Israel welcomes 300 Jews from Ethiopia

Planes of the Israeli company El Al at Tel Aviv airport (archive).

REUTERS - Ronen Zvulun

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

300 Ethiopian Jews arrived in Israel on Thursday with the aim of settling in the country.

This theft is the first of a plan put in place by the Israeli government to bring in 2,000 Ethiopian Jews.

He was greeted solemnly at Tel Aviv airport. 

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With our correspondent in Jerusalem

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The first newcomer to get off the plane blew a shoffar, a ram's horn used in the Jewish religion to mark a moment of redemption.

For these new migrants, the emotion was strong.

After years of waiting, they were allowed to come and settle in Israel last October.

Many got off the plane waving their new country's flag, some also kissing the ground.

The Israeli government, on the verge of implosion, also wanted to mark the event and for once displayed its unity.

The plane was greeted by a marching band, a red carpet was rolled out.

And the two heads of government were present on the tarmac.

“ 

 ” said Benny Gantz, the alternate prime minister.

" 

 " said the

the essence of the history of Zionism".

Another flight is expected to arrive this Friday.

In all, 2,000 Ethiopian Jews are expected to immigrate to Israel by the end of January.

But the Ethiopian-born community in the country is demanding that several thousand other Ethiopians also be allowed to come and settle in Israel.

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• Israel

• Ethiopia