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Nearly 300 Ethiopians arrive as new ‘olim’ on final flight of ‘Operation Tzur Israel’

Among those making aliyah are 893 children, 70 babies, 250 young adults, and 35 individuals age 70 years or older.

Ethiopian immigrants arrive at Ben-Gurion International Airport on the final flight of “Operation Tzur Israel” on March 11, 2021. Photo by Olivier Fitoussi.
Ethiopian immigrants arrive at Ben-Gurion International Airport on the final flight of “Operation Tzur Israel” on March 11, 2021. Photo by Olivier Fitoussi.

Nearly 300 new immigrants from Ethiopia landed on Thursday at Ben-Gurion International Airport on the ninth and final flight of “Operation Tzur Israel” (“Operation Rock of Israel”), launched last December after the Israeli government approved the aliyah of 2,000 members from the Ethiopian community.

Among those who arrived are 893 children; 70 babies less than a year old; 250 young adults ages 18 to 24, who will soon enter the Israel Defense Forces; and 35 individuals age 70 years or older.

The Ministry of Aliyah and Integration and the Jewish Agency of Israel helped settle the olim in absorption centers throughout the country, where they will receive support and guidance in all areas of life, from learning Hebrew to entering the workforce and the Israeli education system.

They will join the 1,700 other Ethiopians who have already arrived as part of “Operation Tzur Israel,” which was led by Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata and Jewish Agency for Israel chairman Isaac Herzog.

The immigrants will enter quarantine in accordance with Israel’s coronavirus regulations.

The New York City mayor said that he is “grateful that Leqaa has been released this evening from ICE custody after more than a year in detention for speaking up for Palestinian rights.”
“I hope all the folks from Temple Israel know that we’re praying for them,” the U.S. vice president said. “We’re thinking about them.”
The co-author of the K-12 law told JNS that “this attempt to undermine crucial safety protections for Jewish children at a time when antisemitic hate and violence is rampant and rising is breathtaking.”
The measure has drawn opposition from civil-liberties groups, including the state’s ACLU.

Israel Airports Authority confirmed that the planes were empty and no injuries were reported.

The victims suffered light blast wounds and were listed in good condition at Beilinson Hospital.