An MK for a day: Aleli Admasu
10/16/2012 02:53
Ethiopian-born Aleli Admasu sworn in to Likud ahead of Knesset dismissal.
Knesset Photo: © Reuters
MK Aleli Admasu (Likud) was sworn in on Monday afternoon, marking the second time
there are two Ethiopian MKs in the Knesset at the same time.
Admasu
replaces Minister-without-Portfolio Yossi Peled, who resigned from the Knesset
in September.
The other Ethiopian immigrant in the 18th Knesset is MK
Shlomo Molla (Kadima), who overlapped with Ethiopian-born MK Mazor Bahyna (Shas) from April 2008 until Febuary of 2009.
“What are the chances that someone born to a
family of 11 children in a small Ethiopian village would be standing here?”
Admasu asked, in his first and last speech to the 18th Knesset.
The new
Likud lawmaker added that he hopes to represent his party in the 19th Knesset,
as well. Admasu is considered an MK until after the next Knesset is sworn in in
over three months. As such, he is not the MK with the shortest term ever; that
honor belongs to Labor’s Effi Oshaya, who resigned hours after he was sworn
in.
Admasu, 50, is a father of seven from Rishon Lezion who made aliya
from Ethiopia in 1983. During his IDF service, he participated in Operation
Solomon, which brought more than 14,000 Ethiopian immigrants to Israel. He
worked for the Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry for 14 years training
Ethiopian immigrants for employment. Admesu also served as Prime Minister
Binyamin Netanyahu’s adviser on the Ethiopian community.