Community Action and Political Participation

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, at the end of 2024 the Ethiopian-origin population in Israel stood at **177,600** — 93,400 born in Ethiopia and 84,200 born in Israel to Ethiopian-born fathers. (The official definition follows the father's origin, so the community in practice is larger.) Social change requires voice, representation, and action.

Voting rights Every Israeli citizen who is 18 on election day may vote in Knesset, municipal, and regional council elections (Basic Law: The Knesset, s.5). The condition is **citizenship**, not residence — but voting is in person at a polling station in Israel only, and there is no general absentee ballot: a citizen abroad on election day cannot vote.

Voter registration is automatic — but the address on the register comes from the **Population Registry** (Population and Immigration Authority, Ministry of the Interior). Anyone who recently made aliyah or moved without updating their address will be assigned to their old polling station. [Update your address](https://www.gov.il/he/service/changing_address).

Representation in local councils The Ethiopian community is concentrated mainly in Netanya, Rishon LeZion, Jerusalem, Hadera, Ashdod, and Be'er Sheva. Increasing presence in local elections — through voting and candidacy — is the most immediate path to changing budgets and policies on education, housing, and welfare.

Community organising Organisations such as **Gvanim** and **Tebeka** work to increase representation and fight discrimination. You can join as a volunteer, donate, or approach them for accompaniment. The Ethiopian Rabbinical Council in Israel plays a central social-religious role in community life.

Political participation Contact Knesset members from the community with concrete demands on issues such as: equitable conscription, representation in public service, access to higher education, and funding for community organisations. A reasoned letter, an office visit, and coordination with a local organisation are effective tools.

Preserving communal memory Collective action also includes guarding the narrative: telling the Ethiopian-Israeli story in schools, media, and courts. Making the story present is an inseparable part of the struggle for equality.

Sources: [CBS — Ethiopian-origin population, release 367/2025](https://www.cbs.gov.il/he/mediarelease/DocLib/2025/367/11_25_367b.pdf) · [Basic Law: The Knesset](https://www.nevo.co.il/law_html/law01/184_001.htm) · [address update](https://www.gov.il/he/service/changing_address) · verified September 2026.