The government decided Sunday to let thousands of Ethiopians with first-degree relatives in Israel to make aliyah, amid concerns for their safety due to the ongoing civil war in the East African country.

According to the government's decision, based on a 2015 decision that was never fully implemented, officials will begin examining the eligibility of those waiting in transit camps in Ethiopia. A committee will also be established to accelerate the review process for other applicants waiting to be evacuated.

Most of them have been waiting to be allowed into Israel for years. The decision stipulates that the process be completed "within weeks."

A joint statement by Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata and Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked said that following "intense discussions," an agreement was reached to immediately evacuate those with first-degree relatives in Israel.

Ethiopian-born Minister Tamano-Shata, a vocal proponent of airlifting more Ethiopian Jews to Israel, said that the government is "correcting an ongoing injustice against those whose entry to Israel was approved back in 2015 but not implemented by previous governments."

source:
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-ethiopians-waiting-to-reunite-with-family-to-be-allowed-into-israel-within-weeks-1.10421716