Teller From Jerusalem
Hanoch Teller
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TFJ Season 2 Episode 30 On the Wings of Eagles - The Secret Evacuation of Yemenite Jewry
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.
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