It's not quite Moses' 40 years in the desert, but for nine struggling Venezuelan converts to Judaism, their tortuous journey to a better life in the promised land finally brought them to Israel on Thursday. But the Venezuelan converts were denied entry late last year over concerns they weren't involved enough with Venezuela's Jewish community and were looking to take advantage of Israel's immigration policies to flee the troubled South American nation. But after a stormy parliamentary committee hearing in Israel, immigration officials said the nine could come. Members of Venezuela's aging Jewish community have been fleeing to places like Miami and Panama for years. But he said ultimately it is Israel's mission as a Jewish state to provide refuge for Jews in danger — including converts.

Source: ABC News March 23, 2017 04:52 UTC