First wave (1934–1960) The first Ethiopian Jews who settled in
Israel in modern times came in 1934 along with the
Yemenite Jews from
Italian Eritrea.
Second wave: (1961–1975) Between 1963 and 1975, a relatively small group of Beta Israel moved to Israel. They were mainly men who had come to Israel on a tourist visa, and then remained in the country. In 1973, Israel's Sephardi Chief Rabbi
Ovadia Yosef, cited a rabbinic ruling of the
Radbaz, Rabbi
Azriel Hildesheimer, and two former Ashkenazic chief rabbis of Israel,
Abraham Isaac Kook and Isaac
Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog, declaring the Beta Yisrael Jews according to
Halachah. He said: "It is our duty to redeem them from assimilation, to hasten their immigration to Israel, to educate them in the spirit of our holy Torah and to make them partners in the building of our sacred land....I am certain that the government institutions and the Jewish Agency, as well as organizations in Israel and the Diaspora, will help us to the best of our ability in this holy task..., the
Mitzvah of redeeming the souls of our people...for everyone who saves one soul in Israel, it is as though he had saved the whole world. In 1974, Ashkenazi Rabbi
Shlomo Goren also ruled that the Ethiopian Jews are a part of the Jewish people and this had already been established by Chief Rabbi
Abraham Isaac Kook. In April 1975, the Israeli government of
Yitzhak Rabin officially accepted the Beta Israel as Jews for the purpose of the
Law of Return (which grants all Jews the right to immigrate to Israel). From 1975 onwards, the majority of the Ethiopian Jews made aliyah under the
1950 Law of Return. Several undercover rescue missions were organized by activists and Mossad agents to get them out of Ethiopia.
Third wave: (1975–1990) Operation Brothers •
November 1979 – 1983:
Aliyah activists and agents in Sudan, including
Ferede Aklum, urged the Beta Israel to come to Sudan where they would be taken to Israel via Europe. Jewish Ethiopian refugees from the
Ethiopian Civil War in the mid-1970s began to arrive at the refugee camps in Sudan. Most Beta Israel came from
Tigray, which was then controlled by the
TPLF, which often escorted them to the Sudanese border. Many chose to immigrate to Israel at this time to flee the civil war, the specter of famine during and after the war, and the hostility faced by Ethiopian Jews. In 1981, the
Jewish Defense League protested what it felt was "lack of action" in rescuing the Ethiopian Jews by taking over the main offices of HIAS in
Manhattan. •
1983 – March 28, 1985: This immigration wave was in part motivated by word of mouth reports. In 1983, the governor of
Gondar region, Major
Melaku Teferra, was ousted as governor and his successor removed restrictions on travel. Beta Israel began to arrive in large numbers and due to poor conditions in the camps, refugees began dying of disease and hunger. It is estimated that between 2,000 and 5,000 were Beta Israel. In late 1984, the Sudanese government, following the intervention of the United States, allowed 7,200 Beta Israel to leave for Europe. They immediately flew from there to Israel. The first of two operations during this period was
Operation Moses (original name: "The Lion of Judah's Cub"), which took place between November 20, 1984, and January 20, 1985, during which time 6,500 people immigrated to Israel. A few weeks later, the
U.S. Air Force evacuated the 494 Beta Israel refugees remaining in Sudan to Israel in
Operation Joshua. The second operation was mainly carried out due to the intervention and international pressure of the United States.
Falash Mura (1993–present) •
1993–present: From 1993 onwards, an irregular emigration began of
Falash Mura, which was and still is mainly subjected to political developments in Israel. These immigrants are required to convert from Christianity to Judaism. •
2018: In August 2018, the Netanyahu government vowed to bring in 1,000 Falasha Jews from Ethiopia. •
2019: In April 2019, an estimated 8,000 Falasha were waiting to leave Ethiopia. •
2020: On February 25, 2020, 43 Falasha arrived in Israel from Ethiopia. •
29 November 2020 - 12 July 2023:
Operation Tzur Israel (Rock of Israel). The operation was implemented in two phases with the goal of facilitating the immigration of 5,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel, most of whom had close relatives already living there. The first phase, which ran from 28 November 2020 until March 15, 2021, brought 2,000 Ethiopian immigrants to Israel. The second phase, which began on June 2, 2022, brought another 3,000 immigrants, and concluded on 12 July 2023. •
2021: • March 11: Operation Tzur Israel brings 300 Ethiopian Jews to Israel. • March 15: The first phase of the operation concludes, with 2,000 immigrants brought to Israel. • November 28: The Israeli government approves the resumption of immigration for the remainder of the community from Ethiopia. •
2022: • February 2: The Israeli Supreme Court issues an interim order halting the immigration of 3,000 Ethiopians with close relatives in Israel, while hearing an appeal alleging many of them had faked their claims of Jewish ancestry. • March 15: The Court lifts the interim order. • June 1: Second phase of operation begins with an airlift of 181 immigrants. •
2023: • July 12: Operation Tzur Israel concludes with a final flight of 130 immigrants. • As of April 2024, the president of the aid group Struggle to Save Ethiopian Jewry (SSEJ) estimated that some 13,000 people were still waiting. • In response to a ruling from the Sahedrin calling on all Jews in galat to go up to Israel ,a letter of 30 December 2024 from rement of Jews in Sudan and Ethiopia who have declared their willingness to go up to Israel •
2025: • Jewish Population in Ethiopia is 100 • As recently as September 2025, Israel approved plans for the immigration of an additional 2,000 Ethiopian Jews, bringing hope to some of the families still waiting. • September 2025 7,000 [estimated in Ethiopia] This figure was cited in a September 2025 op-ed in The Jerusalem Post, based on "official estimates". Another Jerusalem Post piece mentioned "roughly 7,000" waiting as of that month. • According to the World Jewish Congress website: "Aliya: Since 1948, 50,700 Ethiopian Jews have emigrated to Israel" == Integration and socioeconomic status ==