NAZARETH, Israel // Health officials in Israel are subjecting many female Ethiopian immigrants to a controversial long-term birth control drug in what Israeli women's groups allege is a racist policy to reduce the number of black babies. The contraceptive, known as Depo Provera, which is given by injection every three months, is considered by many doctors as a birth control method of last resort because of problems treating its side effects.

However, according to a report published last week, use of the contraceptive by Israeli doctors has risen threefold over the past few years. Figures show that 57 per cent of Depo Provera users in Israel are Ethiopian, even though the community accounts for less than two per cent of the total population. About 90,000 Ethiopians have been brought to Israel under the Law of Return since the 1980s, but their Jewishness has subsequently been questioned by some rabbis and is doubted by many ordinary Israelis.

Ethiopians are reported to face widespread discrimination in jobs, housing and education and it recently emerged that their blood donations were routinely discarded. "This is about reducing the number of births in a community that is black and mostly poor," said Hedva Eyal, the author of the report by Woman to Woman, a feminist organisation based in Haifa, in northern Israel. "The unspoken policy is that only children who are white and Ashkenazi are wanted in Israel," she said, referring to the term for European Jews who founded Israel and continue to dominate its institutions.

Women's groups were alerted to the widespread use of Depo Provera in the Ethiopian community in 2008 when Rachel Mangoli, who runs a day care centre for 120 Ethiopian children in Bnei Braq, a suburb of Tel Aviv, observed that she had received only one new child in the previous three years. "I started to think about how strange the situation was after I had to send back donated baby clothes because there was no one in the community to give them to," she said.

She approached a local health clinic serving the 55 Ethiopian families in Bnei Braq and was told by the clinic manager that they had been instructed to administer Depo Provera injections to the women of child-bearing age, though he refused to say who had issued the order. Ms Mangoli, who interviewed the women, said: "They had not been told about alternative forms of contraception or about the side effects or given medical follow-ups." The women complained of a wide range of side effects associated with the drug, including headaches, abdominal pain, fatigue, nausea, loss of libido and general burning sensations.

Depo Provera is also known to decrease bone density, especially among dark-skinned women, which can lead to osteoporosis in later life. Doctors are concerned that it is difficult or impossible to help women who experience severe side effects because the drug is in their system for months after it is injected. The contraceptive's reputation has also been tarnished by its association with South Africa, where the apartheid government had used it, often coercively, to limit the fertility of black women.

Traditionally, its main uses have been for women who are regarded as incapable of controlling their own reproduction or monitor other forms of birth control, and for women who suffer severe problems during menstruation. Ms Eyal said she had been denied co-operation from government ministries, doctors and most of the health insurance companies while conducting her research. Clalit, the largest health company, however, did provide figures showing that 57 per cent of its Depo Provera users were Ethiopian compared with a handful of women in other ethnic groups.

The health ministry was unavailable for comment. When first questioned about Depo Provera in June 2008, the health minister of the time, Yaacov Ben Yezri, said the high number of Ethiopians in Israel using the drug reflected a "cultural preference" for injections among Ethiopians. In fact, according to figures of the World Health Organisation, three-quarters of women in Ethiopia using birth control take the oral pill.

"The answers we received from officials demonstrated overt racism," Ms Eyal said. "They suggested that Ethiopian women should be treated not as individuals but as a collective group whose reproduction needs controlling." When Woman to Woman conducted an experiment by sending five non-Ethiopian women to doctors to ask for Depo Provera, all were told that it was prescribed only in highly unusual cases.

Ms Mangoli said it was extremely difficult to get immigrant Ethiopian families to speak out because they were afraid that their Jewishness was under suspicion and that they might be deported if they caused trouble. However, women interviewed anonymously for the report stated that officials at absorption centres in Ethiopia advised them to take Depo Provera because there would be no funds to support their children if they got pregnant in Israel.

This policy appears to conflict with the stated goals of the country's Demography Council, a group of experts charged with devising ways to persuade Jewish women to have more babies. The council was established in response to what is widely seen in Israel as a "demographic war" with Palestinians, or the need to maintain a Jewish majority in the region despite high Palestinian birth rates. In a speech marking the council's reconvening in 2002, the then social welfare minister, Shlomo Benizri, referred to "the beauty of the Jewish family that is blessed with many children".

