Israel's ambassador to Ethiopia died on Sunday in Jerusalem, the Foreign Ministry said, four days after he was found unconscious with an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officials said Doron Grossman, 48, was in advanced stages of incurable cancer. He was found gravely wounded in his Addis Ababa apartment and flown to Israel for treatment, but he did not regain consciousness. Police ruled out criminal involvement.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said Grossman, "slated for promotion," was recently appointed as Israel's ambassador to South Africa. Israeli officials said that Grossman played an important role as ambassador in overseeing Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's efforts to bring to Israel the Falash Mura, who claim descent from Ethiopian Jews forced to convert to Christianity in the 19th century. Sharon's government in 2003 gave the go-ahead for some 20,000 Falash Mura to immigrate under Israel's Law of Return, which grants Jews anywhere in the world the right to immigrate to Israel and claim citizenship. |