Black and White, Blue and White and Beyond the Pale: Ethiopian Jews and the Discourse of Colour in Israel

Abstract

This article explores aspects of racial discourse employed in discussing Ethiopian Jews in Israel. It assumes that racial classifications are social constructions which themselves must be analysed and explained. Although Ethiopian immigrants did not consider themselves to be ‘black’ in Ethiopia, they are usually described as such in Israel. This serves not only to associate them with other ‘black’ groups in the African diaspora, but also to emphasise that other Israelis are ‘white’. This ‘whiteness’ of veteran Israelis, like the ‘blackness’ of Ethiopians is not a mere description of pigmentation, but rather a designation which carries with it numerous social and political associations. In contrast to Ethiopian Jews and other Jewish Israelis, other groups—most notably Israeli Arabs—do not figure as part of the colour spectrum and are thus rendered invisible in discussions, which ignore their existence.

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