Background

Ethiopian Jews have maintained a close link to their Jewish identities and traditions and have yearned to return to Jerusalem since ancient times. In the twentieth century their dreams of returning to their ancestral homeland were realized.

Here is a short history of the Ethiopian Jews:

1414‑1429 The Emperor of Ethiopia, Isaac, threatens the Jews to either convert to Christianity or to have their property rights taken from them. The Jews refuse to give in to the threats and their land is taken. They are then given the name 'Falasha' which means 'without land,' 'foreign.'
1552 Rabbi David Shlomo Ben Avi Zimra, the Chief Rabbi of Egypt, declares that according to traditional Jewish law, the Jews of "Beta Israel" are fully Jewish.
1855 Daniel Ben Hanina and his son Moshe, from "Beta Israel" are the first to visit Israel and meet with Rabbis in Jerusalem.
1862 Abba Mahari, religious leader of "Beta Israel" together with thousands of Ethiopian Jews start the long journey from Ethiopia to Jerusalem. The journey fails and many die on the way.
1864 Rabbi Azriel Hildesheimer, the Rabbi of Eisenstadt, Germany, declares that the Jews of "Beta Israel" are fully Jewish and calls for the rescue of Ethiopian Jewry.
1867‑1868 Joseph Halevy is sent to Ethiopia in partnership with the 'Alliance Israelite Universelle' to verify the existence of the Jewish community in Ethiopia. Halevy discovers the Jewish community of "Beta Israel" and proclaims it as a true Jewish community.
1904 Jacques Faitlovitch, a historian and student of Joseph Halevy, visits Ethiopia and strengthens the connection between "Beta Israel" and the rest of world Jewry.
1913 A Jewish school is established with the help of Dr. Faitlovitch in Dembia in the area of Gondar.
1923 The first Jewish school in Addis Abba is established with the help of Dr. Faitlovitch. Emanual Tamarat from "Beta Israel" is chosen to be the director of the school.
1936‑1941 The Italian army conquers Ethiopia. The Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie is exiled and Jewish activity in the country is stopped. However, Ethiopian Jewry continues to survive, and Ethiopian Jews continue practicing their religion.
1941‑1974 The Emperor Haile Selassie returns to Ethiopia. He develops diplomatic relations with Israel and the situation of Ethiopian Jewry improves.
1954 The President Yitzchak Ben Zvi becomes interested in the subject of the Ten Tribes and asks the Emperor Haile Selassie to allow a few young Ethiopian Jews to visit Israel in order to strengthen their connection to Judaism.
1955‑1956 Two groups of young Jews from "Beta Israel" totaling 27, arrive to Israel from Ethiopia to study Hebrew and other subjects in Judaism in Kfar Batya. Their goal is to return to Ethiopia and teach other community members Hebrew and Jewish subjects.
1956 The first Jewish boarding school is established in the village of Ausba in the Gondor region with the initiative of Dr. Faitlovitch. The boarding school is designated to children of "Beta Israel" from the surrounding regions. The director of the school is Yona Bugala.
1966‑1974 Young Ethiopian Jews infiltrate undercover into Israel on boats from Ethiopia which are carrying meat to Israel. The majority are expelled by the Ministry of the Interior once they arrive at the harbor of Eilat. There were approximately 50 Ethiopian Jews living in Israel in 1974.
1973 Ethiopia ceases diplomatic ties with Israel following the decision of the African Union to sever all relations with Israel. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, Israel's Chief Sephardic Rabbi, rules that Ethiopian Jews are indeed Jewish and that "The Law of Return" to Israel applies to them.
1974 Emperor Haile Selassie, ruler of Ethiopia since 1930, is overthrown in a coup headed by Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam. Mengistu Haile Mariam begins ruling Ethiopia and establishes a dictatorship. Members of the Ethiopian Jewish community living in Israel form the Association of Ethiopian Jews and start pressuring the Israeli government to help the immigration of Ethiopian Jews to Israel. There are now 150 Ethiopian Jews living in Israel. Operation "Chor": Seven Ethiopian Jews arrive to Israel as "craters" workers, the matter is exposed and those who were waiting to make Aliyah to Israel are caught and tortured by the Ethiopian government.
1975 The Israeli government decides that the "Law of Return" also applies to Ethiopian Jews.
1977 The present Prime Minister of Israel, Menachem Begin declares to the Head of the Mossad "Bring me the Jews of Ethiopia." Dave Kimche, Head of Special Operations of the Mossad, and Daniel, a Mossad agent, land in Addis Ababa and make a deal with Mengistu: arms in exchange for the Ethiopian Jews. The first group of Ethiopian Jews immigrates to Israel in August 1977. The second group arrives in December of 1977 through Nairobi. 120 Ethiopian Jews have left Ethiopia to Israel this year.
1978 In February, while being interviewed by a journalist, Moshe Dayan, The Minister of Foreign Affairs, announces that Israel supplied Ethiopia with arms in exchange for Jews; as a result, Mengistu closes his borders.
1979‑1990 The start of Aliyah of Ethiopian Jews through Sudan 1979 - 12.1.79 Daniel the Mossad agent meets with Parda Aklom Bachartom, and together they start organizing the journey of Ethiopian Jews to Israel through Sudan. 32 young Jews cross the Ethiopian border to Sudan and with the help of the Mossad arrive to Israel. They write to their families in Ethiopia thus starting the journey of Ethiopian Jews to Sudan.
1984‑1985 Operation Moses – According to a silent agreement between the President of Sudan Nimeiri and the Government of Israel, money is given in exchange for Ethiopian Jews in Sudan, who are flown to Israel from Khartoum. Approximately 6000 Ethiopian Jews arrive in Israel on 23 secret flights flying through Europe. Upon permission from Peres, the Senior Chief of the Jewish Agency informs a journalist during an interview about Operation Moshe. The Arab world is outraged and the operation is stopped.
1985 In March 1985, A few months after Operation Moshe, during Operation Queen of Sheba, 500 Ethiopian Jews land in a field in southern Israel in a Hercules plane from the United States of America.
1985‑1990 The flow of Ethiopian Jews coming to Israel through Sudan is renewed. 2000 immigrants arrive to Israel through rescue missions by the Mossad either by sea or by air. During the time span of 10 years, the Mossad helps with the immigration of close to 17,000 Ethiopian Jews through Sudan, not including those who came with Operation Solomon.
1989 Renewal of diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and Israel, an Israeli embassy opens in Addis Ababa and Ethiopian Jews start arriving to Addis Ababa from surrounding villages.
1991 Operation Solomon– 25-26.5.91 Within 36 hours, an unprecedented Aliyah operation takes place and 14,500 members of “Beta Israel” are brought to Israel from Addis Ababa. Mengistu is overthrown and the Federal Republic of Ethiopia is established. Over 1991/1992, around 34,000 Ethiopian Jews arrive in Israel.
2003 Ethiopia blocks a plan by Israel to move the Falasha Mura to Israel.
2004 Following a visit by Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, Israel says it plans to start moving the remaining 20,000 Ethiopians of Jewish origin to Israel.
2005 Prime Minister Ariel Sharon approves the decision to allow 700 Falasha Mura a month to fly to Israel.
2005 About 1,000 members of the Falasha Mura group begin a three-day hunger-strike in Addis Ababa to complain of delays in their promised transfer to Israel. -- Ethiopia agrees to step up immigration to a monthly 600 people to Israel, double the previous number.
2007 The Jewish Agency says that up to the end of 2008 about 6,300 Ethiopians will immigrate.
2011 Israel has said that there are now 125,500 Israelis of Ethiopian descent.