Aliyah and Absorption Minister Ofir Sofer says there is no extraction mission being planned out of Ethiopia’s Gondar for locals who say they have Jewish roots. Ethiopia has thousands of people who say they have Jewish roots but are not eligible to immigrate under that law. That group, known as Falasha, is descended from Ethiopian Jews who converted to Christianity under duress in the 19th century. In 1992, Beta Israel Ethiopians living in Israel began lobbying for their Falasha relatives who had stayed behind to be allowed to immigrate. In a statement about Sofer’s meeting, his office sidesteps the issue by referring only to immigration under the Law of Return.

Source: Ethiopian News August 14, 2023 15:09 UTC