Israel: Mossad-led rescue of Ethiopian Jews turns into fiasco

Ethiopian Jews upon their arrival in Israel in May 2020. AFP / Menahem Kahana

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Earlier this year, the Israeli intelligence service came to the aid of "Ethiopian Jews" threatened by the conflict in Tigray during a covert rescue operation.

But it turns out that most of them have no connection with Judaism.

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With our correspondent in Jerusalem

,

Mossad operations are so daring that sometimes they turn into a fiasco.

This year, an Israeli service commando accomplishes what they believe to be a feat: 61 people, presumably descendants of Ethiopian Jews, are smuggled out of Tigray, a

deadly conflict rife in

.

But it was not until their arrival in Israel that the Interior Ministry carried out the usual checks with the Ethiopian Jewish community living in the country.

Amazement: only four of the 61 rescued have Jewish roots.

Evacuees Allowed to Stay in Israel

The procedure for their rescue was initiated following a request from an Israeli citizen.

The man in question wanted to bring his ex-wife and employees to Israel.

All these Ethiopians then declared on their honor to have Jewish ancestors.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has therefore given the green light to repatriate them.

According to the Israeli daily Haaretz which reveals the case, the majority of the 61 Ethiopians did not even live in

.

A real snub for the Israeli authorities, who however decided not to expel them.

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• Israel

• Ethiopia

• Intelligence