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Operation Moses (Mivtza Moshe) was the November 1984 to January 1985 covert Israeli airlift that evacuated roughly 8,000 Beta Israel refugees from Sudan to Israel. Refugees had walked from Ethiopia through deserts to Sudan, and about 4,000 died on the way. Israel coordinated with Sudan, an officially hostile state, through a secret deal, the Mossad ran logistics, the Sokhnut handled absorption. A premature media leak in January 1985 ended the operation, leaving roughly 1,000 stranded in Sudan. It was followed by Operation Joshua in March 1985, a US-led airlift that brought another 800 home.
Cultural note, Operation Moses is Israeli mythology. It is the proof of the state\'s commitment to bring all Jews home regardless of geography or race. The walk from Ethiopia to Sudan is itself legendary: families walked 800+ km through deserts, hostile territory, and refugee camps. Jonathan Pollard\'s 1984 espionage scandal partially shielded Operation Moses from public attention until the media leaked it. Today it is commemorated annually with documentaries, memorials, and school curricula. The phrase "Aliyat Moshe" identifies a whole generation of Ethiopian-Israelis.
Operation Basics
The Route
Logistics
Aftermath & Legacy
A Beta Israel Survivor\'s Walk
An Ethiopian-Israeli survivor describes the walk from Ethiopia to Sudan.