Shmuel Legesse

By any strategic measure, Hamas suffered crippling blows. Yet whether Israel emerged safer, more secure, and more respected – the answer is painfully mixed.

The roughly 7,000 Ethiopian Jews still waiting to come have close relatives in Israel. They have studied Judaism, embraced modern life, and are ready for integration.

Our children deserve more than vengeance. They deserve healing, stability, and hope. They deserve to see that even in crisis, their leaders can stand together.

If we remember our covenant, honor our allies, and choose hope over despair, we will not only survive – we will thrive.

Now is the time to create a unified, strategic diplomatic team drawing from all political parties and all communities in Israel.

Judaism is a family rooted in faith, strengthened by diversity, and united in a covenant that binds us across cultures, languages, and generations.

According to official estimates, over 7,000 people of Ethiopian Jewish descent remain in Ethiopia, most living in designated waiting areas in Gondar and Addis Ababa.

Ethiopian Israelis are proud citizens of the state and serve in the army but don't receive much attention in the media.

We Ethiopians do not see our nation merely as a birthplace, or even as just an ancestral land; to us, Ethiopia plays a powerful psychological role, and we call it “Mother.”