Ethiopian Jews appeal to Israel
By Simegnish Yekoye
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia- Ethiopians who claim to be of Jew descent known as Falasha Mura, appealed to Israeli Embassy in Addis Ababa on Tuesday to be reinstated to their motherland Israel.
There are more than 8,000 Ethiopian Jewish community members living in northern Ethiopia in Gondar who claim to have been forced to convert to Christianity centuries ago.
Sisay Birhanu, leader of local Jewish community tells SSI that around 1,000 Ethiopian Jews live in Addis Ababa leading a life of poverty, suffering from malnutrition, TB, and other diseases.
“More than 300 members have died in less than a year,” said Sisay while waiting for the Israeli embassy to allow them to repatriate to Israel. Most Felasha Muras had lived in Addis Ababa for more than 15 years waiting for a response from Israel.
“Israel’s parliament has made a decision for our reception to Israel. But we don’t know the reason why the embassy in Addis Ababa failed to execute,” Sisay said.
Mareye Sasalegn Bogalle is one of the members of Felasha community who lived in Addis Ababa for the past 14 years. She says that even though her parents are living in Israel, she hasn’t been able to join them for reasons unknown to her.
“My parents together with my younger sister live in Israel. I don’t know why they don’t allow the rest of us to unite with our families,” Mareye questioned.
“My uncle died of frustration waiting for the Israeli embassy’s response.”
Tirunesh Demoze is also another Felasha who lived in the capital city for the last 15 years waiting for her turn to go to Israel. She says she lost her mother a month ago and now she is giving up hope too. “I have a brother in Israel. I lived here with my mother from begging and working as a day labourer to get food. We are simply suffering because the embassy denied us any response.”
Community leader Sisay says the embassy has asked them to fill forms three times yet to no avail. “We fall under threat of death from disease and hunger, after the organization that used to help us has come to dissolution.” he warned.
Birhanu Adugna, chairman of Ethiopian community living in Israel came to visit the community living in Addis Ababa and Gondar that are awaiting their return to Israel. He says Ethiopian Jews living in Israel are living a good life and need to take the rest of their families living in Ethiopia.
“We are living a much better life in Israel, facing basic problem no more. We only pray to have our families unite with our community there,” Birhanu says.
Israel organized the first airlift which was known as operation Moses in 1984 where about 15,000 Falasha Muras were repatriated to Israel. Israel promised to take the rest of the Falasha Muras on the next phase, which was met with delays. The community had held a hunger strike in Addis Ababa five years ago protesting the delay. Most of Falasha Muras residing in Ethiopia have relatives in Israel and regard immigration to Israel as the only option to their way out of poverty.