Speech #1020039122

It is with great pleasure that I rise to comment on the successful conclusion of the emergency airlift of 14.600 Ethiopian Jews to Israel over this past weekend. I have long been aware of the special plight of the Ethiopian Jews and as a member of the Congressional Caucus on Ethiopian Jewry. I have strongly supported efforts to secure their right to emigrate from Ethiopia to Israel. I am extremely heartened to see this goal realized. Forturately today the Appropriations Foreign Operations Subcommittee of which I am a member. approved $80 million to assist Israel In resettling refugees. an Increase of $35 million from last year. For those of us In Congress who have worked to free Jewry around the globe these developments are deeply rewarding. The struggle to complete the safe evacuation of Ethiopian Jews to Israel has been a long and arduous one. It was In 1973 that the Israeli government traced the history of the Ethiopian Jews to biblical times and sanctioned their right to immigrate to Israel. In 1984 Israel completed a secret airlift of 16.000 Ethiopian Jews and approximately 8.000 others were brought to Israel during the past 2 years. When the Ethiopian government barred any further departures for political reasons. thousands remained. Fortunately. this past weekend the Ethiopian government allowed those who remained to emigrate to Israel. The subsequent evacuation was a remarkable logistical achievement. Approximately 35 civilian and military airplanes airlifted 14.500 Ethiopians over 1.500 miles in just under 36 hours. I should like to congratulate the Israeli government on this accomplishment. I also wish to take this opportunity to command President Bush for his personal Intervention in securing the right of Ethiopian Jews to emigrate to Israel. I know the President has long been concerned with this issue and his last minute communications to the government of Ethiopia proved invaluable in achieving the necessary conditions for the emergency airlift to occur. In closing. for those Ethiopian Jews who have newly arrived in Israel I commend them for their perseverance and I wish them a successful and complete life In their new homeland.