to expel African migrants to protect the Jewish identity of Israel. The debate soon began to shape the state's approach to Africans. Coinciding with Trump's anti-migrant policy, the Netanyahu government has been increasingly hostile to African migrants.
Please go to TRT World to read the entire article.
"All those who were not included in the list of community members and didn't meet the criteria received a negative reply and in effect are residing illegally in Israel for a long period and must leave according to the law," Israel's Population and Immigration Authority said in a statement.
In this Sunday, May 26, 2013 file photo, members of the Black Hebrews community attend the Shavuot harvest festival in their Village of Peace in the town of Dimona, southern Israel. (Reuters)
The intersectionality of race and Jewish faith has been a heated debate in Israeli society as the question of whether ethnicity or faith makes one Jewish is still contested. Right-wing and ultra-Orthodox groups have long pressured the Israeli government to expel African migrants to protect the Jewish identity of Israel. The debate soon began to shape the state's approach to Africans. Coinciding with Trump's anti-migrant policy, the Netanyahu government has been increasingly hostile to African migrants.
Please go to TRT World to read the entire article.
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