Thanks to the pressure exerted on the Israeli government by the signers of this petition and others, Rivka was freed this morning, Tuesday, May 23rd. She received a tearful welcome from her family in Ashdod, her mother embracing her after what felt like an eternity of uncertainty. Rivka was able to rest for the first time in months. This war, however, isn’t over. Though her release is definitely a cause for celebration, the reason cited by the Israeli military court marks this occasion as bitter-sweet. She was cited as “unfit for military service” due to “anti-social tendencies”. The report went on to state that she was uncooperative and made of “inferior material” for the military’s purposes. The truth differs considerably from the Israeli government’s official rendition. According to Rivka’s defense team, the military prosecutor decided to free her before an official trial commenced to avoid the possibility of an after-trial lawsuit. Seeing that they had little chance of winning such a clear-cut case (oppressing an orphaned immigrant because she’s religious and Ethiopian) they decided to cut Rivka’s defense attorneys “off at the pass”. Many members of Israel’s Ethiopian community are wondering as of late if they haven’t made a mistake immigrating. The promises that Israeli officials told them while in Ethiopia now seem to wring terribly hollow. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) wanted to save their own reputation by smearing that of an innocent girl, one who simply wanted to obtain her rightful military exemption and, in the process, became a victim of bureaucratic incompetence. Her only desire was to live as a religious Jew and help provide for her family. And because of that she’s been labeled “anti-social” and a host of other fabrications. Just so that the IDF can save face and avoid a lawsuit. Who would bother with defending the name of a Ethiopian, religious Jewish girl, after all? We would. As if her wrongful imprisonment wasn’t enough, these last insults have broken the proverbial camel’s back. We’re suing the IDF for libel against Rivka Yeshayahu. This isn’t just about upholding Rivka’s good name in the public eye. The Ethiopian Jewish community in Israel has suffered enough. The religious Jewish community in Israel has suffered enough. This suit is about showing Israel that those who previously had no voice can be a force to be reckoned with. They are not second or third-class citizens to be forgotten or pushed aside. Their sensitivities matter. Their voice matters. To help Rivka’s family recoup the substantial financial loss they sustained during her wrongful imprisonment, we’re raising funds to help them get back on their feet and more. The Yeshayahu family risked their lives to immigrate to Israel and since their arrival they and others like them have been relegated to the fringe of Israeli society. They have two strikes against them. They’re religious and they’re black. The State of Israel claims to be the Middle East’s only democracy. Let them show it. Please add your voice and help us show the Israeli government and the world at large that this type of injustice will not be allowed to stand. The battle is far from over. Raise your voice in protest!