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THE AIRLIFTS that Ethiopian Jews were brought to Israel during the 1980s and 1990s is the stuff of legend. A secret operation lasting more than 36 hours in 1991 involved 40 flights carrying some 14,000 members of Beta Israel, the largest community of Ethiopian Jews. At that time, the Israelis held the missions. But today his government’s plans for a different group of Ethiopian Jews are making few people happy.
On October 12, Israel decided to admit 2,000 members of Falash Mura, descendants of Ethiopian Jews who converted to Christianity more than a century ago. For nearly 30 years, the Falash Mura have been clamoring for acceptance by Israel. Every now and then Israel lets in a few thousand. But roughly 8,000 languish in camps in Addis Ababa and Gondar. Some Jews think Israel should open doors to all of them. Others question whether the Falash Mura meet the requirements of Israel’s law of return, which grants citizenship to all Jews.
Ethiopian Jews claim that their ancestors belonged to the lost tribe of Dan, which was dispersed when the ancient kingdom of Israel fell more than 2,700 years ago. But, largely in isolation, their practices differ from those of traditional Jews. The Falash Mura have another problem: Israel’s high court ruled long ago that Jews who converted to another religion, and their descendants, are not eligible under the law of return. The government does not consider the group completely Jewish. Some members of Beta Israel even accuse them of pretending to be Jewish to escape hardship at home.
At times, the government gives in to pressure from liberals, who favor increased African immigration, and nationalists, who see newcomers as helping Jews outnumber Palestinians. There are about 150,000 Ethiopian-Israelis (almost 2% of the population). Half are Falash Mura, who must convert to Orthodox Judaism.
Ethiopian-Israelis have faced discrimination and struggled economically. But they have also gained a bit of political influence. Earlier this year, Pnina Tamano-Shata became the Ethiopian-born prime minister of Israel. Binyamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, often talks about bringing in more Ethiopians when he’s in political trouble, as he is now, due to his mishandling of covid-19.
But Israel’s policy on Falash Mura is a mess, says Fentahun Seyoum, an Ethiopian-Israeli activist: “Either they are not eligible and no one should be allowed in, or everyone. Just 2000 out of 8000 doesn’t make sense. “
This article appeared in the Middle East and Africa section of the print edition under the title “From Gondar to Jerusalem.”
