'Gov't made contradictory decisions on Falash Mura'

Lindenstrauss says cabinet ignored list of almost 8,000 members of the community living in villages in Gondar province.

By DAN IZENBERG
falash mura 224 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski )
falash mura 224
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski )
The cabinet made conflicting decisions regarding the aliya of the Falash Mura in Ethiopia and ignored a list of almost 8,000 members of the community living in villages in Gondar province, the state comptroller charged on Tuesday. These findings are included in a report due to be released by State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss next week. Lindenstrauss was asked to prepare a report on the government's handling of the Falash Mura immigration by the former chairman of the State Control Committee, MK Zevulun Orlev (National Union-National Religious Party). According to Lindenstrauss, the government decided in 2003 to bring all eligible members of the community to Israel. To be eligible, the applicant had to be able to trace his maternal line back to a Jewish ancestor. Then, in 2005, the government decided to limit the number of Falash Mura olim to 26,000. It also allegedly ignored a High Court of Justice ruling to consider examining the eligibility of additional members of the Falash Mura community from the villages because it had not reached the quota of immigrants it had set for itself. The report will include a detailed list of the numbers of Falash Mura according to where they live and the way they have been processed, Lindenstrauss said. In the State Control Committee meeting that led to the decision to examine the issue, Avraham Ngosa, head of the South Wing to Zion organization, said the Interior Ministry had compiled three lists of Falash Mura who appeared to meet the criteria for aliya. One of the lists was for residents of Addis Ababa, one for those concentrated in Gondar city and a third for those dispersed in the villages. Ngosa charged that the government had refused to examine the eligibility of those living in the villages. All those in Addis Ababa and Gondar city have been processed and those found eligible for aliya have already been brought to Israel. The Jewish Agency has recalled its officials from Gondar and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is due to bring a resolution to the government declaring an end to the Falash Mura aliya program. But Falash Mura activists and their supporters are fighting against the pending decision. According to the statement issued by Lindenstrauss, during the investigation the State Comptroller's Office collected a great deal of information including many documents. Lindenstrauss said he questioned witnesses in Israel and Ethiopia including past and present ministers, MKs, heads of the Jewish Agency, retired Supreme Court president Meir Shamgar, who has been active on behalf of the Falash Mura, and representatives of Ethiopian organizations in Israel and Jewish organizations in the US.