Protests over Falash Mura continue in India

Nearly 9000 Falash Mura members were promised by the Israeli government that they would be allowed to immigrant into the country back in 2005.  They are currently in Ethiopia and protestors are arguing that the government should stick to its word and let them into Israel.

One protestor named Taish Tafaka has been living in Israel for the last few years but the rest of her family including her father and some of her siblings are in Ethiopia fighting to be reunited with Tafaka.  "Why are they separating us?  We are in contact by telephone and it is very hard on them. They don't have food and we send them money; giving what we can." said Tafaka.

 Tafaka added that "We go to the Interior Ministry every day and ask them to bring them here; we don't understand why it isn't happening. I am a Jew, so my mom is a Jew, why are they separating us?"

An official for the Prime Minister's office said that "There is no commitment to a specific number of Falash Mura members that will immigrate to Israel, but there will not be one Ethiopian Jew who has the right to immigrate to Israel based on the Law of Return, who won't immigrate."

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert received a letter written by Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar.  In the letter, Rabbi Amar said "I was sorry to hear that the Jewish identity of our Ethiopian brothers called Falash Mura is being doubted again...it is a hugely good deed to bring them to the land of Israel as Jews and save them from complete physical and emotional impurity... it is a huge honor for the nation of Israel and for the entire Israeli government."

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