"Minister Pnina Tamnu Sheta," the quiet evening is interspersed with a rhythmic and melodic reading, with the unique speech cut for Ethiopian adults. "How long will tyrants rule? Why not stop the killers of our provocative brother? Until when?" Not a few seconds pass, and the Minister of Immigration and Absorption calls me. "Do you hear that?", She shudders. "Several times I went down to him and explained to him that he had to make his justified protest elsewhere, that I was with him at all. But that's the point. For him I am his representative, so he sees me as an address."
"First Ethiopian Minister" is a binding title.
On the way to the meeting, a friend ponders the distortion of fate - see how a wheel turns, the one who said that the country prefers white immigrants and does not like blacks became the Minister of Aliyah, probably thought she would bring some Ethiopians to Israel, and boom - Putin overthrew the Ukrainians.
Tamano Sheta disagrees with the diagnosis: "Absolutely not! When I entered the position at the Ministry of Absorption and Aliyah, I made it clear that I am everyone's minister, and it is not out of the ordinary. I am a loyal emissary of the people of Israel, who should return home. , Who came here in Operation Moses, to be in charge of the aliyah and absorption of others? Think of our journey to the Land of Israel, all the cases with their white robes, walking against the background of the desert. This is my Exodus from Egypt, it's not something I can forget.
"And now this girl has the responsibility and the ability to influence the Jewish people, I will not do where and where. We raised the Menashe, with great love, and I raise the brothers and sisters from Ukraine and work for them with the same joy and commitment that I work for Ethiopian immigrants."
Just before the holiday, after returning from a visit to Poland and Ukraine, Temno Sheta makes a zoom call with all the emissaries of the ministry, the agency and the Nativ organization.
Dozens of emissaries, working throughout Eastern Europe, constantly rescuing more and more Jews from the inferno.
Even through the zoom you can see that they are trout eyes, exhausted and tired.
But as soon as they get into the details of the action, something ignites in them.
Immigrants in Operation Shlomo, Photo: GPO
The Jewish world mobilized
At the end of the meeting, I accompanied the minister to a hotel, to meet immigrants who had arrived in the last two weeks.
Sheta makes it clear to them immediately that she is here for them, to take care of all the absorption problems.
The lobby is full of women, children, adults, all anxious about the fate of those left behind.
81-year-old Victoria Prob is unable to contain the worry and bursts into tears, and Tamano Sheta stops her and walks over to her.
"It is complex to get them out of Ukraine," the minister explains.
"Every minibus driver demands thousands of dollars to rescue, and it does not end there. It is a rolling operation, which sometimes takes place under fire and requires enormous resources. The Jewish world raised tens of millions of dollars. In about a month, more than ten thousand new immigrants passed through .
"Even before the war broke out, I told the office workers to issue calls to all the hotels so that they would be prepared, and that it would not fall on them overnight."
And how do you deal with voices like that of Avri Gilad, who distinguished between aliyah from Ukraine and aliyah from Ethiopia, and wrote that "naturally we would rather accept those who become an asset and engine for growth in a short time, than those who will require long-term care and accompaniment"?
"Immigrants are the country's strongest engine of growth. Economically, we say that every shekel we invest in immigration yields us five shekels. Without the doctors who arrived in the 1990s, where would we be? But on the other hand, I do not want to see immigration only in a utilitarian prism. 'Quality immigration'. Immigration must be seen first and foremost as a commitment, as a mutual guarantee, and yes - as Zionism. There have always been those who opposed immigration from Ethiopia, saying that it would be difficult to integrate immigrants from Ethiopia. And thousands of academics with a tremendous contribution to society.See our soldiers in the military, with a large and serious percentage of motivation.
"As Israelis, we complain quite a bit. But if we were going to a referendum today, do you think someone would give up some community in Israel and say 'bring it back'? I do not think our society would look the way it does without this wealth and diversity, and that only comes from immigration. .
"Since the beginning of the Corona, 60,040 people have come to Israel. We are happy for every immigrant who came, even if it is a case like that of an immigrant from France, who fulfilled a life dream and immigrated to Israel on his 100th birthday, and died that night here. And no matter how moral he is, there is no right to close the State of Israel to such or other Jews from the world. "
Exploitation of innocence
The frenetic schedule leads us to the nation's buildings, where Chabad members organize a mass bar mitzvah.
Among the boys celebrating are also orphans from Ukraine whose parents were killed in the war, but quite a few politicians are also taking part in the event.
