Israel still bars blood donations from Ethiopian born Israelis

This is Ethiopian-born Israeli Lawmaker Pnina Tamano-Shata, who was barred from donating blood at a parliamentary blood drive for sheer reason of her origin.

Israel’s health ministry regulation considers everyone who was born or spent more than a year in Ethiopia after 1977 as possible AIDS carrier.

“I am good enough to serve the state and in the Knesset,” Tamano-Shata told Ynet news. “But for some reason to give blood I am not good enough.”

Tamano-Shata is a member of Yesh Atid party, which is in the governing coalition. She immigrated to Israel when she was just three; she is now 32.

Photo credit: David Adom (Reuters).