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Following Successful Protest, 44 Ethiopian Jews To Make Aliyah

The immigration will be the first such operation in years to be carried out according to the Law of Return rather than family reunification policy—but Ethiopians in Israel say that thousands more Jews remain in Ethiopia that Israel has no plan for

הפגנה להעלאת יהודי אתיופיה מול משרד רה"מ (צילום: יהל פרג')
Demonstration for the aliyah of Ethiopian Jews in front of the prime minister’s office on January 14, 2025. (Photo: Yahel Farag)
By Yahel Farag

For years, Ethiopian Israelis have been calling on the Israeli government to take responsibility for the thousands of Ethiopian Jews still left in Ethiopia as the country has been ravaged by a civil war. The community received some initial good news last week, with the report that that 44 Ethiopian Jews are expected to immigrate to Israel according to the Law of Return. The immigrants include a family of 13 that has been waiting to move for over a year after receiving approval due to bureaucratic obstacles imposed by Israel.

The announcement comes two weeks after a protest was held by Ethiopian Israelis demanding that their family members be allowed to join them in Israel. The Ethiopian Israel community says that 12,000 of their Jewish family members are still in Ethiopia, but Israel has consistently held the line that no one remains in Ethiopia who is eligible to make aliyah under the Law of Return.

Jews celebrate Passover in the synagogue in Gondar, Ethiopia. (Archival photo: Miriam Elster/Flash90)
Jews celebrate Passover in the synagogue in Gondar, Ethiopia. (Archival photo: Miriam Elster/Flash90)

Here, the distinction between “aliyah”—Jewish immigration to Israel according to the Law of Return, a basic law established just two years after the founding of the state—and immigration is paramount. For the past several years, the vast majority of Ethiopian Jews moving to Israel have not been brought to Israel according to the Law of Return, which promises repatriation to Israel to any Jew or anyone with at least one Jewish grandparent, but according to a government policy of family reunification.

Between 2020 and 2023, some 5,000 Ethiopians moved to Israel in an Israeli governmental operation dubbed Tzur Israel. The vast majority of those Ethiopians were not recognized by the state of Israel as Jewish but were brought because they are close relatives of those already in Israel and because of the serious ongoing conflict in Ethiopia. But when that operation ended in 2023, 1,226 Ethiopians whose immigration was approved were left behind, and there were no plans to restart the operation due to a lack of budget. (Two state budgets were passed that neglected to provide a budget for the cause.)

Ethiopian Jews arriving in Israel as part of Operation Tzur Israel. (Photo: Ministry of Integration)
Ethiopian Jews arriving in Israel as part of Operation Tzur Israel. (Photo: Ministry of Integration)

Money for the issue remains in a budget that was secured by former Minister of Aliyah and Integration Pnina Tamano-Shata, but bureaucratic obstacles have prevented it from being used.

That neglect is especially troubling giving the war that’s been plaguing Ethiopia since 2020 between the Ethiopian army and the local Fano militia, primarily in the Amhara region. Over the years, Israeli activists and representatives of the Jewish community in Ethiopia have expressed great concern for the lives of Jews waiting stuck in Gondar and Addis Ababa, who fear forced conscription into the army or harm from the ongoing fighting.

That was the context behind the protest held by the Ethiopian Israel community on January 14 in front of the prime minister’s office. Held alongside a protest calling for the release of hostages in Gaza, the two actions merged, with Israelis of all colors calling for the release of those in danger. Signs and pictures of the hostages and Jews left waiting in Ethiopia were seen side by side.

A protester for the aliyah of Ethiopian Jews with a picture of her relative, against the backdrop of a protest tent for the return of the hostages. (Photo: Yahel Farag)
A protester for the aliyah of Ethiopian Jews with a picture of her relative, against the backdrop of a protest tent for the return of the hostages. (Photo: Yahel Farag)

The protest was led by the two largest organizations working to renew the immigration of Ethiopian Jews: the National Committee to Save Ethiopian Jews, headed by Likud activist Gabi Worku, and the Campaign Headquarters for the Aliyah of Ethiopian Jews, led by Surafel Alemu.

Since the waves of Ethiopian aliyah began in the 1980s, many of those left behind have married, passed away, or been drafted into the military—and yet, Israel continues to avoid bringing them over, offering a range of excuses. The current government has worsened the situation by refusing to allocate funds for Ethiopian immigration and shelving the recommendations of the official appointed to address the issue.

“We’ll go to the protest to make the Knesset understand that our brothers are truly at risk—they need to take action,” Danny Beja told Davar in an interview ahead of last month’s protest. “There are families, parents, sisters here. It needs to reach the ears of decision-makers. They need to stop with the trickle of immigration—people are dying, and families remain separated.”

Beja, 31, who lives in Israel, has been waiting for years for his two half-brothers from his father’s side, who remain in Ethiopia. He attended the protest alongside another brother who lives in Israel and dozens of other relatives, demanding the resumption of Ethiopian aliyah.

Beja’s first meeting with his brothers, Weretao and Abraham Ayilao, happened recently when he traveled with friends on a trip back to Ethiopia, his first since immigrating to Israel in 2000.

“I met them, and the trip completely changed,” he said. “My friends continued on, but I stayed with them. It felt right. It hurts—our family is one of the most dedicated. We serve in the military reserves, we know how to serve the country, and they’re doing everything to keep us apart. We don’t have parents, but the state won’t reunite the siblings. There’s been a war in Ethiopia for a long time, and they are at great risk.”

From left: Danny Beja on reserve duty, and his brothers Weretao and Abraham Ayilao in Gondar, Ethiopia. (Photo: Private album)
From left: Danny Beja on reserve duty, and his brothers Weretao and Abraham Ayilao in Gondar, Ethiopia. (Photo: Private album)

Like many whose relatives are waiting for immigration, Beja is outraged by the state’s conduct, especially compared to the large-scale aliyah facilitated from Ukraine and Russia since the war there began three years ago. “The state is broken. I don’t know if it’s discrimination or racism, but in practice, everyone was brought over from Ukraine, and when it comes to Ethiopians—it’s just endless excuses,” he said.

“I have no hesitation about continuing to serve in the military reserves—I love this country, I grew up here, and there’s no question about it,” Beja said. “We understand how things work in this country—one day it’s a lack of budget, another day it’s doubts about Judaism, another time it’s the war—always an excuse. Take action—bring them here and put an end to this entire saga.”

Protesters in favor of renewed aliyah from Ethiopia demonstrate with signs of their relatives. (Photo: Yahel Farag)
Protesters in favor of renewed aliyah from Ethiopia demonstrate with signs of their relatives. (Photo: Yahel Farag)

Two weeks after the protest, it seems the relevant authorities are starting to take action, but much more remains to be done.

While announcing the 44 Ethiopian Jews who will soon move to Israel, the Jewish Agency, the paragovernmental body responsible for aliyah, said that it is assisting those eligible under the Law of Return who have received approval to immigrate to Israel. “Once they receive all the necessary approvals from the relevant authorities, we will act to bring them to Israel as quickly as possible,” the agency said.

Similarly, Sharren Haskel, the deputy minister of foreign affairs, said that the ministry was doing “everything we can to ensure that those eligible will arrive in the country and integrate successfully into Israeli society.”

Moshe Solomon, a lawmaker originally from Ethiopia who is working to advance this effort, said, “After years of waiting and efforts, we are succeeding in restoring hope to families and individuals waiting in camps in Addis Ababa, Gondar, and Tigray. They deserve this, and we will continue to work in every way to ensure their aliyah.”

This article was translated from Hebrew by Marina Levy.

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