In May 1991, the government of Israel carried out one of the most remarkable rescue operations of the 20th century. Codenamed Operation Solomon, the mission airlifted more than 14,300 Ethiopian Jews from Ethiopia to Israel in a highly coordinated and time-sensitive evacuation.
The operation took place between May 24 and 25 and lasted approximately 36 continuous hours. During this brief window, 35 flights were conducted, removing thousands of people from a situation of political instability and transporting them to Israel, where they would be integrated into society under Israel’s Law of Return and broader Jewish immigration policy (Aliyah).
Operation Solomon was the third major airlift of Ethiopian Jews. It followed earlier missions known as Operation Moses and Operation Joshua, which had facilitated the departure of Ethiopian Jewish communities in previous years. After those operations were halted, only a very small number of Ethiopian Jews managed to leave the country until this large-scale evacuation was launched in 1991.
