Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, convened the Ministerial Committee on the Advancement and Integration of Israeli Citizens of Ethiopian Origin, where he promised to bring another 1,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel.
"This is the 11th meeting of this ministerial committee. At the previous meeting I promised to submit a recommendation regarding the Falash Mura and after consulting with MKs Amsalem and Neguise, I am pleased to inform you that I have decided that approximately 1,000 community members – whose children are already here – must be brought to Israel," Netanyahu said at the start of the meeting
"This is not a simple decision due to other ramifications that we have regarding members of the Ethiopian community; however, I am determined to do this and I add that this is in wake of 1,300 Falash Mura who have already come to Israel.
I asked [Interior Minister] Aryeh Deri, who is unable to be present at this meeting, to submit a draft Government decision. This is in continuation of the importance with which we have been handling this precious community, which is part of our people and part of our state."
Prime Minister Netanyahu referred to reports of discrimination in Kiryat Gat:
"Yesterday I heard an infuriating and racist remark against Ethiopian Jews in Kiryat Gat. We are not prepared to accept this; we reject this outright. We will discuss – at this meeting – measures to deal with this phenomenon. We are not prepared to accept racism against the Ethiopian Jewish community or against any other ingathering in Israel. We will discuss this at this meeting."