The High Court of Justice ordered a freeze on Wednesday on plans to bring thousands of Ethiopian Falash Mura to Israel as it reviews a petition against the move. The petition by the Israeli Immigration Policy Center asserts that members of the community are not Jews and thus do not qualify to immigrate. Some 30,000 of them have immigrated to Israel since 1997, according to the Prime Minister’s Office. The decision came amid rising calls from leaders and members of Israel’s Ethiopian community to swiftly bring over those still waiting to emigrate as a civil war in the country heats up. There are thought to be 7,000 to 12,000 Ethiopian community members still waiting to come to Israel, many of whom live in the Tigray region, at the heart of the conflict.

Source: Ethiopian News February 03, 2022 01:20 UTC