Israel's Black Panthers

The Radicals Who Punctured a Nation's Founding Myth

Author: Asaf Elia-Shalev

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"Compelling . . . offers a richly detailed account of Israel's Black Panthers in the 1970s."―Haaretz

"Forces us to confront the sometimes vast distance between constitutional aspiration and social and political practice."―Jewish Book Council

The powerful story of an activist movement that challenged the racial inequities of Israel.

Israel's Black Panthers tells the story of the young and impoverished Moroccan Israeli Jews who challenged their country's political status quo and rebelled against the ethnic hierarchy of Israeli life in the 1970s. Inspired by the American group of the same name, the Black Panthers mounted protests and a yearslong political campaign for the rights of Mizrahim, or Jews of Middle Eastern ancestry. They managed to rattle the country's establishment and change the course of Israel's history through the mass mobilization of a Jewish underclass.

This book draws on archival documents and interviews with elderly activists to capture the movement's history and reveal little-known stories from within the group. Asaf Elia-Shalev explores the parallels between the Israeli and American Black Panthers, offering a unique perspective on the global struggle against racism and oppression. In twenty short and captivating chapters, Israel's Black Panthers provides a textured and novel account of the movement and reflects on the role that Mizrahim can play in the future of Israel.

Critic Reviews

"Drawing on archival press accounts, government documents and interviews with surviving Panthers, Elia-Shalev — a Los Angeles-based reporter with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency — weaves a tale of young street toughs who underwent a political awakening. These young men saw their plight as a result of entrenched prejudice and lack of public resources, and they decided to fight back." J: The Jewish News of Northern California
"In the 1970s, a group of Moroccan Israeli Jews protested against the racial hierarchy then existing in Israel that left many of them both impoverished and lacking rights. Their campaign, inspired by America’s Black Panthers, was, says Asaf Elia-Shalev, part of the wider global struggle against oppression."
New Statesman
"In his compelling new book Israel's Black Panthers, Asaf Elia-Shalev offers a richly detailed account of Israel's Black Panthers in the 1970s.” Haaretz
"In Israel’s Black Panthers, Asaf Elia-Shalev forces us to confront the sometimes vast distance between constitutional aspiration and social and political practice." Jewish Book Council
"It’s both history and an important window into Israel today, as well as the Israel that will still emerge." Israel From the Inside
“A staff writer at the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Elia-Shalev narrates events with careful attention to interpersonal drama and local color. It is this foregrounding of the human element, over and above the more familiar themes of regional geopolitics and the global cultural currents of the early 1970s, that distinguishes Israel’s Black Panthers." The Markaz Review
"Despite their seismic entrance into Israeli history, half a century later, the Panthers and their rebellion have been largely — and perhaps wilfully — forgotten. Their memory is primarily kept alive only by a few surviving Panthers, a handful of dedicated archivists and historians, the Mizrahi left in Israel and abroad, and parts of the broader Israeli radical left. But the Panthers’ relevance, argues Israeli-American journalist Asaf Elia-Shalev in a meticulous new book, is enduring." +972 Magazine
“Elia-Shalev is a journalist, which makes his writing structured and engaging in a way only few academic works are. His book is suspenseful, and the ‘true crime’ style of writing certainly keeps the reader engaged. . . . For those seeking deeper insights into this foundational aspect of Israeli society and culture — one that is bound to resurface soon — Elia-Shalev’s book is essential reading.” Middle East Journal
“Asaf Elia-Shalev tells the movement’s story with vivid sympathy, tracing its arc mostly through the troubled life of Moroccan-born activist and key strategist Reuven Abergel.” Moment
"Shalev's writing is personal and infused with passion and warmth, through which he imparts a sense of reality to the events he describes. . . . The narrative is engaging and vibrant, successfully maintaining its vitality throughout the entire book." Ethnic and Racial Studies
"Simultaneously honest yet sober—with often humorous and clever prose—the book shows an extraordinary attention to detail and brings to life its characters and the mood of Israeli society." The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs
"It is a combination of a historical analysis with storytelling and keeps the reader engaged in the evolution of this movement and its impacts. . . . This book is a remarkable work that brings to life the movement of the Israeli Black Panthers." Sephardic Horizons

About the Author

Asaf Elia-Shalev is an Israeli American journalist based in Los Angeles. He is a staff writer for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, which distributes his work to dozens of media outlets in multiple languages.