The Israeli government voted on Sunday to step up its efforts to bring Ethiopians of Jewish ancestry, known as Falash Mura or Beta Yisrael, to Israel, from 170 to 200 monthly.

"The government unanimously voted to increase the pace of aliyah ("ascending" - immigration) of Falash Mura to Israel, so that all 2,200 of them will be here by 2014," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement sent to Xinhua.

Since it's creation in 1948, Israel has held aliyah as a raison d'etre for the Jewish people's homeland.

"Aliyah to Israel from anywhere in the world is a central goal of the government," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told ministers at the weekly cabinet session.

According to the decision, "Efforts will be made to bring most of the immigrants close to the start of the academic year so that the children may begin classes together with Israeli pupils. Also, in order to assist the immigrants' absorption, an absorption center will be opened in this September, at a cost of approximately NIS 17 million," the government said.

"We must act to bring all of the Falash Mura to Israel and close the immigration camp in Gondar as soon as possible," said Prime Minister's Office Director-General Harel Locker, who will monitor the process.

Additionally, the government also voted to add 40 million shekels to projects to encourage overall immigration to Israel, the statement read, tasking the Student Authority of the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Ministry of Education with administering the projects.

So far, the authority has assisted approximately 6,500 students annually, "one third of which are from Ethiopia, and it is a significant factor in the decision of young people who are eligible to immigrate to Israel under the Law of Return," according to the statement.

The government will support about 90 Hebrew language schools, and four youth villages that are operated by the ministry and which mainly house at-risk youth.

Meanwhile, overall immigration dropped seven percent in the first five months of 2012, although there was a rise from Western Europe, according to agency figures. By the end of May, almost 6, 000 Jews moved to Israel.

Some 850 came from Ethiopia, with over half coming from former Soviet Union states. 713 came from the United States, and 994 from countries in Western Europe and Great Britain, according to the Times of Israel.