Center of concern

President Rivlin refused to visit a key Jewish institution in Ethiopia (“Rivlin will not visit the Jewish community center in Addis Ababa,” April 30).

It seems very unlikely that a similar refusal would have been encountered by any other Jewish community in the Diaspora. It is particularly bewildering since the synagogue located in the center is where Sintayehu Shiferew studied when preparing for the International Bible Contest (he placed second in the Diaspora)! There is presumably no legitimate security concern, since Minister Ayelet Shaked visited the center without incident only two months before.

Some of the members of this community have been awaiting aliya for over 20 years under inhumane conditions. The government has refused to implement its November 2015 resolution to bring the members of this community to Israel. While Rivlin did have a short token meeting with several members of the community in his hotel room, he acceded to the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s request not to visit the center itself – a clear slap in the face to a religious Zionist community, which is recognized as a Jewish community by the government of Ethiopia – though apparently not by Israel’s Foreign Ministry.

Perhaps Rivlin can make amends upon his return for refusing to witness the appalling condition under which the community lives in Ethiopia by interceding with Prime Minister Netanyahu to finally bring our long-suffering brethren home. Otherwise, it is hard to accept at face value Rivlin’s often stated desire for a broad, welcoming tent for all Jews in the State of Israel. JACOB MANN St. Louis