FALASHAS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01370R000801120053-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 30, 2010
• Sequence Number: 53
• Publication Date: February 3, 1984
• Content Type: CABLE

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TOR: 0316242 FEB 84
RR RUEAIIB
ZNY CCCCC ZOC STATE ZZH
UTS4661
RR RUEHC
DE RUTABA #0546 0331115
ZN1' CCCCC ZZH
R 0210522 FEB 84
FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4936
INFO RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 6232
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 0620
RUFHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1610
BT
C O N E I D ENT I A L ADDIS ABABA 0546
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: SREF, ET, SHUM
SUBJECT: FALASHAS
2. TWO US CITIZENS REPRESENTING THE UNION OF AMERICAN
HEBREW CONGREGATIONS WERE IN ETHIOPIA FROM JANUARY 23 TO
FEBRUARY 2, OF WHICH TIME THEY SPENT ONE WEEK IN GONDAR
REGION VISITING FALASHA VILLAGES. THE TWO CAME AS TOURISTS
BUT BROUGHT IN WITH THEM SEVEN SUITCASES FILLED WITH
RELIGIOUS ARTIFACTS AND ITEMS OF CLOTHING FOR DISTRIBUTION
TO FALASHAS. BEFORE COMING TO ETHIOPIA THEY MADE CLEAR
TO ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES AND ETHIOPIAN NATIONAL TOURISM
COMMISSION OFFICES IN THE US THAT THEIR AIM WAS TO VISIT
FALASHA VILLAGES. THEY WERE GIVEN A PERMIT TO SPEND
SEVEN DAYS IN GONDAR REGION AND TO TRAVEL BY CAR AND ON
F00T TO FALASHA VILLAGES, ACCOMPANIED AT ALL TIMES OF COURSE
BY AN NTO GUIDE.
3. THEY WERE ABLE TO VISIT SEVEN VILLAGES ALTOGETHER,
TWO OF WHICH WERE OUTSIDE THE AREA OF THEIR PERMIT. SIX
OF THE SEVEN WERE IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF GONDAR REGION,
WITHIN A RADIUS OF THIRTY MILES FROM GONDAR CITY. THE
SEVENTH WAS A VILLAGE AT THE FOOTHILLS OF THE SIMIEN
MOUNTAINS, WHICH THEY WERE ABLE TO REACH BY JOINING A TOUR
OF BRITISH BIRDWATCHERS. THEY FOUND EXTREME POVERTY
AND MISERY THERE, WITH FOOD IN VERY SHORT SUPPLY AND EVEN
THE MOST ELEMENTARY MEDICAL CARE LACKING. THE OTHER SIX
VILLAGES WERE pUITE POOR BY WESTERN STANDARDS BUT APPEARED
TO HAVE SUFFICIENT FOOD AND ACCESS TO SOME MEDICAL CARE AND
TO EDUCATION. AS FAR AS THEY COULD TELL, JUDAISM WAS
FREELY PRACTICED IN ALL THE VILLAGES THEY VISITED, AND
THEY FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF OFFICIAL INTERFERENCE WITH OR
HARRASSMENT OF FALASHAS ON RELIGIOUS OR ETHNIC GROUNDS.
THEY DID FIND THAT THE FORMAL TEACHING OF HEBREW IS NOT
ALLOWED, NOT EVEN IN THE LARGE VILL OBER. (DURING
ITS VISIT TO AMBOBER LAST AUGUST CODEL WOLP AS TOLD THAT
THE TEACHING OF HEBREW WOULD BE R OON IN AMBOBER.I
GENERALLY, THEY SAY, FALASHAS DID NOT SEEM WORSE OFF THAN
THEIR CHRISTIAN NEIGHBORS.
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4. THEY DID FIND, HOWEVER, A UNIVERSAL URGE ON THE PART OF
ABLE-BODIED TEENAGE AND ADULT FAIASHAS TO LEAVE .ETHIOPIA AND
SOMETHING APPROACHING A MASS EXODUS BY THIS PARTICULAR
SEGMENT OF THE FALASHA POPULATION. THEY FOUND SOME OF THE
FEW WITH HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATIONS ABLE TO LEAVE LEGALLY ON
ISRAELI GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIPS, BUT A MUCH LARGER NUMBER
SIMPLY PICKS UP AND WALKS OFF TO SUDAN, OFTEN TAKING WITH
THEM THEIR DOMESTIC ANIMALS. DEPARTURES ARE SO EXTENSIVE
THAT VILLAGES ARE ALREADY DEPLETED OF ABLE-BODIES POPULATION
AND RISK HAVING NO ONE BUT THE VERY YOUNG AND VERY OLD
LEFT. THE US CITIZEN VISITORS SAY THEY WERE TOLD THAT
PENALTIES FOR ATTEMPTED ILLEGAL EMIGRATION ARE LENIENT; IF
CAUGHT, THOSE SEEKING TO ESCAPE TO SUDAN WOULD BE JAILED
FOR THREE OR FOUR DAYS AND LET G0. (THIS IS IN CONTRAST
TO OTHER REPORTS THAT ALLEGE LENGTHY JAILING, TORTURE AND
EVEN OCCASIONALLY KILLING OF FALASHAS CAUGHT TRYING TO
ESCAPE OR OF THEIR RELATIVES LEFT BEHIND.)
5. WE DRAW THE DEPARTMENT'S PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THIS
REPORT BECAUSE IT IS THE RESULT OF THE M05T EXTENSIVE
TRAVELLING TO FALASHA VILLAGES LEGALLY UNDERTAKEN THAT WE
KNOW OF OVER THE PAST TWO OR THREE YEARS. ONLY THREE OF
THE SEVEN VILLAGES WERE ACCESSIBLE BV ROAD; THE OTHER
FOUR HAD TO BE REACHED BY MORE OR LESS LONG HIKES OVER
DIFFICULT TERRAIN. THE RESULTANT PICTURE (THE VISITORS
MET WITH CHARGE' AND A/DCM BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER THEIR TIME
IN GONDAR REGItifJ) IS GENERALLY CONSISTENT WITH REPORTS
GIVEN BY OTHER FOREIGN TRAVELLERS TO FAIASHA VILLAGES BUT
MORE DETAIlEO AND ON THE WHOLE CONVEYS A SOMEWHAT MORE
FAVORABLE VIEW OF CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH FALASHAS LIVE IN
ETHIOPIA.
KORN
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