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Jerusalem - Israel Ready to Admit 3,000 Ethiopian Jews |
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Some 100,000 Jews from Ethiopia already live in Israel. Many arrived in airlifts in the 1980s and 1990s in times of hunger and political strife in Ethiopia. Thousands more Falash Mura people, who claim they were forced to convert to Christianity in Ethiopia, have also immigrated in smaller groups, but Israel largely halted the flow about two years ago.
Some Israeli officials cited financial concern and questions about the applicants’ Jewish origins as reasons for the halt.
Interior Minister Eli Yishai of the Orthodox Shas party has tried to renew the influx from Ethiopia in an effort to bring an estimated 8,700 people living in squalid transit camps for several years to the Jewish state, officials said.
Roi Lachmanovitch, a spokesman for Yishai, said the ministry had sent three officials, two from the ministry and one from the quasi-governmental Jewish Agency, to Ethiopia on Wednesday, to explore the eligibility for immigration of 3,000 people.
“Yishai considers it important to bring all Jews, including those regarding whose credentials there may be doubts, to Israel and it’s too bad this hasn’t already happened,” Lach-manovitch said.
Yishai plans to ask the Israeli Cabinet to allow most of the 8,700 people waiting for visas to immigrate, provided they meet eligibility qualifications and prove their Jewish background, an official said.
Israel, which defines itself as a Jewish state, generally encourages Jewish immigration and subsidizes many newcomers to help ensure Jews remain a majority in a state where about 20 percent of the population are Arabs.
Jerusalem - Immigrant groups in Israel have long protested the delay in permitting Falash Mura to arrive, saying it has split many families whose relatives have been left behind.
“We welcome the reopening of the gates, though this step doesn’t yet solve the whole problem,” said Abraham Neguise, director of South Wing to Zion, an Ethiopian advocacy group.
Neguise said there were recent reports of medical hardship in the transit camps in Ethiopia’s Gondar region.
Israel grants automatic citizenship to Jews who immigrate. Most Falash Mura must undergo a conversion ritual before receiving citizenship papers.J
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Read Comments (13) — Post Yours »
1
Jul 17, 2009 at 12:43 PM thruly Says:
Bring our brothers and sisters home
2
Jul 17, 2009 at 12:26 PM Anonymous Says:
They all intermarried they are no longer jewish.
3
Jul 17, 2009 at 12:26 PM Rippin Pinchas Says:
Why? They are not Jewish. They are practicing Christians. Scientific data of their DNA strongly suggests they are not Jewish.
If they want these self proclaimed Jews, why not bring the 40,000 igbo people from Nigeria?
Why is Yishai not worried about the drug problems in Dimona, which has a large Ethopian population? I understand that bringing in these people will help with fundraising from far left liberal Jews, but is that a reason?
Or, is this some sort of Zionist plot to bring in more people, regardless of their Jewsihness? Also, why make a georos machine? Yishai should look to the sad state of affairs in the US, which has all these geirim and many problems.
4
Jul 17, 2009 at 01:50 PM state needs people Says:
The ethiopians typically become full time IDF members or work as border guards. The medinah needs people and thats why they are bringing them in.
5
Jul 17, 2009 at 01:37 PM Again Says:
They are not Jewish. Any evidence of their Jewishness can be applied to all the Hindus of India with the same amount of weight. Once had an interesting conversation with the son of a Hindu priest. He showed me many similarities between Hindu practice and Jewish practice. The evidence of Falasha's Jewishness pales in comparison. The only difference is that the Hindu's aren't trying to leave Africa.
This is Zionist attempt at being politically correct in the world's eye view.
What a waste of resources!
6
Jul 17, 2009 at 03:18 PM ShatzMatz Says:
To all you holier than thou 'pure' jews. What DNA evidence is there of the Ashkenazi jewishness? And sine when is DNA an halachically acceptable determiner. Do you think moshe rabbeinu was pale skinned? Maybe he even had blonde hair and blue eyes? Dont kid yourself. At one point in history our ancestors looked different than the typical jew,but for some reason they were accepted into the fold. The falashens are more certainly jewish than us because at least they go through geiur.
