Thousands of Ethiopian Jews aboard an Israeli plane during the second rescue operation. Credit: Getty Images
In November 1984, Israel launched a historic mission to transport thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Israel.
This initiative, known as Operation Moses, rescued approximately 8,000 people and was the first of two secret missions of this kind. The second, Operation Solomon, took place in 1991.
At the time, Ethiopian Jews lived in difficult conditions amidst civil war and famine, facing restrictions that prevented them from leaving the country. Many had fled to Sudan, living in extremely precarious refugee camps.
Together, the two operations rescued a total of 22,000 people and are considered among the most successful humanitarian efforts in history, highlighting Israel's commitment to preserving Jewish identity worldwide and welcoming every Jew back to the Jewish homeland with open arms.
Israel was the only country in history to bring people out of Africa to liberate and integrate them as full citizens, rather than to enslave them.
Curiosities about Operations Moses and Solomon
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Both operations were carried out in extreme secrecy, involving nighttime flights from Sudan to Israel and the use of commercial (rather than military) planes to avoid drawing attention.
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Operation Solomon set the world record for the most passengers on a single commercial flight, with 1,088 passengers. This was made possible by removing the seats from the plane to increase internal space.
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Operation Moses rescued around 8,000 people over about two months. Operation Solomon rescued around 14,000 people in just 36 hours, with an impressive 34 flights.
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Operation Moses was interrupted before it was completed due to political pressure from Arab countries against Sudan. This is why, years later, Operation Solomon took place.
