This document discusses migrant workers in Israel, specifically those from Eritrea and Sudan. It provides background on the difficult economic and political situations in Eritrea and Sudan that cause many to flee. While migrant workers fill important roles in Israel, they are not given proper wages, housing, healthcare or human rights protections. The document also notes tensions between Jewish Israelis, the Arab minority, and migrant workers, and how Israel prioritizes its identity as a Jewish state over fully protecting the rights of non-Jewish groups. Interviews with an Ethiopian immigrant and Israeli shop owner reflect challenges with acceptance and negative views of migrant workers.

1. Caitlyn Worley
7/28/2016
Immigration and Cultural Diversity
Migrant Workers in Israel
Introduction
Every since Israel became a country in the mid-20th century, there has been immense
tensions between the Jewish people and the Arab minority in the nation. The come-up of Israel
as a nation and the states occupation of Gaza and the West Bank only furthered the conflict
between Israel and Palestine. Besides the factor of the region's history, the problems of proper
citizenship, education, and religion in the Land of Israel for both Jewish people and the Arab
minority has creating ongoing problems. The adversity facing these two groups throughout
history brought another facet of this issue to the forefront. While the creation of an independent
state for the Jewish people was a long struggle, it is possible that in doing so, a long battle on
social rights emerged.
Immigration is an interesting discussion topic for all nations, but in Israel it is an even
more confusing one. Due to the fact that Israel is a Jewish state, immigration to the people of
the Jewish diaspora is basically wide open and simple. However, there have been different
moments in the country’s history where the immigration issues have not always been as black
and white as the Law of Return would like it to be. Different groups, different points of view, and
different issues have all stirred confusion and questions on the immigration policy in Israel and
the way it should be versus the way it has been since the state’s creation.
Another facet of the complicated immigration topic are the migrant workers. Though a
small minority, this group of historically Asian but more recently African migrant workers is a

2. controversial topic for the State of Israel. Because Israel is an Aliyah state and not an
immigration state, there is very little room for refugees or migrant workers to gain civil, political,
or social rights in any way. The horrible living conditions, low wages, uncertain employment
opportunities, and irregular civil rights is a complex sect of this country’s already complicated
history, present, and future.
History
In the late 20th century, Israel began importing foreign workers. Workers from Romania
were brought in to work in construction; workers from Thailand worked in agriculture and
farming; workers from the Philippines worked in elderly care and nursing. While these workers
were vital to Israel’s functioning as a society, they were not given proper treatment. They
weren’t given proper salaries, housing, healthcare, or human rights in general to sustain life.
Israeli citizens were against them though they needed them in the sectors they were employed
in. The Arab minority in Israel was upset about their presence as well, because they saw them
as taking their jobs and were threatened by this. However, the new problem in Israel now deals
with African migrant workers from mainly Eritrea and Sudan, but these workers are not being
imported.
Eritrea is a repressed country with very little economic freedom and no investment
freedom. Most Eritreans are employed in the public sector, mainly due to conscription laws and
lack of other viable work. The country has a low GDP of $1,195, which has not seen much
growth in recent years. Over 80% of males and females over 15 are in the workforce, though
there is a small difference in GDP between the genders. The majority of banks and all land is
owned by the government. The tariff rate in Eritrea is high at about 5.4 percent and the country
does not have a large import market because of this.
While the economy is a large reason that Eritreans leave their country, many of the

3. citizens are still tied to their roots. African nationalism is a key feature in understanding the
refugee crisis in Eritrea. Even after Eritreans have left their nation, they still have “remained
embedded in nationalist projects and have sustained state-led development efforts.” After
Eritrea gained its independence, it began isolating itself from the rest of Africa and the world,
trying to remain self-sufficient. Eritreans have a strong sense of pride in their own nation, even if
forced, and understand the “value of sacrifice for the good of the nation.” Thanks in part to their
presidents, Isaias Awferki, hatred of foreign aid, citizens of Eritrea are wary of anything external
and anything that isn’t privatized, because they fear they will get thrown in prison for even
thinking about anything not endorsed by Awferki. Isolation and self-reliance are only possible
because of the nearly ⅓ of the population sending remittances back into the country from
abroad.
The government in Eritrea is also highly repressive. The ruler of Eritrea, Isaias Afewerki,
has been the leader since the country became independent, and has ruled the country under a
single party since. Because of the country’s authoritarian rule, people are attempting to flee the
country. This, however, only escalates the situation because the government will detain families
and friends of people that flee.
Eritrea was once a colony of Italy before Britain took it over in the mid-1900s. In 1950,
Ethiopia teamed up with the United States to stake a claim in Eritrea due to the landlock facing
Ethiopia. The United States had an interest in getting into Africa and worked with Ethiopia to
convince the United Nations to make Eritrea an autonomous federal province of Ethiopia in
1952. War broke out almost immediately in Eritrea against Ethiopia, however the fighting by the
People’s Front for Democracy and Justice, the main group of rebels, didn’t reach Addis Ababa
until 1991. The United Nations voted on a referendum to give Eritrea it’s independence and it
passed with a 99% vote in favor in 1993.

