A Haven at Last
Israel did the right thing this week in deciding to double the pace of immigration from Ethiopia, where an estimated 20,000 members of the so-called Falash Mura community have been waiting for years to join their relatives in the Jewish state. Jerusalem’s foot-dragging on the issue has been a blot on Israel’s humanitarian and Zionist mission.
The Falash Mura are Ethiopian Jews who were converted to Christianity three generations ago but retained their identity as a distinct community. Since the dramatic airlift that brought most of Ethiopia’s ancient Jewish community to Israel in 1991, the Falash Mura have been clamoring to join their kin. Most claim that their families were forced to adopt Christianity a century ago and that they now wish to return to their ancentral faith. Israeli immigration authorities have viewed them with suspicion, fearing they were seeking to exploit Israel’s generosity merely to improve their economic lot.
To many of us, Jerusalem’s reserve has smacked uncomfortably of racism. Israel was founded as a haven for any Jews facing persecution. Its Law of Return promises an open door to all Jews and their families, down to and including grandchildren. At least one-fourth of the million-odd refugees taken in from the former Soviet Union in the last two decades are not Jewish by rabbinic standards. Many are practicing Christians. They were welcomed nonetheless as part of the Jewish family, as they should be. Our Ethiopian cousins deserve no less a welcome.
This week’s Israeli Cabinet decision effectively puts some teeth into a decision taken two years ago, under pressure from American Jewish activists, to accept the Falash Mura’s claim in principle and begin processing their applications on a case-by-case basis. The processing, creeping along at 300 a month, will double by the fall, after a series of procedural changes. Israel’s Treasury will now ensure funding for the newcomers’ absorption. In addition, the Jewish Agency, the international charity overseeing Israeli immigration, reportedly will take over control of the Ethiopian transit camps where the applicants now live, smoothing the process.
The new policy is a welcome one. Given the record, however, the Ethiopian community’s advocates would do well to stay vigilant and make sure the authorities do what they say they will.
The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.
This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Most Popular
- 1
Opinion The dangerous Nazi legend behind Trump’s ruthless grab for power
- 2
Opinion I first met Netanyahu in 1988. Here’s how he became the most destructive leader in Israel’s history.
- 3
Culture Did this Jewish literary titan have the right idea about Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling after all?
- 4
News Who is Alan Garber, the Jewish Harvard president who stood up to Trump over antisemitism?
In Case You Missed It
-
Fast Forward On his first trip to Auschwitz, New Jersey governor urges vigilance against rising antisemitism
-
Fast Forward Survivors of the Holocaust and Oct. 7 embrace at Auschwitz, marking annual March of the Living
-
Fast Forward Could changes at the FDA call the kosher status of milk into question? Many are asking.
-
Fast Forward Long Island synagogue cancels Ben-Gvir talk amid wide tensions over whether to host him
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism
Republish This Story
Please read before republishing
We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines.
You must comply with the following:
- Credit the Forward
- Retain our pixel
- Preserve our canonical link in Google search
- Add a noindex tag in Google search
See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs.
To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. Please email us at [email protected], subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up.