New World Passover Celebration of The African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem, May 20, 2009.
Members of the Hebrew community have been informed in recent days by the authorities that they must leave Israel within 60 days, following their rejected applications to the Interior Ministry to establish their status as permanent residents. The candidates for deportation have lived in Israel without an official status for years, and some were even born in the country. Similar requests from a large number of members of the African Hebrew Israelite Nation of Jerusalem (a.k.a. Black Hebrew Israelites) are still pending.
According to the Population Authority, the Black Hebrew community numbers about 2,000, but the community claims that the number is much higher â as high as 5,000. The Black Hebrews live mainly in Dimona, in southern Israel, but there are also clusters living in Yeruham, Mitzpe Ramon, Arad, Tel Aviv, and T’veria.