"Here, too, I do not forget that in the end politics should serve the public interest. Often, the choice of politicians to speak only to their base severely undermines the fabric of Israeli society. This does not mean I believe in closing mouths, but the general public good is more important than party political interest."
So Mish's "defection" will turn blue and white against everything your base wanted?
Did you think that was in the public interest?
"I chose unity over a split, because I knew it was more right in favor of Israel. Unity is at the root of the Ethiopian community. Remember the situation, the beginning of the corona, after three elections saturated with hatred and separation. We could not go to any other election immediately, it tore the "The people and morally corrupted us. So what is the choice - will my soul die with the Philistines? I left for the sake of unity."
And now, when you experience it from the other side, do you understand, Silman is a base politician or leader?
"First of all, I'm in favor of women doing what they believe and want. I have seen Silman more than once frustrated and exploding, not getting what she wants. I had a feeling she was aiming for that a week before she left, when she said she would not sit with someone like Nitzan Horowitz in government. "It is clear to me that this particular sentence marks its way out. On the other hand, I still think it is not in the public interest for there to be elections every few months. A country simply cannot run and function like this."
Maybe elections at this point in time are the proper democratic procedure?
We are already talking about a government that relies indirectly or directly on the common list.
Where do your red lines go?
"Delivery of territories from the Land of Israel, by no means. If the aliyah from Ethiopia or any other aliyah were stopped - it is a red line. But as long as I can continue to do what I came to do - then I am inside."
40 years after Operation Moses, how is it that each time the transit camps are refilled?
Many wonder if the immigrants waiting to immigrate to Ethiopia are Jews at all.
"We are talking about martyrs. Remember that there was a very, very hard time, drought, famine, iron rule combined with mission. And yes, people fell for Christianity, many Jewish families impersonated Christians to survive, but made a return to Judaism. And how did Sages say?
Israel, though sinful, is Israel.
"Always doubted. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef was a leader and not a politician, he made the difficult and courageous choice, even when they threatened to boycott him only because he recognized Ethiopian Jewry. But in the end - no one can stop us from being here. 20, 30 years ago, they brought You are entitled to the Law of Return, but did not bring their descendants.
"Do you understand what it is when you are told that father and mother will come up, but the children do not? "She did not give answers on purpose. The state chose to have a mess."
This is a very serious charge.
"Yes, and I'm here and taking responsibility and I want to correct. I'm the solution, and that's what I say to other concerned ministers. It's not a simple task, but we're here to make amends for injustices we have created as a state."
Speaking of correcting a historical injustice, does it not bother you that Horowitz archived the report of the Ministry of Health in relation to the abduction of Yemeni children?
"It really is a very puzzling act in my eyes. As someone who immigrated to Israel without her mother, and waited for her for years, and knows firsthand the feeling of families being completely torn apart because of immigration - I really do not understand, and this matter is not clear to me at all."
Ethiopian sector protests against police violence, Photo: Gideon Markovich
Persistent rejection
"My whole struggle comes from a place of great love for the people and this country," emphasizes Tamano Sheta, referring to an open wound that does not give rest to the members of the community.
"But when I hear that experiments are being done on babies and that Ethiopian children are being given circumcisions as cannon fodder, so that they can practice them, you can imagine what it evokes in me, as a mother who has undergone a complex alliance with her son.
"It also relies on the injection of blood donations and the 23,000 cases opened for our youth. And that that Saturday I get countless messages from the base that the Emir of the Mind has been arrested, but when the police blow up three Ethiopian boys - not even one message! It hurts a lot, I was never broken. "I will be silent, I will continue to say very harsh things about Israeliness and racism, but it is not enough just to talk, I do not have the privilege of just shouting from the stands. I saw the data - no community has made the integration process in Israeli society better than the Ethiopian community."
So how do you explain the eruption in 2019 after the death of Salomon Taka?
You could see that there were also post-Zionist statements at the edges, quotes from the American Malcolm X, a sense of detachment from Israeliness.
"Because we were rejected from here and rejected from there, it was probably an inevitable process. But I do not forget for a moment that we are an integral part of Israeli society and the people of Israel. I am glad to see that in recent years there is a very serious connection of young people "Tupac and other rappers are nice - but we no longer have to look for role models from another nation and overseas. We have deep roots and ancestral heritage of Ethiopian Jewry. And today, the young creators of the community are proud of Ethiopian culture, tradition and food."
You will no longer be Chief of Staff, so what's the next point of action? Prime Minister?
"Do you think that's what I want to do after all I have said?", She laughs.
"Where do you think I can most influence the connection and unification of this people?".
President's house?
"Or the president ...", she smiles.
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