February 17, 2003	Monday	Zul Hijjah 15, 1423

AL QUDS, Feb 16: The Israeli cabinet approved on Sunday a plan to bring to Israel 20,000 “Falashmura” — Ethiopians who say they are Jewish even though their ancestors had been forced to convert to Christianity.

The Israeli Ha’aretz daily commented that the plan represents a turnaround in Israeli policy, which since 1998 foresaw only a gradual entry of Ethiopian Jews to Israel. The plan was proposed by Interior Minister Eli Yishai, of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, who insisted the decision not be postponed because of what he said was the danger and difficult conditions the Falashmura faced in Ethiopia.

According to their own tradition, Ethiopian Jews are descended from Jews who accompanied the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba to Ethiopia. Other sources say they adopted Judaism from Jews living in Egypt or southern Arabia.—dpa