January 5, 1985
Operation Moses Ends
Historical context
In early January 1985 the covert airlift of Ethiopian Jews from Sudan to Israel ended after public disclosure. Flights had begun in November 1984. Contemporary counts of those brought to Israel range from about 7,000 to 10,000.
Archive record
Read the event, then follow its documented sources and archive threads.
- Date
- January 5, 1985
- Verified sources
- 1
- Archive threads
- 5
In early January 1985, the covert airlift known as Operation Moses ended. Flights had begun in November 1984, carrying Beta Israel from Sudan toward Israel after famine and civil war had driven many from the Gondar region into Sudanese camps. Thousands died on the journey or in the camps.
A JTA report dated 8 January 1985 said Trans European Airways had flown refugees from Khartoum via Brussels since November and that the last flight left Brussels at midnight Saturday, 5 January, before the carrier withdrew. Contemporary totals range from about 7,000 to 10,000. After the airlift became public, remaining flights stopped. Later airlifts, including the 1985 follow-up and Operation Solomon in 1991, are separate stories.
Research trail
Sources and further reading
- The Airlift Story · Jewish Telegraphic Agency · JTA (1985-01-08) View source
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