December 20, 2007
Ethiopian advocates push for 8,500 more olim
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With just 1,500 to 2,000 petitioners remaining that are recognized by the Interior Ministry, the aliyah is slated to end by late 2008.Thereafter, any Ethiopian who wants to immigrate to Israel will have to demonstrate ties to Jewish kin by the same standards as would-be immigrants the world over, and will not receive the same generous aliyah-aid package the Israeli government currently provides the Falash Mura.
"The operation is winding down based on the number of individuals who have been approved by the Interior Ministry," said Michael Jankelowitz, a spokesman for the Jewish Agency. "By the end of 2008, the current operation will have been completed."
Whether there will be any subsequent operations to extend mass Ethiopian aliyah will depend largely on whether the advocacy groups succeed in their current campaign to have 8,500 more people recognized as legitimate petitioners.
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