Avraham Neguise
Avraham NeguiseMiriam Alster/FLASH90

MK Avraham Neguise (Likud), chairman of the Aliyah (Immigration) and Absorption Committee, wonders why, despite the fact that the Israeli government approved the transfer of the remaining Ethiopian Jews to Israel, it did not include the issue in the state budget for 2019.

"The situation of Ethiopian Jews is very worrisome. Ethiopia has a difficult security situation today and the families in Israel are very concerned about their loved ones," Neguise said in an interview with Arutz Sheva.

According to Neguise, it cannot be that the Israeli government approves the immigration of Ethiopian Jews but ignores the decision when approving the budget. "The government of Israel unanimously decided to bring our brothers in Addis Ababa and Gondar within five years. By 2017, 1,300 of them had immigrated, and now they were to have to have continued to do so."


"There are 7,691 people in Gondar and Addis today, of whom eighty percent have close family in Israel. This is discriminatory policy; We have not seen similar treatment to immigrants from Russia, France or the United States. Only Ethiopian Jews," Neguise says.

He hopes that solving the issue will not have to involve threats not to pass the budget. "We are continuing with pressures and with parliamentary activity. The community will not let go of this issue, and we hope that the government will approve the issue in the budget and will include the continued immigration of Ethiopian Jews in 2019. These are our brothers," he said.