Israel plans to airlift 3,000 Ethiopian Jews

The moves follow Sharon's call last week for an immediate airlift of the Kwara Jews.

The problem of these Jews, who were left behind in a remote Kwara region of northern Ethiopia during Operation Solomon in 1991, has been an issue for years. Recent efforts by the government to accelerate their immigration apparently have been stymied by the Interior Ministry.

In practical terms, there are not enough people who currently have permits that would necessitate ordering a plane for an airlift.

"The problem now is not a matter of having seats on regular planes, or arranging for an airlift," said Sallai Meridor, acting chairman of the Jewish Agency. "The problem now is that there are not enough people with permits, and we hope that this will be dramatically changed."

Interior Minister Eli Suissa, responding to charges that his ministry is holding up the immigration, said there are objective difficulties, such as a continuing conflict in Gondar, where the Kwara Jews are located. The security officer of the Israeli Embassy in Addis Ababa had ordered the Interior Ministry representative not to fly to Gondar for the past three months, the Interior Ministry said.

The issue of the Kwara Jews was made a top priority in November, when Edelstein was named by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the point man to oversee that they are brought to Israel.

The international Fellowship of Christians and Jews, an organization based in Chicago that seeks to build bridges between Jews and Christians, has pledged financial assistance to help in the rescue of the Jews of Kwara.

This money will be channeled through the United Jewish Communities of North America. Some federations have already committed themselves to increased funding for this purpose.