Ethiopia

Enough is enough: Israel must let minority Jews lead - opinion

When was the last time you saw an Ethiopian Israeli representing Israel on CNN, Fox News, or even in our own national English-language media? Maybe almost never.

|BySHMUEL LEGESSE
Gadi Eisenkot, head of the Yashar party, holds a press conference with the party’s new member Yoram Cohen in Tel Aviv, May 5, 2026.
MA’AYAN GRADUATES with Nishmat dean Ilana Hadad (L) and program director Dr. Esti Bar-El (R).

What Nishmat’s Ma’ayan program for Ethiopian women says about Israel’s future

As a board member of American Friends of Nishmat, and as someone whose family has proudly supported the institution for many years, I was privileged to witness the event.

|BySTEPHEN M. FLATOW
Mimi Biyadgilon.

Mimi ‘Mabrat’ Biyadgilon: The former village girl who has come a long way

For the last 20 years, the Biyadgilons have lived in Rishon Lezion, where Mimi now works for the municipality as a senior social worker.

|BySUSAN DE LA FUENTE
ETHIOPIAN ISRAELIS gather in Jerusalem earlier this week, calling for immediate government action to expedite the aliyah of family members still stranded in Ethiopia.

The West cannot save Ethiopia by misunderstanding it - opinion

As someone who has carried the identity of being Ethiopian, Jewish, Israeli, and American, I have learned that nations are not strengthened by outsiders who define them only by their failures. 

|BySHMUEL LEGESSE

Haset: Bringing kosher Ethiopian food to Jerusalem - restaurant review

By the edge of Mahaneh Yehuda, Haset offers Ethiopian food served on injera, bringing the taste and feel of an Ethiopian home to Jerusalem.

FEBRUARY 7, 2026ByLINDA GRADSTEIN
The wonders of Ethiopian cuisine

Jerusalem through Ethiopian eyes: Understanding Israel's capital through its Ethiopian communities

As Jerusalem continues to evolve, the rhythms of Ethiopian heritage shape its character in unmistakable ways.

FEBRUARY 6, 2026BySHIR PERETS
Ethiopian Jews take part in a prayer of the Sigd holiday on the Armon Hanatziv Promenade overlooking Jerusalem on November 28, 2024.

Africa opens its doors: A new airport that will change how Israelis fly

Ethiopian Airlines laid the cornerstone for Bishoftu International Airport, a major project with 110M passenger capacity, offering operational advantages and easy connections to Israel.

JANUARY 16, 2026ByMEITAL SHARABI/MAARIV
Bishoftu International Airport.

Israel and India's laboratory in the Horn of Africa-opinion

A strategic shift is underway in the Horn of Africa: Israel’s recognition of Somaliland and its partnership with India signal a move toward flexible, tech‑driven security

JANUARY 12, 2026ByDR. LAUREN DAGAN AMOSS
Somaliland Navy members participate in a parade celebrating the 33rd anniversary of their Independence in Hargeisa, Somaliland on May 18, 2024.

MK Tsega Melaku: Missing girl Haymanut Kasau ignored for nearly two years - interview

Melaku added that she distributed Kasau’s photo to fellow MKs "so they will remember: there is a kidnapped child, and nobody is talking about her."

JANUARY 11, 2026ByKESHET NEEV
A poster of nine-year-old Haymanut Kasau, who has been missing since 2023, seen on December 18, 2025

Somaliland’s lost and forgotten Jews: Inside Horn of Africa's Jewish past - opinion

Beyond the politics, Israel’s recognition of Somaliland reveals a hidden Jewish past, from ancient cemeteries to the origins of the Yibir tribe.

JANUARY 10, 2026ByMICHAEL FREUND
Residents wave Somali flags as they attend a rally denouncing Israel’s recognition of the breakaway Somaliland region, during a gathering calling for Somalia’s territorial unity, in Mogadishu, Dec. 30.

Jerusalem Highlights: January 9-15

What's new to do in Israel's capital?

JANUARY 9, 2026ByHAGAY HACOHEN
Yosl Bergner, great painter.

'We'll bring her back': Netanyahu vows personal involvement in case of missing girl Haymanut Kasau

Kasau, nine years old at the time of her disappearance, has been missing since February 2024. “I will personally take up the matter. We will bring her back,” Netanyahu told the family in the meeting.

JANUARY 6, 2026ByKESHET NEEV
Rescue teams searching for 9-year-old Haymanut Kasau, in the northern Israeli city of Tzfat, February 28, 2024.

Black and Zionist: A voice from inside the right‑wing Jewish soul - opinion

The Jewish Right in Israel and the US must elevate brown and Black Jews to lead credibly and defend the moral and political future.

JANUARY 6, 2026BySHMUEL LEGESSE
Shmuel Legesse at his wedding at The Sephardic Temple of Cedarhurst in Cedarhurst, NY, June 8, 2014.

Somaliland chose peace, the world chose to look away - opinion

In a region scarred by war, one society chose reconciliation. Why does global diplomacy ignore Somaliland?

JANUARY 3, 2026BySHMUEL LEGESSE
Residents wave Somaliland flags as they gather to celebrate Israel's announcement recognising Somaliland's statehood in downtown Hargeisa, on December 26, 2025.