Ethiopians Protest Government Decision To Bar Falash Mura From Entering Israel

Hundreds of Ethiopians demonstrated outside the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem on Sunday demanding that the government act immediately and allow their relatives to immigrate to Israel. Thousands of Ethiopian Falash Mura remain stranded in Addis Ababa and Gundar waiting in camps  to be flown to Israel. Years ago the government promised it would look into the status of the Falash Mura who remain in Ethiopia and assist them to immigrate to Israel and join their families. However two months ago the government declared that the quota had been filled and there are no plans to examine the Jewish status of those waiting in Ethiopia. The protesters held the pictures of parents, children, relatives and others from whom they have been separated fo rmany years. The Prime Minister’s Office emphasized that immigration from Ethiopia will not stop but that the active search for Jews will not continue. Nonetheless, the government will look into all requests made by people wanting to come to Israel. An official from the Prime Minister's office declared that there is no commitment to a specific number of Falash Mura members that will immigrate to Israel, but there will not be one Ethiopian Jew who has the right to immigrate to Israel based on the Law of Return, who won’t immigrate.” The Falash Mura’s hope remains in the hands of State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss who asked to freeze the decision to halt the Falash Mura immigration to Israel until the special report he wrote on the issue comes to light. 08/17/08