-->ClickPosted on 01/08/2004 10:09:45 AM PST by freedom44
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (Reuters) - Israel said Thursday it would start moving the last remaining Ethiopian Jews to Israel next week, completing the resettlement of a community that traces its roots to the bible's King Solomon and Queen of Sheba.
But the Ethiopian government warned it would not permit the departures this time to take the form of the mass airlifts of the Ethiopian Jews, or Falasha Mura, staged by Israel during times of crisis in Ethiopia in 1984 and 1991.
"We would like to bring all Falashas to Israel beginning next week. We believe they should live in Israel," Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom told reporters.
There are at least 18,000 Jews in Ethiopia, most of whom are thought to be keen to emigrate to Israel to escape poverty.
Shalom toured the northern region of Gondar Wednesday, the home region of the Ethiopian Jews, and held talks with members of the community.
Many of Ethiopia's Jews were forced to convert to Christianity in the 19th century and now wish to assert their Jewishness and emigrate to Israel. In Ethiopia they live primarily in poor villages where they are subsistence farmers, with a close-knit social structure and family life.
An estimated 80,000 Ethiopian Jews live in Israel. About 8,000 were airlifted to Israel in 1984, fleeing hunger and political turmoil, and some 15,000 were flown to Israel in 1991 at the end of Ethiopia's civil war.
Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin, speaking alongside Shalom, said that while Ethiopian Jews had the right to go anywhere in the world, the Ethiopian government would not want the departures this time to take the form of a mass exodus.
"The Ethiopian government has no objection for the Ethiopian Jews to travel to Israel," Seyoum said. "(But) in today's Ethiopia, there is no need for an organized intervention as in the 1980s and 1990s."
Since 1991, few Ethiopian Jews have left the country except relatives of those who have already emigrated.
In February 2003 Ethiopia blocked a plan by Israel to move the Falasha Mura to Israel, arguing that a mass migration was unnecessary when everyone was free to leave Ethiopia in the normal way.
Shalom said Israel hoped to strengthen its historical ties with Ethiopia, a key exporter of Arabica coffee and leather products, through economic and trade cooperation.
He said some 20 Israeli business community leaders accompanying him on the trip were seeking to invest in the field of telecommunications and agriculture.
Trade between the two countries is currently skewed in favor of Ethiopia, which exported goods worth $15 million to Israel in 2003, versus imports of $9.6 million from Israel.
"The Ethiopian government has no objection for the Ethiopian Jews to travel to Israel," Seyoum said. "(But) in today's Ethiopia, there is no need for an organized intervention as in the 1980s and 1990s."
And this means what?
-->Click
WARNING: This is a high volume ping list
Let's disucss apartheid in the Middle East, shall we? There were 900,000 Jews in the Arab world in 1948. Today there are fewer than 8,000. Israel has an Arab minority which totals almost 20% of the population. The Palestinians insist the land they claim must be Judenrein.
Many Ethiopian Jews were killed during that nation's civil war. As Jews they were deemed untrustworthy by both sides. The reason for the massive airlift was because the Felash Mura were being killed by the thousands in what was basically an attempt at genocide. The same people who killed Jews then run the Ethiopian government now. Prime Minister Sharon needs to make sure the government does everything and anything it can to bring the rest of the Felash Mura safely to Israel.
Good point. :)
This is patently untrue. There was any force used.
If anything these people are seeking economic advantage in emigrating to Israel.
I think this means that Ethiopia is trying to improve its image in the world, and mass airlifts might give people the impression that Ethiopa still has many problems.
Ethiopia probably just thinks since they can freely fly to Israel commercial, there is no need for what may look like "emergency air lifts".
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