7
Jul 17, 2009 at 03:15 PM Mendy Says:
The racism and ignorance routinely spoyed by yeshivish and chassiddishe yidden is not jut embarrassing, it's a colossal chillul Hashem. We sound like a bunch of David Dukes with limited grammatical and spelling skills. The only places on the Web where one finds more talk of "Jewish DNA" and "preserving the bloodline" are skinhead and white supremacist sites. Of course, many of the ignorami in our community seem to think that Moshe Rabbeinu (Moishey Rabbaini?) spoke Yiddish, was a white Ashkenazi, and enjoyed a hearty dinner of chulent and gefilte fish every Shabbos. And of course he wore a shtreimel and bekushe too.
8
Jul 17, 2009 at 03:13 PM Askupeh Says:
“ They are not Jewish. Any evidence of their Jewishness can be applied to all the Hindus of India with the same amount of weight. Once had an interesting conversation with the son of a Hindu priest. He showed me many similarities between Hindu practice and Jewish practice. The evidence of Falasha's Jewishness pales in comparison. The only difference is that the Hindu's aren't trying to leave Africa.
This is Zionist attempt at being politically correct in the world's eye view.
What a waste of resources! ”
Learn a little history and you will know that they ARE Jewish; even died Al Kiddush Hashem because they didn’t want to become Notzrim. Reb Moshe Paskened that they have to go through Giyur Lechumrah, but if they don’t Pidyen Shvuim still applies but not to settle them Tzvishen Yidden. I am happy that they are going through Giyur Lechumrah, and will welcome them into my home as full fledged Yidden.
9
Jul 18, 2009 at 10:32 PM fabs Says:
I have to say I'm really shocked by the first few comments.
Does this attitude apply to the tens of thousands of Ethiopian Jews that have gone through conversion and are now apart of Israeli society?
Would these people, shtar geirus or no, reject these people in their minyans?
With people like this, calling their own fellow Jew 'schwarze goy', they're not only ignoring the tenets of their own faith, but bringing a bad light on Jews as a whole in front of the outside world.
I needn't remind people that one of the reason for the destruction of the Second Beis ha Mikdash was hatred, hatred above all of fellow Jews.
Indeed, people like 2,3 and 5 will bring disaster on us all.
10
Jul 19, 2009 at 07:04 AM Aron Says:
What do they mean "they descended from Jews"? Look at the picture. He's wearing the Tefillin Shel Rosh too low!
11
Jul 19, 2009 at 04:27 PM fabs Says:
@10:
Only according to Talmudic sources. Karaites and other people literally take the term 'between your eyes'.
12
Jul 21, 2009 at 06:26 AM Anonymous Says:
“ I have to say I'm really shocked by the first few comments.
Does this attitude apply to the tens of thousands of Ethiopian Jews that have gone through conversion and are now apart of Israeli society?
Would these people, shtar geirus or no, reject these people in their minyans?
With people like this, calling their own fellow Jew 'schwarze goy', they're not only ignoring the tenets of their own faith, but bringing a bad light on Jews as a whole in front of the outside world.
I needn't remind people that one of the reason for the destruction of the Second Beis ha Mikdash was hatred, hatred above all of fellow Jews.
Indeed, people like 2,3 and 5 will bring disaster on us all. ”
thank you, one of the only acceptable and reasonable comments, in my opinion.
how can we expect the world to be open minded about Jewswhen we cannot be open mided about our own?
13
Jul 21, 2009 at 06:25 AM Anonymous Says:
to all of the zionist haters - they are the ones fighting for Israel and ensuring you sleep safely @ night, next time you want to insult one of these pure Jews, take a look at one of your own, one of the rioters throwing rocks at cars