The flight landed in Israel in the early hours of the morning, on Sunday, October 15, 2023. Aboard were 165 reserve soldiers who had received call up orders. The plane left Sao Paulo on Friday, October 13, 2023. The flight, which was coordinated with the Israeli consulates in Miami and Sao Paulo and was funded by Keren Hayesod Sao Paulo and members of the Jewish community, enabled IDF soldiers who were visiting South America and whose participation in the war was essential, to return to Israel quickly and to join the fighting effort.
“Once I was called up for duty, it was clear to me that I needed to get back as quickly as possible to defend my country, but I had know way of getting there because all the flights were canceled,” said one of the soldiers on the plane. “Thank you to everyone who helped me join my team to fight for our home.” Sam Grundwerg, World Chairman Keren Hayesod“Keren Hayesod feels a tremendous responsibility to help Israeli society during such an emergency. As a national institution that routinely relies on raising funds for aliyah and absorption, strengthening Israeli society and the relationship between the Jewish communities around the world and Israel, Keren Hayesod donors around the world continue to strengthen and support the residents of the south, our soldiers, and the entire people of Israel, in routine and especially in times of war. Rafael Erdreich- Consul General of Israel in Sao Paulo“The Israeli Consulate in Sao Paulo initiated and conducted an evacuation operation for Israelis across Latin America, following a similar operation conducted by the embassy in Lima, Peru. The consulate staff worked day and night, gathering information about Israelis in South America (with the help of Israeli tourists), bringing them together, coordinating and communicating with the airport, the Brazilian authorities and the Sao Paulo state government. Thanks to contributions from the Jewish community in Sao Paulo, collected through Keren Hayesod, we organized the evacuation operation with great success, despite many logistical and security challenges.”
