{{Short description|1985 airlift of Ethiopian Jews to Israel}} '''Operation Joshua''', also known as '''Operation Sheba''',<ref name=IDF>{{cite web |url=https://www.idfblog.com/about-the-idf/history-of-the-idf/1984-1991-airlift-of-ethiopian-jewish-community/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510212237/https://www.idfblog.com/about-the-idf/history-of-the-idf/1984-1991-airlift-of-ethiopian-jewish-community/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2017-05-10 |title=1984-1991 Airlift of Ethiopian Jewish community }}</ref> was the 1985 airlifting of Ethiopian Jews from refugee camps in Sudan to Israel.
Ethiopian Jews had fled to refugee camps in Sudan from a severe famine in their country. The Israeli Operation Moses had previously airlifted 8,000 people to Israel from November 21, 1984, to January 5, 1985,<ref>{{cite web|last=Ministry of Immigrant Absorption|title=Operation Moses – Aliyah of Ethiopian Jewry (1984)|url=http://www.moia.gov.il/English/FeelingIsrael/AboutIsrael/Pages/mivtzaMoshe.aspx}}</ref> but when word leaked out to the press, under pressure from other Muslim countries, Sudan blocked further flights,<ref name=LAT>{{cite news |title='Catalyst' for Ethiopian Airlift Disclosed : Robbins, Publisher Claim Valley-Spawned Plan Spurred U.S. to Action |author=T. W. McGarry |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=March 26, 1985 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-03-26-me-28866-story.html}}</ref><ref name=Telegraph>{{cite news |title=Sharon Spent Two Years Thinking His Parents Had Died in Sudan |newspaper=Jewish Telegraph |url=http://www.jewishtelegraph.com/prof_232.html}}</ref> leaving many behind.
All 100 United States senators signed a secret petition to President Ronald Reagan, asking him to have the evacuation resumed.<ref name=LAT/> Vice President George H. W. Bush then arranged a follow-up mission called Operation Joshua.<ref name=IDF/> On March 22, 1985, six United States Air Force C-130 Hercules transport aircraft were dispatched, landing near Al Qadarif. "Around 500",<ref name=IDF/> "more than 500"<ref name=LAT/> or "around 650"<ref name=Telegraph/> Jews were located and transported to Ovda Airport in southern Israel.
==See also== *Aliyah from Ethiopia *Operation Solomon *Jewish Agency for Israel
==Further reading== *Mitchell G. Bard, ''From Tragedy to Triumph: The Politics Behind the Rescue of Ethiopian Jewry'', 2002, {{ISBN|978-0-275-97000-0}}, p. 161 - 170
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/ejhist.html#operation1 Operations Moses and Joshua]
{{Israel–United States relations|state=collapsed}}
Category:1985 in international relations Category:1985 in Israel Category:1985 in Ethiopia Category:1985 in Sudan Category:Aliyah operations Category:Airlifts Category:Jewish Ethiopian history Category:Beta Israel Category:Al Qadarif State Category:United States Air Force Category:Ethiopia–Israel relations Category:Ethiopia–Sudan relations Category:Ethiopia–United States relations Category:Israel–Sudan relations Category:Israel–United States military relations Category:Sudan–United States relations