Jul 19, 2023
Israel’s Law of Return was designed to solve the problem of persecuted Jews who had nowhere to flee, for no country would allow them entry. They would all be welcomed in Israel. Israel did not just open her doors, but actively took part in dangerous rescue missions to bring entire populations to Israel where they could be resettled in safety. One of the most famous missions was Operation Magic Carpet which, in the span of one year, clandestinely airlifted nearly 50,000 Jews from Yemen, where they were suffering attacks and lived in constant danger.
Transporting Yemen Jewry to one central place where they could be
extracted, required the impoverished people to trek at least 300
kilometers by foot through deserts and mountains as they were
attacked along the way and suffered from hunger and disease. A
motley group of young air force veterans from WWII, piloted
transport planes, licensed to carry no more than 60 people, with
600 passengers on board. The entire flight from southern Yemen to
Israel was fraught with danger, flying above Arab territory and
always with a need to refuel along this hostile route. Conducted in
total secrecy, a miracle was achieved without the loss of a single
loss of life on these exceptionally perilous flights.