A group of 20 more self-styled Black Jews arrived at Lydda Airport from the United States today but were denied entry into the country. Authorities said they had one-way tickets and insufficient funds to stay in Israel as tourists and would be returned to the US, possibly tonight. The action was protested vigorously by a group of Black Jews from Dimona who came to the airport to greet the arrivals. They had notified the press in advance, apparently in order to put pressure on the authorities. The immigration officials at Lydda were acting under instructions issued by the Interior Ministry last week to deny entry to persons arriving with insufficient means of support. The group that came to the airport this afternoon claimed that they were the true Hebrews, “sons of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” and that the country of Israel was promised them by God and belongs only to them.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
