Introduction

Israel today continues to address a fundamental principle of Zionism, settling Jewish people from all corners of the world within its borders. The country has experienced several waves of immigration in its history, the most recent occurring between 1989 and 1991, when some 360,000 Soviet and 40,000 Ethiopian Jews emigrated. The arrival of Jewish refugees from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia was seen as a blessing for the sagging prospects of the Negev. This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book reveals that government-sponsored settlement of the three groups—the Russian, Ethiopian and Bedouin—has not always been based on principles of self-determination or free of prejudice related to race, culture or religion. Such differential treatment has also influenced the manner in which newly settled members of the three groups regard and relate to one another, contributing to the perpetuation of existing bias and misperception.