Projecting a Future in Israel, Marrying Spouses From Ethiopia: Motivations for Transnational Marriages Among Ethiopian Jews Resettled in Israel

ABSTRACT Ethiopian Jews (hereafter Beta Israelis) have been resettled in Israel since the 1980s after living in Ethiopia for centuries. Despite their relocation, Beta Israelis have sustained ties to Ethiopia through marriage. As a distinctive migrant group resettled in what is considered their ancestral homeland, they have unique motivations for these marriages. This study investigates these motivations through an inductive analysis of interview data and archival materials. Traditionally, it has been theorized that migrant men from patriarchal societies marry women from their birthplace because they find women in host countries unsuitable for non‐egalitarian marriages. However, this article argues that the phenomenon transcends gender dynamics and encompasses other people's experiences married with spouses from their birthplace and the desire to emulate them. In addition, it highlights experiences of discrimination in the host country and the desire to reconnect to the birthplace as important factors in transnational marriages. Therefore, this phenomenon is complex and requires nuanced, context‐sensitive analyses.