Israel's government on Sunday approved the immigration of several thousand Jews from war-torn Ethiopia, some of whom have waited for decades to join their relatives in Israel.
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The decision took a step toward resolving an issue that has long complicated the government's relations with the country's Ethiopian community.
Some 140,000 Ethiopian Jews live in Israel. Community leaders estimate that roughly 6,000 others remain behind in Ethiopia.
Although the families are of Jewish descent and many are practicing Jews, Israel does not consider them Jewish under religious law. Instead, they have been fighting to enter the country under a family-unification program that requires special government approval.
Community activists have accused the government of dragging its feet in implementing a 2015 decision to bring all remaining Ethiopians of Jewish lineage to Israel within five years.
Under Sunday's decision, an estimated 3,000 people will be eligible to move to Israel. They include parents, children, and siblings of relatives already in Israel, as well as orphans whose parents were in Israel when they died.
"Today we are correcting an ongoing injustice," Aliyah and Integration Pnina Tamano-Shata said, adding that the program was a response to people who have waited "too many years to come to Israel with their families" and to resolve a "painful issue."
In a joint statement with the Interior Ministry, Tamano-Shata said the decision came in part as a response to the precarious security situation in Ethiopia, where tens of thousands of people have been killed over the past year in fighting between the government and Tigray forces.
It was not immediately clear when the airlift would begin. The government appointed a special project coordinator to oversee the effort.
Kasaw Shiferaw, chairman of the group Activists for the Immigration of Ethiopian Jews, welcomed Sunday's decision but said there was still a long way to go.
"On one hand, this decision makes me happy. Three thousand people are realizing a dream and uniting with their families," he said. "But it's not a final resolution. Thousands are still waiting in camps, some for more than 25 years. We expect the government to bring all of them.
The Jewish Agency, Jewish Federations of North America, and Keren Hayesod applaud the decision, with the Jewish Agency said it would begin the necessary preparation to facilitate the new immigrants' aliyah.
"We applaud Minister of Aliyah and Integration Pnina Tamano-Shata for her tireless efforts to continue aliyah from Ethiopia, together with the Jewish Agency and the Interior Ministry, led by Minister Ayelet Shaked," said Yaakov Hagoel, acting chairman of the Jewish Agency .
"This government decision will put an end to the suffering of many families who will finally be reunited after years of waiting to make aliyah."
Mark Wilf, head of the Jewish Federations of North America, said: "From the inception of Operations Moses and Solomon over three decades ago, Jewish Federations have played a central role in mobilizing support and resources to bring Ethiopian Jews home to Israel and help them integrate into Israeli society. Today's announcement is an exciting and important step to reunite families and strengthen the Jewish people."
Keren Hayesod's Chairman Steven Lowy Am said: "Keren Hayesod and our 60 campaigns around the world stand united with our strategic partners, The Jewish Agency for Israel, the government of Israel and the Jewish Federations of North America in working to bring thousands of Ethiopian Jews home to Israel, thanks to the Government's recent decision in which we applaud.
"We will work to ensure the safety of their Aliyah as well as their absorption in Israel. We will continue to make it a priority to safeguard the wellbeing and successful integration of olim into Israeli society."
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