Mission to Airlift Jews Out of Yemen Heralds the End of One ff Oldest Jewish Communities
21st March 2016
Operation Magic Carpet was the first major airlift of Jews to the newly independent Israel. In 1949, more than 50,000 were flown from Yemen in secret flights before the operation was officially unveiled amid much publicity as a declaration of the Jewish State’s commitment to bring its people home.
Israel recreated the mission in recent days, once again flying Jews out of Yemen. The number this time was 19, reflecting how the community has dwindled in the intervening years. About 50 more refused to leave, preferring to stay on in a country enmeshed in a bitter civil war.