4. After Eritrea gained its independence, many refugees returned from neighboring
countries in north eastern Africa; 500,000 came back from Sudan alone. There was relative
peace in Eritrea for a few years, until the government introduced its own currency: the nakfa.
Ethiopia was angered because of this and fighting once again broke out between the two
countries in 1998. The fighting continued until the Algiers Accords came out in 2000, after which
peace ensued. However, bad relations between the two countries and infighting are still an
everyday reality.
Sudan has an equally as complicated history. Also a repressed country with no financial
freedom and no property rights, Sudan is constantly in the news for the difficulties it has gone
through in the last decade. Sudan has a vast amount of lawlessness as the central government
is constantly in limbo as fighting between the different religious sectors of the country battle for
dominance. The country has a GDP per capita of just $4,267, which, while higher than Eritrea,
is still far below the international poverty line. The unemployment rate in Sudan is 14.8% and
the inflation rate is 36.9%, both of which contribute to the lower GDP per capita and a major
reason to flee for many people.
Similar to Eritrea, Sudanese often leave the country for economic reasons, yet civil war
and unrest is the main problem for the citizens. Thousands of years ago, the country was known
as Nubia and was a hub for main African tribes and thus much of present day African culture is
influenced by its history. Sudan’s troubles began long ago, however tensions began rising to
new heights in 1924 after Egypt, who shared Sudan with great Britain, wanted to country to
become part of its own. When the British governor general is assassinated in Cairo, they force
out the Egyptians for the next twelve years and rule on their own. Then, after the British started
a legislative council in Sudan, Egypt began questioning their placement in the country and
retaliates by declaring themselves the ruler of Egypt and Sudan as a united nation.

5. Ismail al-Azhari came into power during 1955 and with his party, the National Unionist
Party, and began making efforts to gain independence. Independence was meant to be created
for Sudan in 1956, however at the end of 1955 more fighting broke out. The Islamic group in the
north of the country waged war on the Christian population and civil war continued for many
years. However, in 1985 there is a coup and an overthrow of the government, leading to
elections but ultimately another coup in 1989, which put the country into Muslim control. The
main wars still existing in the country today are between the Christian and Muslim groups, with
fighting between the northern and southern parts of the country and the population of mixed
religions living in the northern part of the country as well. To this day, there are over 3 million
internally displaced persons and almost as many refugees in other nations surrounding the
country.
Observations
Going to a new country that I have never been to before is an interesting and
challenging experience. Not only do I not speak the language, I’m unused to the culture and the
environment around me. However, because Israel is such a culturally diverse nation, not
everything is strange to me. There are plenty of behaviors and attitudes that are familiar to me. I
noticed all of these similarities and differences during my observation in central Jerusalem.
Central Jerusalem where we did our observation is a lively place for tourists, as I noticed
many people conversing in English, Spanish, and even French and not only Hebrew and Arabic.
I’m used to hearing so many different languages around school, but hearing them all in one
place at the same time was impressive. There were lots of people in town walking their dogs,
riding motorcycles, and eating with friends and family, which are universal habits. People were
shopping as normal and walking around with numerous shopping bags, but also going into
stores and simply browsing. The activity of typical shoppers in even this type of an impressive

