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Shlomo Molla (, am, ሰሎሞን ሞላ; born 21 November 1965) is an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Kadima and Hatnuah between 2008 and 2013. He became Israel's second MK of Ethiopian origin.


Biography

Molla was born in a small Jewish village of 40 families in Gondar Province in Ethiopia in 1965 into a family of 9 brothers and 2 sisters. Molla attempted to immigrate to Israel in 1984 on foot, after being overlooked by Operation Moses and Operation Joshua. He was rescued by Israeli forces in
Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
; during his journey in Sudan, one of the Ethiopian Jews traveling with him was shot and killed by Sudanese forces. Upon reaching Israel, he was sent to an immigrant absorption center in
Tzfat Safed (known in Hebrew as Tzfat; Sephardic Hebrew & Modern Hebrew: צְפַת ''Tsfat'', Ashkenazi Hebrew: ''Tzfas'', Biblical Hebrew: ''Ṣǝp̄aṯ''; ar, صفد, ''Ṣafad''), is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Located at an elevat ...
. Ill with malaria upon arrival to Israel, he learned Hebrew in the hospital. After his national service in the
Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...
, he studied for a BA in social work at Bar-Ilan University. During his studies he served as co-chairman of the Organization of Ethiopian Students. He later also gained an LLB from Ono Academic College. In 1991, he became head of a Jewish Agency immigrant absorption center in Tiberias, and in 1995 was appointed supervisor of the absorption centers and ulpans in northern
kibbutz A kibbutz ( he, קִבּוּץ / , lit. "gathering, clustering"; plural: kibbutzim / ) is an intentional community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. The first kibbutz, established in 1909, was Degania. Today, farming h ...
im. In 1996 he became a member of the Ministry of Health's committee to advise on war conditions, and in 1999 he became head of the Jewish Agency's Ethiopian Division. In the same year Molla won eighth place on Yisrael BaAliyah's list for the Knesset elections, but the party won only six seats. In 2006, he was a member of the Zionist Executive and head of department at the World Zionist Organization. Prior to the
2006 elections The following elections occurred in the year 2006. * Elections in 2006 * Electoral calendar 2006 * 2006 Acehnese regional election * 2006 American Samoan legislative election * 2006 Bahraini parliamentary election * 2006 Costa Rican presidenti ...
he was placed thirty-third on Kadima's list. However, following the resignation of
Avigdor Yitzhaki Avigdor Yitzhaki ( he, אביגדור יצחקי, born 13 September 1949) is an Israeli politician. He is a former member of the Knesset for Kadima, having been the party's parliamentary group chairman and head of the coalition. He is the chairman ...
in February 2008, Molla became the second MK of Ethiopian origin. He was placed nineteenth on the Kadima list for the 2009 elections, and retained his seat as the party won 28 mandates. In 2012 he left Kadima to join the new Hatnuah party. Placed eighth on its list for the
2013 elections The following elections were occurred in the year 2013. Asia * 2013 Armenian local elections 26 May, 17 November, and 8 December 2013 * 2013 Armenian presidential election 18 February 2013 * 2013 Bangladeshi presidential election 22 April 2013 ...
, he lost his seat when the party won only six seats. In 2015, he encouraged Ethiopian-Israelis to refuse to pay taxes or to serve in the Israeli armed forces to protest racist acts against Ethiopian-Israelis such as the police assault on
Demas Fikadey Demas or Demos was a man mentioned by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament of the Bible, and appears to have been involved for a time in his ministry. Demas is mentioned in three of the canonical Pauline epistles: *In Philemon he is mentioned as ...
.Kershner, Isabel & Rudoren, Jod
“Soldier Becomes Unlikely Face of Ethiopian-Israeli Discontent”
''New York Times'' 4 May 2015
Molla is married with three children, and lives in
Rishon LeZion Rishon LeZion ( he, רִאשׁוֹן לְצִיּוֹן , ''lit.'' First to Zion, Arabic: راشون لتسيون) is a city in Israel, located along the central Israeli coastal plain south of Tel Aviv. It is part of the Gush Dan metropolitan ar ...
.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Molla, Shlomo 1965 births Living people Bar-Ilan University alumni Beta Israel Black Jewish members of the Knesset Deputy Speakers of the Knesset Ethiopian emigrants to Israel Ethiopian Jews Ethiopian Zionists Hatnua politicians Israeli Jews Israeli people of Ethiopian-Jewish descent Jewish Israeli politicians Kadima politicians Members of the 17th Knesset (2006–2009) Members of the 18th Knesset (2009–2013) Ono Academic College alumni People from Amhara Region Yisrael BaAliyah politicians