The Law of Return and the Law on Citizenship
The Law of Return and the Law on Citizenship
as expressions of the Jewish and Democratic nature of the State of Israel
Law of Return: Backgrounder
Israel Yearbook and Almanac 1994
Falas Mura: Still Waiting
Ethiopian Jewry has won the fight to be recognized as Jews for aliya purposes.
But the Falas Mura, Ethiopian Jewish converts to Christianity, have not. The
Ethiopian community in Israel remains divided as to whether they should be admitted.
Under heavy pressure from olim with family members categorized as Falas Mura
and denied permission to make aliya, in February the Government approved the
recommendation of an interministerial committee that the Falas Mura be permitted
to immigrate on an individual basis under the Law of Entry, on the grounds of
family reunification, and not under the Law of Return. On Aug. 9, a first group
of 16 Falas Mura arrived in Israel under the family reunification plan. More
have come since then, but thousands remain in Ethiopian.
[...]
In January 1996, the Knesset Absorption Committee recommended that the Government
encourage relevant organizations to bring them back to Judaism and then allow
them to immigrate. The problem is that some of them reject the assertion that
they are Christians and are offended by demands that they convert. Another,
more difficult obstacle, is that the Ethiopian government does consider them
Christians and deported several persons in 1993 for teaching the Falas Mura
about Judaism.
Israel Yearbook and Almanac 1995
The Falas Mura
The battle over the Falas Mura, the Ethiopian Jews who have converted to Christianity
and were left behind by the mass aliya of Beta Israel, also continued. [...]
The Pedagogic Center
Director: Dr. Motti Friedman
Web site manager: Esther Carciente, esthers@jajz-ed.org.il.
Updated: 20/12/98