Operation Joshua, also known as Operation Sheba,
was the 1985 airlifting of
Ethiopian Jews from refugee camps in
Sudan to
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
.
Ethiopian Jews had fled to refugee camps in Sudan from
a severe famine in their country. The Israeli
Operation Moses
Operation Moses ( he, מִבְצָע מֹשֶׁה, ''Mivtza Moshe'') was the covert evacuation of Ethiopian Jews (known as the "Beta Israel" community or "Falashas") from Sudan during a civil war that caused a famine in 1984. Originally called '' ...
had previously airlifted 8,000 people to Israel from November 21, 1984, to January 5, 1985,
but when word leaked out to the press, under pressure from other
Muslim countries
The terms Muslim world and Islamic world commonly refer to the Islamic community, which is also known as the Ummah. This consists of all those who adhere to the religious beliefs and laws of Islam or to societies in which Islam is practiced. I ...
,
Sudan blocked further flights,
leaving many behind.
All 100
United States senators signed a secret petition to President
Ronald Reagan, asking him to have the evacuation resumed.
[ Vice President George H. W. Bush then arranged a follow-up mission called Operation Joshua.][ On March 22, 1985, six United States Air Force C-130 Hercules transport aircraft were dispatched, landing near Al Qadarif. "Around 500",][ "more than 500"][ or "around 650"][ Jews were located and transported to Ovda Airport in southern Israel.
]
See also
* Aliyah from Ethiopia
* Operation Solomon
*Jewish Agency for Israel
The Jewish Agency for Israel ( he, הסוכנות היהודית לארץ ישראל, translit=HaSochnut HaYehudit L'Eretz Yisra'el) formerly known as The Jewish Agency for Palestine, is the largest Jewish non-profit organization in the world. ...
Further reading
*Mitchell G. Bard, ''From Tragedy to Triumph: The Politics Behind the Rescue of Ethiopian Jewry'', 2002, , p. 161 - 170
References
{{reflist
External links
Operations Moses and Joshua
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Aliyah operations
Beta Israel
United States Air Force
Airlifts
Jewish Ethiopian history
1985 in Sudan
1985 in Israel
1985 in international relations
Israel–United States military relations