WORLD IN BRIEF : ETHIOPIA : Airlift of Black Jews to Israel Authorized

Ethiopia’s new government agreed to let Israel fly out 2,600 black Jews left behind after an emergency airlift to the Jewish state in May. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said the first 600 black Jews will be brought to Israel in time for the Sept. 9 Jewish New Year. The rest are expected to arrive within three months. The exodus would be made on commercial flights, probably Ethiopian Airways, an Israeli Foreign Ministry official said. In the May airlift, Israel flew more than 14,000 Jews to Tel Aviv in a 22-hour-long operation code-named Solomon. Israel feared for the Jews’ safety as rebels crushed the remnants of Marxist leader Mengistu Haile Mariam’s regime. About 34,000 black Jews from Ethiopia now live in Israel.