Israel: government green light for 2,000 Jews from Ethiopia

Ethiopian Jews upon their arrival in Israel in May 2020. MENAHEM KAHANA / AFP

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The Council of Ministers adopted, Monday, October 12, a proposal made by Benjamin Netanyahu authorizing the arrival in the country of 2,000 more Ethiopian Jews.

But within the community of Israelis of Ethiopian origin, the measure is criticized: a letter signed by former soldiers and officers calls for the arrival of all the Jews of Ethiopia, or several thousand other people.

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With our correspondent in Jerusalem

, 

In 2015, the Israeli government adopted a plan to bring all Jews from Ethiopia to Israel.

However, the project initially encountered budgetary restrictions.

And in recent months, the coronavirus crisis has interrupted the arrival of Jews from Ethiopia to Israel.

This new plan aims to bring, "

" in the words of Benyamin Netanyahu, 2,000 Ethiopian Jews who will have to undergo a test for Covid-19 and go through a quarantine phase upon their arrival in the country.

According to the Minister of Immigration and Integration, the first minister of Ethiopian origin in the history of the country, the government has released an envelope of more than 90 million euros for the realization of this project.

But in a letter to the prime minister, a group of 50 Israelis of Ethiopian descent, all of whom served or serving in the Israeli army, denounce a renunciation of Benjamin Netanyahu and unequal treatment.

" 

[Jewish] 

 " they write.

8,000 or 9,000 Ethiopian Jews are currently waiting to be able to come to Israel.

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• Israel

• Ethiopia

• Benjamin Netanyahu

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