Black Masculinities and Jewish Identity: Ethiopian-Israeli Men in Contemporary Art

Abstract

The identity of Jewish-Israeli men of Ethiopian descent has undergone deep-seated changes in the last decade, as evident in visual representations created by contemporary black artists living in Israel. In recent years, a new generation of Ethiopian-Israeli artists has revitalized local art and engendered deep changes in discourse and public life. Ethiopian-Israelis, who comprise less than two percent of the total Jewish population in the country, suffers multiple forms of oppression, especially due to their religious status and given that their visibility—as black Jews—stands out in a society that is predominantly white. This article draws links between events of the past decade and the images of men produced by these artists. It argues that the political awareness of Jewish-Ethiopians artists, generated by long-term social activism as well as police violence against their community, has greatly impacted their artistic production, broadened its diversity, and contributed a wealth of artworks to Israeli culture as a whole. Using intersectional analysis and drawing on theories from gender, migration and cultural studies, the article aims to produce a nuanced understanding of black Jewish masculinity in the ethno-national context of the state of Israel.

Ethnocultural disparities in loneliness among women in Israel: A population-based study.

“…Moreover, although our study centered on the primary minority groups in Israel, we were unable to address all of them due to constraints in data identification and their relatively small populations, potentially restricting certain statistical analyses. Among these groups, the Ethiopian population, comprising less than 2% of the Israeli population, is notable, as its members experience unique challenges, some related to skin color, in integration into Israeli society (Dekel, 2022). Future research should explore the utility of this model for studying other minority groups.…”