1,000 Ethiopia Jews to move to Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a ministerial committee that he would allow 1,000 Ethiopian Jews from the Falash Mura tribe to move to Israel, Israeli media reported on Monday.

“I am pleased to inform you that I have decided that approximately 1,000 community members — whose children are already here — must be brought to Israel,” Netanyahu said in a statement issued by his office, the Times of Israel reported.

Falash Mura are Ethiopian Jews whose ancestors were forced to convert to Christianity in the 19th century.

Netanyahu’s move has angered the Struggle for Ethiopian Aliyah group whose spokesperson  Alisa Bodner said: “We demand that the PM commit to his promises and provide an immediate resolution to bring to Israel all the 8,000 members of the remaining Jewish community of Ethiopia.”

In 2015, Netanyahu’s government established a nominative list of 9,000 Ethiopians who were allowed to immigrate to Israel within five years on the basis of family reunion.

However to date only 1,300 have immigrated.

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