Netanyahu: Israel to airlift 2,000 Ethiopian Jews - i24NEWS and ILH Staff

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by i24NEWS and ILH Staff

The move "symbolizes the special relationship between the two peoples," Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed says.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed on Friday, apprising him of Jerusalem's plans of airlifting 2,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel.

"I updated Prime Minister Abiy that I intend to immediately bring some 2,000 people from Addis Ababa and Gondar, as part of our commitment to continuing the Aliyah of Jews to Israel," Netanyahu tweeted.

Netanyahu said Abiy replied that the move was to go ahead without impediment and that it "symbolizes the special relationship between the peoples."

"Ethiopian PM Ahmed congratulated PM Netanyahu on the historic peace agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain and said that PM Netanyahu had led a historic move, the magnitude and full positive ramifications of which will only be understood by future generations," a statement posted to the Israeli leader's Twitter account said.

Over the years, Netanyahu has pledged to bring to Israel the remainder of Ethiopia's Jewish community. Most of the 13,000 Ethiopian Jews still residing in the African country wish to move to Israel, which they call home. Many have relatives in the Jewish state.

Israel is home to over 145,000 Jews of Ethiopian descent, the majority of whom immigrated to Israel in the 1980s and 1990s.

This article was first published by i24NEWS.


i24NEWS and ILH Staff

Source: https://www.israelhayom.com/2020/10/11/netanyahu-israel-to-airlift-2000-ethiopian-jews/

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