“We see it as a central Zionist ideal to make reunions possible,” said activist Yael Eckstein.

The arrival of an Ethiopian Airways jetliner at Israel’s Ben-Gurion International Airport earlier this week set the scene for an emotional reunion between family members, some of whom who hadn’t seen their relatives in two decades.

The operation, spearheaded by Israel’s Minister of Immigrant Absorption Pnina Tamano-Shata, is designed to help the remaining community of Jews living in refugee camps in Gondar and Addis Ababa make their way back to Israel. So far, more than 5,000 people who have first-degree relatives already living in Israel have moved or are scheduled to move in the near future.

As reported by JNS
Image source: Avishag Shaar-Yashuv, IFCJ via JNS