Beta Israel

The Beta Israel, or Ethiopian Jews, are a Jewish group originating in the Amhara and Tigray regions of northern Ethiopia, where they were historically spread out across more than 500 small villages. The majority were concentrated in what is today North Gondar Zone, Shire Inda Selassie, Wolqayit, Tselemti, Dembia, Segelt, Quara, and Belesa.

The community suffered extensive destruction in the 19th century due to the Mahdist War, as well as persecution by the Ethiopian Empire. In response to these pressures, and influenced by the efforts of Protestant and Messianic Jewish missionaries, a portion of the community converted to Christianity. These converts became known as the Falash Mura. The larger Christian Beta Abraham community is considered a crypto-Judaic branch of the Beta Israel community.

A large wave of Aliyah from Ethiopia starting in the 1980s brought most Beta Israel to Israel, and several Israeli government initiatives have facilitated their emigration. The Beta Israel community was classed under the 1950 Law of Return by Yitzhak Rabin following halakhic and legal debates over their status. Thus, the Israeli government, with support from the United States, began a series of secret airlift operations to bring the Beta Israel to Israel, including Operation Moses (1984), Operation Joshua (1985), and Operation Solomon (1991). The majority of Beta Israel now live in Israel. By the end of 2023, approximately 171,600 Jews of Ethiopian descent were living in Israel, including around 93,600 born in Ethiopia and 78,000 born in Israel to Ethiopian-born parents.