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The late Rav Ovadia Yosef, whose 1973 recognition of the Beta Israel as Jewish opened the door to their immigration, in 2002 declared that the Falash Mura had all converted out of fear and persecution and therefore should be considered Jewish. It didn’t help matters at all. At this point, with an endless supply of Falash Mura hanging at the immigration door in Addis Ababa, having uprooted themselves from their villages and sources of livelihood, it is estimated that the Ethiopian community in Israel, Jewish and non-Jewish is about 120,000. Israeli officials claim that many of the Falash Mura revert to their Christian faith as soon as they reach Israel, and that some of them are engaged in Missionizing among Ethiopian Jews.
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