6. outdoor mall is the same wherever you go I discovered.
However, many things were new to me. The different foods around me, most of which I
could not pronounce because they were not in English, smelled and looked different than the
foods I would have seen at a mall at home. I didn’t find a single soft pretzel or popcorn stand,
but falafel and shwarma were extremely prevalent. I also found it interesting the amount of
people that were watching the street performing, and the amount of street performers there was.
I’m sure there are places that showcase this craft in the States, but in my hometown that is not
something I am used to. I was also very impressed with how quickly shop owners and store
workers could switch from one language to another and not sound like it was their second
language. In America, a lot of people are bilingual, but you can tell when English is not their
native tongue.
I noticed a few different things during my observation time in the Jewish Quarter of the
Old City. One thing I noticed was that the transition from the Jewish to the Muslim quarter was
not very noticeable. Upon walking from the more expensive Jewish merchant sites and into the
smaller Muslim shops area, I barely even noticed until I started to realize the types of people
that were working and owning the shops. I think it is incredibly interesting that there isn’t a more
noticeable transition, but also that visitors to the Old City wouldn’t even notice. It is interesting to
me because it showcases a type of cultural diversity that is interesting; people do not always
notice the types of people around them and when those types of people change, which leads
more to assimilation and acceptance of different faiths and races.
I also noticed that the merchants in the Muslim quarter are very desperate to sell the
things in their shops. They will literally follow or chase you and beg you to buy something even if
you just walk by and do not show any interest. For me, that makes me less likely to purchase
something from their shop, but I could see how other people would get overwhelmed and buy

7. things simply because it is difficult and often scary to say no. I am curious as to whether these
merchants really need the money or they just want to sell more than the people around them.
The Old City is a city of magic and history that has modernized but still remains mostly
unchanged with time. Though cars now whizz through the tiny streets and taxis await people
leaving the city, very few people accept credit cards, the shops are dimly lit, and the living
arrangements do not seem very modern. It is interesting the way the Old City has maintain
standing with the different types of people living in it’s borders and walking it’s streets.
I began my observation by simply watching people to understand who they were and how they
lived. What I noticed was a lot of tourists that were easy to spot, but also a lot of people
speaking Hebrew that appeared to live in the country. The people were mingling naturally,
however, and sometimes I couldn’t tell who was who. This is interesting to me because in
Jerusalem, it is easy to spot who does not belong; in Tel Aviv, it is easy to feel like you belong. I
noticed a lot of different things that I had never seen before also. Different types of foods such
as Druze and Ethiopian. All of these things were very intriguing to me.
The first person that I interviewed happened to be an Ethiopian immigrant who
immigrated to Israel over 15 years ago. I was excited to find someone so close to my project,
especially since we were not close to the Ethiopian neighborhood that we visited earlier in the
day. The man told me that he always wanted to come to Israel, but always saw himself in
Jerusalem. However, he told me that when he immigrated and moved there, he didn’t feel like
he belonged. Though he was Jewish, he didn’t think the Jewish people there really accepted
him because of where he was from and because of his difficulty with learning the Hebrew
language. I had never thought of this before, but it is interesting because a lot of people think
that once a Jew makes aliyah they are completely accepted and welcomed, but it is obviously
not always the case. The most important reason this encounter was relevant is that if actual

8. Jewish immigrants from Africa have trouble assimilating, the African migrant workers have
almost no hope. They are not in this country to make a home, just to save their lives and
support themselves; they don’t have the desire to integrate into the culture and people don’t
want to help them either. For them, life here is very sad.
Another person I spoke to was a shop owner at the artisans market in the center of the
city. I asked her about her background and she told me that she was born in Israel and has lived
here all her life. When I asked her about migrant workers however, she was not very open to the
idea. This was an interesting encounter for me because I found that the people living in Tel Aviv
are not naive to the migrant workers and in fact do not see them in a very positive light.
Conclusions
After the creation of the State of Israel, the government of the country wanted to bring as
many Jewish people to the State as possible. Ben Gurion, as Prime Minister, wanted to make it
possible for all Jews to make aliyah to the country without the troubles presented by economics.
In 1949, a large wave of immigration to Israel occurred and over the next few years, around
700,000 Jews came to the country. This open immigration policy continues to this day as trips
such as birthright encourage Jewish people to move here as well. However, immigration for
non-Jewish people is extremely closed.
The Law of Return of Israel fosters the growth of the State, but sometimes at a cost. The
Arab minority, which is about 20% of the population, fears being taken over and pushed out
completely. However, the government of Israel maintains that this is a Jewish nation and, while
they never planned to exile all the Arabs, they do not intend to make it easier for them to live
here or multiply either. The Knesset, even the Arab members, all focus on keeping Israel a safe
place for the Jewish people, regardless of if that means that the Arabs, the migrant workers, or
the refugees in this country have equal and humane human rights.

9. Eritrea and Sudan’s refugee crises is important but hardly covered by major news outlets
and foreign governments. However, something must be done in the countries in order to make it
possible for less people to flee. International nations need to come up with concrete policies that
will allow at least a certain number of refugees and migrant workers from each country, as well
as laws that will protect them and give them proper rights.