Founded in 1993, AEJ is the longest-standing Ethiopian Israeli-led human rights organization in Israel. AEJ works to combat systemic discrimination and institutional racism, advocates for more equitable government policies, equal rights, and strives to narrow the socio-economic and educational gaps faced by Ethiopian Israelis. As a pioneering civil society organization, AEJ employs a multi-dimensional approach to driving systemic change and promoting social justice. Our work is grounded in research and data, supported by grassroots community engagement, and amplified through media outreach, policy advocacy, and sustained engagement with national and local decision-makers. AEJ has driven major reforms, including the 2025 High Court of Justice decision invalidating police procedures that allowed stopping and requesting identification based solely on “suspicion,” and the 2022 ban on police chokeholds—both landmark civil rights victories. In addition, AEJ played a key role in securing the Sigd National Holiday Law and advancing amendments to the Affirmative Action–Equal Opportunities Law, ensuring that Ethiopian Israelis are formally recognized as a protected diversity group. AEJ’s initiatives focus on critical areas where systemic discrimination and racism not only create barriers to progress for Ethiopian Israelis but also actively undermine and reverse hard-won gains. The first initiative focuses on over-policing and the urgent need for police reform. Building on years of work in this field, AEJ seeks to reduce policing practices rooted in structural and institutional racism by advancing a new institutional understanding of over-policing and police violence through research, terminology development, stakeholder engagement, and public outreach. The second initiative addresses a troubling trend in which public sector employment quotas for Ethiopian Israelis are being met only superficially—primarily through lower-level positions—without achieving meaningful inclusion or impact. AEJ has publicly challenged this practice and is advocating for the full and substantive implementation of quotas across all levels of public service, with particular emphasis on senior and decision-making roles. The third initiative, set to begin in 2027, will focus on mapping and advocating for systemic changes to address persistent disparities in mental health outcomes and access to care, which both have contributed to the overrepresentation of Ethiopian Israelis in psychiatric hospitalizations and elevated suicide rates. The fourth initiative seeks to embed democratic values within the Ethiopian Israeli community, fostering meaningful political and societal engagement. To this end, it will create, inter alia, spaces for dialogue, education, and reflection on core principles such as equality before the law, civic participation, accountability, and trust in public institutions. This initiative aims to bridge gaps between formal democratic frameworks and the realities faced by community members, thereby strengthening both awareness and agency. It will empower individuals to engage more actively in public life, advocate for their rights, and contribute to shaping a more inclusive and equitable society. You can visit AEJ’s English website, Hebrew website as well as AEJ’s Instagram page, Hebrew Facebook & English Facebook where current issues impacting Ethiopian Israelis are publicized. AEJ also publishes a periodic Hebrew Newsletter and English Newsletter.