An ugly political spat erupted on Wednesday between Blue and White and the Likud over the scheduled welcoming ceremony for 300 Ethiopian immigrants , and the event was canceled by Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata. According to sources in Tamano-Shata’s office, Transportation Minister Miri Regev demanded that the attorney-general bar Blue and White leader Benny Gantz from attending the ceremony, and Gantz announced that he would not participate. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then decided that he would attend, the sources said, and this led Tamano-Shata to cancel the festive welcoming ceremony. Both the Likud and Blue and White are vying strongly for the community’s vote, a contest that appears to be the cause of Wednesday’s quarrel. Activists for the Falash Mura community have strongly criticized Netanyahu, however, for failing to fulfill that promise, as several thousand community members are still waiting in Addis Ababa and Gondar to come to Israel.

Source: Ethiopian News March 10, 2021 07:57 UTC