Activist demostrated against a recent government decision to restrict Ethiopian immigration on Sunday, marching from the capital’s International Convention Center to the Prime Minister’s Office where they held a protest.
At issue is the government’s announcement earlier this month that it will limit the number of Ethiopians entering the country this year despite previously committing to bring over thousands of Falashamura remaining in transit camps in Gondar and Addis Ababa as expeditiously as possible.
Around fifteen hundred citizens of Ethiopian origin protested during this week’s cabinet meeting, decrying “racism” and “discrimination between Jews and Jews,” according to Hebrew media.
“Mr. Prime Minister, if your son wants to come to the state of Israel would you say you have no budget,” one protester told Army Radio, referring to the government position that there is currently not enough of a budget to allow the immigration of more than 500 people this year.
Last November the cabinet unanimously approved an Interior Ministry proposal to resume aliya from Ethiopia, which was suspended in 2013.
Around 9,000 people have been waiting in Addis Ababa and Gondar transit camps for the past several years in the hopes of making their way to the Jewish state. However, Jerusalem closed its doors in 2013 following a ceremony at Ben-Gurion Airport at which officials declared the “end” of Ethiopian aliya.