Ethiopian-born Immigrants and Total Immigration to Israel (1948-2013)

Concern for the fate of the Ethiopian Jews and fear for their well-being contributed eventually to the Israeli government's official recognition of the Beta Israel community as Jews in 1975, for the purpose of the Law of Return. Civil war in Ethiopia prompted the Israeli government to airlift most of the Beta Israel population in Ethiopia to Israel in several covert military rescue operations which took place from the 1980s until the early 1990s (see section below). At the start of 1990, Israel provided military assistance to the Derg regime in exchange for the trouble-free exit of the Beta Israel population.

Reference 1: Ethiopian-born Immigrants and Total Immigration to Israel.

Reference 2: 1948–51, 1952–60, 1961–71, 1972–79, 1980–89, 1990–99, 2000–04, 2005-09, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_Israel