Yali Hashash, a researcher at Haifa University, said attempts to restrict Ethiopian women's fertility echoed practices used against Jewish women who immigrated to Israel from such Arab countries as Iraq, Yemen and Morocco in the state's early years, in the 1950s and 1960s. Many, she said, had been encouraged to fit IUDs when the device was still experimental because Israel's leading gynecologists regarded Arab Jews as "primitive" and incapable of acting "responsibly".

Allegations of official racism towards Ethiopians gained prominence in 2006 when it was admitted that for many years all their blood donations had been discarded for fear that they might be contaminated with diseases. There have also been regular reports of Ethiopian children being denied places in schools or being forced to attend separate classes. In November a survey of employers in the main professions showed that 53 per cent preferred not to hire an Ethiopian.

Ruth Sinai, an Israeli social affairs reporter for Haaretz newspaper, wrote recently that the discrimination faced by the country's 120,000 Ethiopians reflected in particular "doubts on the part of the country's religious establishment about their Jewishness". @Email:foreign.desk@thenational.ae

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Wtf? This is the height of racism and human rights belittling. And I thought the jews were victims of racism. Even though Africans reproduce anyhow, it doesn't give those bloody racists the order to alter God's command; in Isreal of all places.

in other words, only white jews are allowed in israel.
igbo "jews", sorry, I think you are out of luck

So much for 'God's chosen people'.

braine: Wtf? This is the height of racism and human rights belittling.

and you are surprised because...?
we all know how they treat their Arab neighbors (with the help of almighty USA) talkless of black Africans.

What's more pathetic is that some of my Nigerian people will do anything( i.e skin bleaching) to affiliate themselves with "God's chosen one". Very pathetic.

Lots of church pastors like to bring up Israel in their preaching and talk about how they are supporting the Jews in the Palestinian conflict.
uurghhh...
I think both sides need to chill out. I will not support Israel over Palestine. and trust the Israelis to call you a Nazi or anti-semitic if you do or say anything that they disagree with.

c.fours:


and you are surprised because...?
we all know how they treat their Arab neighbors (with the help of almighty USA) talkless of black Africans.

I'm surprised coz I believed the teachings of Christianity evolved from there and the fact that it has been going on for decades.

braine:

I'm surprised coz I believed the teachings of Christianity evolved from there and the fact that it has been going on for decades.

Yea Christianity began among the jews and the Jews killed Jesus for calling himself son of God.
Jews are not very fond of christians. In fact, they have a derogatory word for chistians even till today.
don't know why we christians are obsessed with them. How are they still supposed to be "God's Chosen" if they don't even believe in Christ!

cold: So much for 'God's chosen people'.

Controversial

A particular GO and his sheeps that can afford the trip are visiting isreal early this year. I hope this GO visits these racist health officials and preach to them about Jesus.

If they don't want you, stop going there. Its simple.

Jews only tolerate christians because they are globally a minority. They can only show their true colors where they are a clear majority like in their country. This kind of behaviour is inherently human and applies not just to jews but also moslems, christians, hindus etc

Y r the 'blacks' always d victim of racism,leave them,return to your country & make it great. Blacks r treated that way 'cause of the negative and backward history we possess-of slavery,poverty

When allegations about jews sterilizing Africans were made some years ago, I knew it had to be true because I know what jews/Israelis are capable of. To jews, everyone else is "goyim" or "gentile."

...racism is a global thing and nt just particular with Isreal,in many countries is carried out quietly,some systematically and in some others is a little more pronounced!Even the Arabs see black Africans as slaves,in Sudan conflict,the supporter of APC arab militias will cross over to sudan to assist their brothers in ethnicly cleansing the black muslims of Darfur!they believe that black muslims do nt have the right to a ascend to certain level of authority in life,that blacks are meant to remain in perpetual servitude!

Austine.E:
...racism is a global thing and nt just particular with Isreal,in many countries is carried out quietly,some systematically and in some others is a little more pronounced!Even the Arabs see black Africans as slaves,in Sudan conflict,the supporter of APC arab militias will cross over to sudan to assist their brothers in ethnicly cleansing the black muslims of Darfur!they believe that black muslims do nt have the right to a ascend to certain level of authority in life,that blacks are meant to remain in perpetual servitude!

yea true. but jews have an air of self-righteousness about them. Anyone who who disagrees with them is automatically labelled as a nazi or anti-jew etc.
the hypocrisy stinks to heaven *pinches nose*.


