Immigration9/7/2026

146 Family Applications for Aliyah Are Being Reviewed in Ethiopia

At a meeting of the Knesset Committee for Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs, it was reported that 146 applications from Ethiopian families for aliyah under the Law of Return are being reviewed. Of these, 21 applications have already been approved, one was rejected, and the remaining applications are still under review or interviews have not yet been conducted.

Key facts

•146 family applications are under review
•21 applications were approved and one was rejected
•Interviews could not be conducted with 23 families
•The legal basis is the Law of Return
•Israel’s position that no one in Ethiopia is eligible for aliyah has been in effect since 2013
•The source was last updated on September 7, 2026

What Happened

A delegation from the Population and Immigration Authority and the Jewish Agency traveled to Ethiopia in July to examine the families’ applications. Interviews were conducted only in Addis Ababa because of the complex security situation in Gondar and Tigray, as well as the desire not to draw attention to the delegation’s work. The Jewish Agency assisted applicants from these areas with flights and accommodation.

Review Results

Michal Yosefibov, a representative of the Population and Immigration Authority, told the committee that 21 applications had been approved and one rejected. Other cases are undergoing various checks, including genetic testing. It was not possible to contact 23 of the 146 families, so no interviews were conducted with them; the source does not provide a final outcome for all the applications.

Why It Matters

In 2013, Israel announced that no Jews eligible for aliyah under the Law of Return remained in Ethiopia, after which the Jewish Agency ceased its relevant activities there. In subsequent years, aliyah from Ethiopia took place mainly through family reunification. The new data indicate that there may still be people in the country who meet the criteria established by Israel in the Law of Return.

Handling the Applications

Following demands by the committee and Knesset members, the allocation of ten positions for employees tasked with handling inquiries from Ethiopian families was approved. In practice, however, there are eight positions, and a location for the unit’s work has not yet been found. Committee Chair Gilad Kariv demanded that the “Ethiopian Department” be staffed as soon as possible and established no later than the period following the Sukkot holiday.

What this means for you

For families from Ethiopia and their relatives in Israel, this means that the possibility of aliyah under the Law of Return is being examined individually, despite the general position announced by the state in 2013. However, the review may include interviews and additional procedures, and the article does not make clear when the handling of all the cases will be completed. The committee discussion itself still does not indicate a change in state policy or automatic recognition of the remaining applicants’ eligibility.

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