From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Fri Aug 07 2009 - 13:48:34 EDT
Ethiopian Israelis: Let the Tigray make aliyah
Some 2,000 relatives of olim living in Israel said to be waiting in Ethiopia
for permission to make aliyah. Ethiopian community in Israel claims
authorities stalling on issue
Ilana Curiel Published: 08.07.09, 20:11 / Israel Jewish Scene
While the story of the Falash Mura is known to most Israelis, the public is
generally unaware of the difficulties another Ethiopian community that
claims to have Jewish ancestry – the Tigray, is facing in immigrating to
Israel.
The Ethiopian community in Israel has recently launched a campaign to bring
to Israel some 2,000 Tigray who have relatives in Israel.
The main difference between the Falash Mura and the Tigray lies in their
geographical origin. The Falash Mura are Jews who converted to Christianity
in the mid 19th century as a result of social and economic pressure. Most of
them live in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. The Tigray live in
northern Ethiopia in a region that borders Eritrea and Sudan, and their
Jewish roots are unclear.
Many Ethiopian Israelis now claim that a large community made up of the
relatives of Jews who have immigrated to Israel decades ago lives in Tigray.
They say that the Israeli authorities do not recognize this group and are
unwilling to send representatives to examine the Tigray's eligibility to
make aliyah under the Law of Return.
"This is unfair. If they don't want Jews here, why do they continue to
encourage aliyah from North America and the former Soviet Union?" a Jewish
Agency official told Ynet. "I'd like to believe this isn't because of their
skin color. The olim from Ethiopia want to bring their families here.
Non-Jews should not be allowed to immigrate, but the Tigray's eligibility
must be looked into."
Rabbi Avraham Shai, who heads the association of Tigray Jews in Israel,
said: "We started acting in light of the Interior Ministry's idleness. We
have relatives who have been left behind without any assistance and without
anyone paying any attention to them.
"They are all Jewish and some have been left behind during Operation Moses,"
he added.
The Interior Ministry offered the following response: "Two representatives
of the ministry have been sent to the Gondar region to examine the
eligibility of the Falash Mura to make aliyah. According to the instruction
of Interior Minister Eli Yishai, they will also look into the Tigray's
eligibility."
Yael Branovsky contributed to the report
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