In the last decade Israeli high-tech firms have become the most desirable workplaces in the local market. Their employees have the most promising careers and rewarding benefits. This work environment stands in stark contrast to the situation of Ethiopian-Israelis in the job market, with unemployment twice as high as the general rate and higher poverty rates than the average. Ethiopian workers are concentrated in the lowest paying jobs in the market.
Over the years, young Israeli-Ethiopians were marginalized. They were pushed aside by society, and turned into ''transparent'' beings, almost. This ongoing discrimination motivated in April thousands on these youngsters to go out to the streets and demonstrate. The extent of this rage, expressed also by violent clashes with the police at the heart of Tel Aviv, took Israeli public by surprise.