"Article II: In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

na wa ooo

leave them their cup will soon get filled

c.fours:
in other words, only white jews are allowed in israel.
igbo "jews", sorry, I think you are out of luck

igbo jews are lighter in skin tone than ethiopians. the ethiopians will not face this discrimination and will be accepted if they were as light as the. igbos. where are the biafrans to speak up, am i lying?

It happens in around the world championed by Freedom parties and not necessarily Govt. Policy. Black Ladies are always in for it.

Blacks are in support of this foolishness in USA. They are reason for Planned Parenthood in USA.

The Blacks have the same ideology with the Republican but the Blacks have decided to sheepishly follow Democrats because of Govt. HANDOUTS.

The rate of aborted babies increase with the Blacks as soon as their White counterpart tells them about Feminism, Right to use our bodies anyhow we choose and you are free to enjoy S.ex without rubber but not ready to bear responsibility for any baby.

Austine.E:
...racism is a global thing and nt just particular with Isreal,in many countries is carried out quietly,some systematically and in some others is a little more pronounced!Even the Arabs see black Africans as slaves,in Sudan conflict,the supporter of APC arab militias will cross over to sudan to assist their brothers in ethnicly cleansing the black muslims of Darfur!they believe that black muslims do nt have the right to a ascend to certain level of authority in life,that blacks are meant to remain in perpetual servitude!

this is not true. Sudan has the highest population of black arabs anywhere. their leadership and elites of sudsnese society are as dark as KANURIS. you find black arabs in sudan, qatar and yemen. the rest of the arabian countries are descendants of andalusian arabs and ottoman turks.

Tomorrow, we go still dey pray for the peace of Israel.. foolish Africans..

There are about 800 Ethiopians of Jewish decent that are presently christians which the Government of Israel approved their emigration in 2012.

If it is Government policy to reduce their population, why continue to bring them to Israel officially by Law.

c.fours:


yea true. but jews have an air of self-righteousness about them. Anyone who who disagrees with them is automatically labelled as a nazi or anti-jew etc.
the hypocrisy stinks to heaven *pinches nose*.


"Article II: In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

in some parts of the western world you can blaspheme God and suffer no consequence....but if you blaspheme jew you will be tried for crime (anti semitism has been inserted into their penal code).

Ngwakwe: There are about 800 Ethiopians of Jewish decent that are presently christians which the Government of Israel approved their emigration in 2012.

If it is Government policy to reduce their population, why continue to bring them to Israel officially by Law.

...because they need population for unskilled labour and lower income bracket to uplift the native jew

There is nothing like "Black Arabs"

Arabs are Colonial Masters from Arabia while Black Africans have been brainwashed and subjugated to forget their root using religion and the prophets.

Negro_Ntns:

this is not true. Sudan has the highest population of black arabs anywhere. their leadership and elites of sudsnese society are as dark as KANURIS. you find black arabs in sudan, qatar and yemen. the rest of the arabian countries are descendants of andalusian arabs and ottoman turks.

That means whether the come by birth or through emigration, it still serves them well.

Therefore your interpretation of the story under discussion is bias and incoherent.

Negro_Ntns:

...because they need population for unskilled labour and lower income bracket to uplift the native jew

braine:

I'm surprised coz I believed the teachings of Christianity evolved from there and the fact that it has been going on for decades.

dont u know these same teachings of christianity was used to justify slavery

dat y hitler said he would hv killled all d jews but he left a few of them so dat pple willl knw y he was killing them.

and these are the same jews that our people support and are ready to die for. carry go.

If this were done by others we would not hear the end of it, jews all over the world would scream blue murder , nazism etc.
it seems isreali jews especially the (ultra orthodox) are fast becoming that which they hate, mini Versions of Adolf hitler.

About 90,000 Ethiopians have been brought to Israel under the Law of Return since the 1980s, but their Jewishness has subsequently been questioned by some rabbis and is doubted by many ordinary Israelis.

who are they to question the jewishness of others.Judaism is not a racial thing

Netanyahu + his coalition == Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist