An estimated 3,000 people gathered in Yerushalayim yesterday for the annual ceremony memorializing Jews who died on the way to Israel from Ethiopia.
Between 1984 and 1985 roughly half of those who attempted the perilous trek from Ethiopia through Sudan never reached their destination. Of some 8,000 who left for Israel, 4,000 reportedly perished on the way.
In 2007, a monument was erected on Mount Herzl to commemorate the fallen, and in 2011 the Knesset passed a resolution making the memorial an annual event that is held on Yerushalayim Day.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin addressed the crowd, both noting the sacrifices made to come to Israel, and the difficulties that many from Ethiopia continue to face in Israeli society.
